WELCOME TO THE DECEMBER NEWSLETTER OF THE CENTER FOR INNOVATION IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING DESIGN
This month’s newsletter includes links to a number of design related articles, several articles about the recovery efforts after Katrina, a number of articles which address the needs of particular populations in addition to many articles that have to do with funding, legislation and other issues related to affordable housing.
Be sure to look at the announcements, studies released, and upcoming events section of the newsletter for information you may find useful.
Title Summary
Articles
Design and Related Articles
Free New Urbanism 'Pattern Book' For Gulf Coast Redevelopment
Was France A Victim Of Architecture?
NPR On Public Housing And The French Riots
How Big Should A Building Be? Controlling Size And Scale By Design
Waterworks Redevelopment A Go
EPA Awards Greenwich , Conn. , Developer
Iowa School Building Transformed Into Low-Income Housing
Co-Housing Offers Alternative Model
Pre-Fab New Urbanism For 40% Less?
Katrina Related Articles
Gulf Coast Recovery Faces Housing Barrier
The Market Is Rebuilding New Orleans
New Orleans Residents Struggle To Keep Homes
Designing The Future Of New Orleans :
Gulf Bogey
Residents Dislike Tourism Emphasis Of Gulf Coast Rebuilding
Population-Specific Housing Related Articles
Kid-Friendly Granny Flats In NYC
Group Receives $1.3 Million HUD Grant To Help Aids Patients
Grant To Pay Rent For 30 Homeless Aids Clients
Massachusetts Targets Vacancies In Age-Restricted Units
San Francisco Homeless Project Goes National
Minority Programs Build Up Housing Stock
$50 Million Coalition For Workforce Homes
A New, Aggressive Approach To Homelessness
Housing A Growing Concern In North Virginia Immigration Debate
No Affordable Homes For Minimum-Wage Earners
Legislation, Funding and other Articles
The Transformation Of Public Housing
Renewal Begets Its Own Problems
A Longer Wait For Housing
Legislator Proposes Protection For Mobile Home Parks
Agency Oks Del Lago Bid
American Indian Cdc Invests In Green Homes
Bangor Agency Building New Subdivision
Cheaper Housing Breaks The Mold
Push Comes To Shove Over 'Welfare Housing'
An Urban Planning Crisis In Australia?
L.A. Mayor's Vision For The City
One Penny For Preservation
City-County Affordable Housing Agreement Receives Award
City Trust To Retain Home Affordability
Manteo Working To Develop Affordable Housing For Locals
Bond Project Aims To Boost Housing
Unsupportable Affordable Housing: Most Expensive Places To Live
Critics Point To Unknowns In Atlantic Yards Agreement
Best Places To Find Affordable Homes
Young Developers Give Back To Their Community
Affordable Housing Controversy In New York City.
Announcements
Housing Policies And Neighborhood Strategies For Weak Markets
New On-Line Resource To Identify Federal Grant Opportunities
2005 Metlife Awards For Excellence In Affordable Housing
Partnership Helps Homeowners Facing Foreclosure
New Urbanism Awards Nominations Due Jan. 31
Peoples Bancorp Foundation, Inc. Announces Availability Of Funds
Studies Released
Revenue-Generating Strategies For Community Organizing
Opportunities For America's Older Cities
Resilient Children, Diversity Of Cultural Participation: Uli
Guide Covers Rural Section 8 Homeownership Programs
Events
Conference On Ending Family Homelessness, Jan. 26-27
Affordable Housing And Child Care Training Institutes
Role Of Immigrants In Urban Revitalization Jan.25 In Philadelphia.
Reinventing Older Communities: People, Places, Markets
ARTICLES
Design Related Articles
FREE NEW URBANISM 'PATTERN BOOK' FOR GULF COAST REDEVELOPMENT
Mississippi governor urges rebuilding in hurricane-hit areas to adopt traditional features. Opponents criticize "dominance of New Urbanism" and focus on "historicist designs" in official efforts. Nov 29 2005 -- Planetizen
Planetizen December 1
WAS FRANCE A VICTIM OF ARCHITECTURE?
In the wake of the deadly French Riots, many are now claiming that architects like Le Corbusier are at fault for fostering the high-rise, low-income apartment complexes. "… Ultimately, the fatal flaw lies not in the architecture but the system that operates within it. In other words, the riots in the banlieues don't condemn Le Corbusier; they condemn the governments that failed to follow his vision." Dec 02 2005 -- The New Republic OnlinePlanetizen December 5
NPR ON PUBLIC HOUSING AND THE FRENCH RIOTS
Did public housing play a role in the recent French riots?
Dec 04 2005 -- NPR
Planetizen December 5
HOW BIG SHOULD A BUILDING BE? CONTROLLING SIZE AND SCALE BY DESIGN
One of the most important things to think about when you are designing affordable housing to fit comfortably into its neighborhood is how the size of the building relates to the street and to other buildings in the vicinity.
Enterprise Network News December 5
WATERWORKS REDEVELOPMENT A GO
Work is under way on a $6.4 million project to transform the Bangor waterworks into 35 efficiency apartments for very low-income adults at risk of homelessness, reported the Bangor Daily News.
KnowledgePlex December 7
EPA AWARDS GREENWICH , CONN. , DEVELOPER
A $350 million mill redevelopment project in Redding , Conn. , is among the five winners of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's National Award for Smart Growth Achievement, reported The Stamford Advocate.
KnowledgePlex December 7
IOWA SCHOOL BUILDING TRANSFORMED INTO LOW-INCOME HOUSING
In the last five years, the Iowa Finance Authority's Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program has financed the conversion of three former elementary schools in Waterloo into rental complexes, reported the Waterloo Courier. The third project transformed an 85-year-old school into an apartment complex for low-income seniors.
KnowledgePlex December 14
CO-HOUSING OFFERS ALTERNATIVE MODEL
In Berlin , Mass. , two cohousing groups are planning to build two separate communities for their members on land jointly purchased in June, reported The Boston Globe . On its portion of the 55-acre site, Camelot Cohousing aims to develop 34 condominiums clustered around a "common house" and adjacent to an archery range, a swimming pool, a fighting barn for medieval sparring matches, and other amenities.
KnowledgePlex December 14
PRE-FAB NEW URBANISM FOR 40% LESS?
The manufactured homes are tailored to an appropriate historic or neighborhood look, and will likely play a big part in rebuilding on the Coast. Dec 15 2005 -- Sun Herald
Planetizen December 19
Katrina Related Articles
GULF COAST RECOVERY FACES HOUSING BARRIER
http://www.knowledgeplex.org/news/130395.html
A lack of housing for workers has made it hard to restart New Orleans ' economy, reported The Dallas Morning News.
KnowledgePlex December 7
THE MARKET IS REBUILDING NEW ORLEANS
Despite the promises of federal assistance, most New Orleans residents have been left to their own devices to rebuild their communities and their lives. Dec 06 2005 -- The Los Angeles Times
Planetizen December 8
NEW ORLEANS RESIDENTS STRUGGLE TO KEEP HOMES
Three months after Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans residents face evictions as rents skyrocket. Dec 17 2005 -- Democracy Now
Planetizen December 19
DESIGNING THE FUTURE OF NEW ORLEANS :
An international dual competition for new housing in New Orleans ; registration deadline: February 1, 2006- Architectural Record/Tulane School of Architecture
ArchNewsNow December 21
GULF BOGEY
When The New York Times linked CNU planners to an alleged scheme to replace a neighborhood with a golf course, it blundered and missed a larger story on renewing Coastal Missisippi, say CNU co-authors John Norquist and Stephen Filmanowicz. Dec 22 2005 – Planetizen
Planetizen December 27
RESIDENTS DISLIKE TOURISM EMPHASIS OF GULF COAST REBUILDING
While politicians are leaning to New Urbanism for Gulf Coast rebuilding, residents are not so sure. Dec 19 2005 -- Planetizen
Planetizen December 27
POPULATION-SPECIFIC HOUSING RELATED ARTICLES
KID-FRIENDLY GRANNY FLATS IN NYC
GrandParent Family Apartments in the Bronx provide housing and social services including parenting classes, recreation for all ages, and tutoring for children. "Nationwide, the 2000 census counted 2.3 million people who are primary caregivers for grandchildren.” Nov 30 2005 -- Washington Post
Planetizen December 1
GROUP RECEIVES $1.3 MILLION HUD GRANT TO HELP AIDS PATIENTS
On the eve of World AIDS Day, HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson visited the AIDS Memorial Park in Tampa , Fla. , to announce $18.7 million in grants to 16 AIDS programs nationwide, reported the St. Petersburg Times.
KnowledgePlex December 7
GRANT TO PAY RENT FOR 30 HOMELESS AIDS CLIENTS
The Colorado AIDS Project will receive $730,000 from HUD to pay rent costs and provide intensive case management and job search services to 30 homeless AIDS households, reported The Denver Post.
KnowledgePlex December 7
MASSACHUSETTS TARGETS VACANCIES IN AGE-RESTRICTED UNITS
In Massachusetts , the surge in age-restricted affordable housing in the last few years appears to have outpaced demand in some communities, reported The Boston Globe. KnowledgePlex December 7
SAN FRANCISCO HOMELESS PROJECT GOES NATIONAL
On Dec. 8, a reported 5,000 community volunteers in 21 cities across the United States "fed, massaged, and helped into welfare services or housing" more than 6,000 homeless people, reported The San Francisco Chronicle.
KnowledgePlex December 14
MINORITY PROGRAMS BUILD UP HOUSING STOCK
Programs to boost minority homeownership are creating new homes in St. Louis 's inner-ring suburbs, reported the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Over several years, Pagedale and St. Louis County sold vacant lots in Pagedale for $1 to Beyond Housing/Neighborhood Housing Services to build 60 new dwellings. In Hillsdale, the city has donated land for the development of 50 new single-family homes.
KnowledgePlex December 14
$50 MILLION COALITION FOR WORKFORCE HOMES
A new Los Angeles company founded by a coalition of lenders aims to provide $100 million in construction and permanent financing for workforce housing in the city, according to a press release from Century Housing.
KnowledgePlex December 14
A NEW, AGGRESSIVE APPROACH TO HOMELESSNESS
After patience with extensive panhandling by the homeless population runs thin, Santa Monica, CA, launches an aggressive new effort to get chronically homeless individuals off the city's streets. Dec 14 2005 -- Los Angeles Times
KnowledgePlex December 15
HOUSING A GROWING CONCERN IN NORTH VIRGINIA IMMIGRATION DEBATE
Code violation crackdowns are the "new battleground" in Northern Virginia 's efforts to deal with an influx of legal and illegal immigrants, reported the Richmond Times Dispatch. KnowledgePlex December 21
NO AFFORDABLE HOMES FOR MINIMUM-WAGE EARNERS
The National Low Income Housing Coalition's annual report on housing prices found that "there is no place in the country where a full-time worker earning minimum wage can afford to rent even a one-bedroom apartment at fair market rent," reported the Sacramento Bee.
KnowledgePlex December 21
LEGISLATION, FUNDING AND OTHER ARTICLES
THE TRANSFORMATION OF PUBLIC HOUSING
Why public housing, once the scourge of the city, now is a vital part of its life and its future. Part 1 of 3.
Philadelphia Inquirer December 4
RENEWAL BEGETS ITS OWN PROBLEMS
Both delight and envy greet the new public housing. Part 2 of 3.
Philadelphia Inquirer December 5
A LONGER WAIT FOR HOUSING
For the poor, new units aren't nearly enough. Part 3 of 3.
Philadelphia Inquirer December 6
LEGISLATOR PROPOSES PROTECTION FOR MOBILE HOME PARKS
Legislation requiring local governments to help preserve mobile home parks and offer more aid to displaced residents has been filed in the Florida legislature, reported the Palm Beach Daily Business Review.
KnowledgePlex December 7
AGENCY OKS DEL LAGO BID
To ensure low rents for the tenants of a local mobile home park, the Monterey , Calif. , Housing Authority will offer the park's owner $25 million to buy the site, reported the Monterey County Herald. For years, tenants have complained to local officials of hefty rent increases by the Chicago-based owner.
KnowledgePlex December 7
AMERICAN INDIAN CDC INVESTS IN GREEN HOMES
Affordable green housing developments are going up in what the developer calls "the most clearly identifiable urban Indian community in America ," reported Finance and Commerce. KnowledgePlex December 7
BANGOR AGENCY BUILDING NEW SUBDIVISION
In keeping with city priorities, the Bangor , Maine , Housing Authority is developing a $4 million, 28-unit workforce subdivision of manufactured homes, reported the Bangor Daily News.
KnowledgePlex December 7
CHEAPER HOUSING BREAKS THE MOLD
A partnership prompted by Denver 's inclusionary zoning ordinance has produced a majority-affordable complex in a pricey neighborhood, reported The Denver Post . Under the city's affordable housing law, developers of for-sale residential projects with at least 30 units must either set aside at least 10 percent of the units for people who make up to 80 percent of the area median income or pay a fee.
KnowledgePlex December 7
PUSH COMES TO SHOVE OVER 'WELFARE HOUSING'
In a recent newsletter, the Building Industry Association of San Diego County refers to affordable units built under inclusionary housing laws as "welfare housing," reported The San Diego Union Tribune. The bold-type, all-cap headline for the article warns "Welfare Housing Coming To A Neighborhood Near You. Like It Or Not."
KnowledgePlex December 7
AN URBAN PLANNING CRISIS IN AUSTRALIA?
House prices in most capital cities in Australias have doubled, putting them out of reach for young Australian families. Dec 07 2005 -- The Australian
Planetizen December 8
L.A. MAYOR'S VISION FOR THE CITY
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa outlines his ideal future for the city -- including better public transit and more affordable housing. Dec 10 2005 -- Los Angeles TimesPlanetizen December 12
ONE PENNY FOR PRESERVATION
Housing values were skyrocketing. Fairfax knew it was losing the battle to maintain a critical amount of affordable housing. The Board of Supervisors formed a citizen task force to come up with a plan for preserving 1,000 affordable homes. The Task Force's top recommendation: set aside one penny of every real estate tax dollar to preserve affordable housing.
National Housing Preservation Trust Newsletter December 14
CITY-COUNTY AFFORDABLE HOUSING AGREEMENT RECEIVES AWARD
Napa County , Calif. , won a merit award from the California State Association of Counties for trading about half of its state-mandated affordable housing requirements to its two largest cities, reported the Vallejo Times-Herald. County officials believed that creating about 2,000 new units at various levels of affordability would compromise the county's agricultural focus.
KnowledgePlex December 14
CITY TRUST TO RETAIN HOME AFFORDABILITY
Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley announced plans to create the first citywide land trust in the nation, reported the Chicago Sun-Times . The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation is providing a $396,000 grant to launch the Community Land Trust. KnowledgePlex December 14
MANTEO WORKING TO DEVELOP AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR LOCALS
By pursuing developers of affordable homes, officials in the North Carolina Outer Banks town of Manteo are "going against the tide," reported The Virginian-Pilot.
KnowledgePlex December 14
BOND PROJECT AIMS TO BOOST HOUSING
Flush with recent commercial development successes, once-blighted Chelsea , Mass. , is now turning its attention to strengthening its residential base, reported The Boston Globe. In early 2005, the city manager announced that he'd like to see 1,200 new housing units, 15 percent of which should be affordable.
KnowledgePlex December 14
UNSUPPORTABLE AFFORDABLE HOUSING: MOST EXPENSIVE PLACES TO LIVE
A new report from the National Low-Income Housing Coalition shows just how out of reach affordable housing can be. Dec 14 2005 -- National Low Income Housing CoalitionKnowledgePlex December 15
CRITICS POINT TO UNKNOWNS IN ATLANTIC YARDS AGREEMENT
Atlantic Yards, a major new development proposed for Central Brooklyn, N.Y., is making its way through the state approval process. The developer, Forest City Ratner, proposes 16 high-rise towers on 22 acres, a basketball arena, and thousands of affordable housing units. However, some observers are questioning who will profit from the community benefit agreement negotiated by Forest City and a coalition of community organizations, according to an opinion article in the New York Observer.
KnowledgePlex December 21
BEST PLACES TO FIND AFFORDABLE HOMES
Business Week surveys the locations of affordable housing in all regions of the US. Dec 21 2005 -- MSN Real Estate - BusinessWeek Online
Planetizen December 27
YOUNG DEVELOPERS GIVE BACK TO THEIR COMMUNITY
Young real estate developers contribute expertise and skills to develop affordable housing for disabled women. Dec 20 2005 -- The Boston Globe
Planetizen December 27
AFFORDABLE HOUSING CONTROVERSY IN NEW YORK CITY.
What is the appropriate level of subsidization that affordable housing developers should receive? The article also describes New York City's unique inclusionary housing benefits. Dec 27 2005 -- The New York Times
Planetizen December 29
ANNOUNCEMENTS
HOUSING POLICIES AND NEIGHBORHOOD STRATEGIES FOR WEAK MARKETS
Knowledge Sharing Initiative's Experts Online, in partnership with KnowledgePlex, produced a session on how many cities across America have not benefited effectively from the economic boom of the past decade. Unlike their counterparts in stronger markets, these cities have faced continued population and job losses leading to dismal economic conditions. With highlights from two new LISC publications Building a Better Urban Future: New Directions for Housing Policies in Weak Market Cities, written by Alan Mallach, and The Ripple Effect: Economic Impacts of Targeted Community Investments, illustrate how to attract much-needed market capital to strengthen the markets in those places. This session is now in the archive.
LISC Experts Online Announcement December
NEW ON-LINE RESOURCE TO IDENTIFY FEDERAL GRANT OPPORTUNITIES
USDA's Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives has launched a new on-line grants catalog to assist community- and faith-based organizations in identifying federal grant opportunities. The catalog, Federal Funds for Organizations that Help Those in Need, contains a list of more than 150 programs, as well as contact information and application instructions for each.
Enterprise Network News December 5
2005 METLIFE AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING
This free book highlights the six award-winning programs in Supportive Housing and in Property and Asset Management.
Enterprise Network News December 5
PARTNERSHIP HELPS HOMEOWNERS FACING FORECLOSURE
NeighborWorks America will use a $1.275 million grant from Homeownership Preservation Foundation to develop and implement foreclosure prevention workshops in communities served by NeighborWorks.
NeighborWorks News December 7
NEW URBANISM AWARDS NOMINATIONS DUE JAN. 31
The Congress for the New Urbanism is accepting nominations for its Charter Awards program. The awards honor exceptional designs that complement, enhance, or repair their built and natural environments.
KnowledgePlex December 14
PEOPLES BANCORP FOUNDATION, INC. ANNOUNCES AVAILABILITY OF FUNDSFunds are available for individuals or organizations working to meet the needs of all segments of the community, especially low- and moderate-income households, businesses, and neighborhoods. The Foundation's four major areas of focus are Community Investment and Economic Development; Youth and Education; Human Services programs that improve the social needs of low- and moderate-income communities and individuals; and Arts and Culture. The application deadline is open.
LISC eNewsletter December 23
STUDIES RELEASED
REVENUE-GENERATING STRATEGIES FOR COMMUNITY ORGANIZING
The Center for Community Change has published a study on how organizing is funded and how to generate revenue for community organizing. The authors interviewed more than 100 community organizers, funders, network officials, and experienced observers to identify useful practices. According to the study, high-performing fundraisers view fundraising as organizing. The study describes dozens of examples of successful fundraisers and includes a comprehensive annotated bibliography.
KnowledgePlex December 21
OPPORTUNITIES FOR AMERICA'S OLDER CITIES
According to a new report from PolicyLink, though America's aging cities face many obstacles to revitalization, they "can become economically competitive and socially inclusive places where all residents can participate and prosper." Older core cities have fundamental strengths, including a high concentration of educational and medical institutions, transportation infrastructure, and cultural and historic resources, the report says. The report focuses on the older core cities of Baltimore, Cleveland, Detroit, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh. However, it also profiles innovative economic development, land use, transportation, neighborhood revitalization, and housing strategies elsewhere.KnowledgePlex December 21
RESILIENT CHILDREN, DIVERSITY OF CULTURAL PARTICIPATION: ULI
Resilient Children: Literature Review and Evidence from the HOPE VI Panel Study Final Report, features key factors identified in research from a range of social science disciplines to identify and to understand how children in the HOPE VI Panel Study sample can overcome enormous challenges to become successful adults; and The Diversity of Cultural Participation presents findings from a national survey with the conclusion that arts research, policy, and management need to be reoriented to pay greater attention to the diversity of cultural participation.
LISC eNewsletter December 23
GUIDE COVERS RURAL SECTION 8 HOMEOWNERSHIP PROGRAMS
According to a new publication from the Housing Assistance Council, Section 8 homeownership programs in rural areas face complications such as a shortage of available homes, the high cost of available homes, and inadequate social services to support potential buyers. Successful collaborations, however, can help to overcome these barriers, the report says. The guide recommends that rural community-based organizations engaged in Section 8 homeownership programs provide homeownership counseling for prospective buyers, help locate homes for voucher recipients to purchase, advocate for rural residents, and undertake other activities.
KnowledgePlex December 14
EVENTS
CONFERENCE ON ENDING FAMILY HOMELESSNESS, JAN. 26-27
The National Alliance to End Homelessness will host the National Conference on Ending Family Homelessness Jan. 26-27 in Oakland, Calif. The conference aims to share strategies for preventing and minimizing the trauma of homelessness for families. KnowledgePlex December 7
AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND CHILD CARE TRAINING INSTITUTES
In early 2006, the Low Income Investment Fund will sponsor five identical training institutes on developing child care centers within affordable housing projects. The institutes will be in San Francisco, Feb. 6-7; Sacramento, Calif., Feb. 9-10; New York, March 14-15; San Diego, April 24-25; and Los Angeles, April 27-28. The institutes are designed specifically for housing developers considering child care operators as development partners and tenants in their projects.
KnowledgePlex December 14
ROLE OF IMMIGRANTS IN URBAN REVITALIZATION JAN.25 IN PHILADELPHIA.
This session, cosponsored by LISC, the Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians, and the Pennsylvania Minority Business Development Center, will illustrate how foreign-born entrepreneurs have been instrumental in revitalizing communities. The discussion will focus on their investment in vacant and neglected properties in three commercial corridors in Philadelphia
LISC eNewsletter December 23
REINVENTING OLDER COMMUNITIES: PEOPLE, PLACES, MARKETS
This national conference from april 5-7 in philadelphia brings together community developers, planners, government leaders, bankers, researchers, and funders to examine topics such as schools, the arts, parks, brownfields, displacement, foreclosures, community organizing, eminent domain, and waterfront development.
LISC eNewsletter December 23
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The Center for Innovation in Affordable Housing Design, is a partnership between Penn Design at the University of Pennsylvania and the Peoples Emergency Center Community Development Corporation (PECCDC).
The Center for Innovation in Affordable Housing is funded by a Community Outreach Partnership Center (COPC) futures grant from the Office of University Partnerships of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. You can find out more about the OUP here, and more about the current COPC grants here.
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