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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 about issues surrounding homelessness, and a few articles about suburbs in addition to many articles that have to do with funding, legislation and other issues related to affordable housing design.

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 Related Articles

Catching Your Eye: The Importance Of Visual Complexity
Poor People, Poor Homes
Ordinances Designed To Slow Mobile Home Park Conversions
With No Sales Yet, Affordable Housing Changes Sought
State Bill Supports Factory Home Living
Lincoln , Nebraska , Homebuilder Takes On Concept-Home Project
Condos Planned For Old Church Site
Modern Modular: Ticky-Tacky No More
The Fountainhead
Co-Housing Requires More Owner Input
Crowded Houses Gaining Attention In Suburbs
Immigration Fuels Housing Battles; Over On Overcrowded Homes
Linking Urban Sprawl And Poverty
Low-Income Families Are The Focus Of Downtown High-Rise
Tiny Cottages Are Functional, Affordable Homes
Creating Dignity By Design

Katrina Recovery Related Articles

Baker: Administration Offers Louisiana A 'Death Blow'
Study Underscores Challenges Of New Orleans ' Rebuilding Effort
Mississippi Town Prepares For 'New Urbanism'
The Lost City Of New Orleans?
New Urbanist Planning Essential To Gulf Rebuilding
Housing Trust Plan Ok'd Despite Concerns Over Cost
Ross Sees Use For Idle Mobile Homes
Fla. Still Struggles With Housing -- Fema Assistance Deadline Nears
New Urbanism And New Orleans

Homelessness Related Articles

Mayor Calls Los Angeles 'Capital Of Homelessness'
A Polished Big Apple Gives L.A. Ideas
Critics Assail Nyc Homeless Program
Unions Use Homeless Picketers
New Rule Would Reuse Federal Properties As Supportive Housing
Public Housing Getting Ready For Prime Time
How Public Housing Can Help Homeless
Landmark Project To Ease Chronic Homelessness
Houston Aids Group To Serve Chronically Homeless
Homeless Plan Gets A $5 Million Pledge From The Frey Foundation
Grant For Skid Row To Develop Housing With Services
New Supportive Housing Residences Open In Tenderloin
Bill Offers A Way Home For Foster Youth
Innovations To Help House The Homeless

LEGISLATION, FUNDING AND OTHER ARTICLES

Fund Helps Displaced Homeowners
Low-Cost Housing Laws No Cure-All; Report Finds Few Units Added
Developer Gains Historic Tax Break For Apartment Project
City Skyline May Make A Difference
Developers Challenge Affordable Housing Study
Pending Project Force Property Rights Debates
Eminent Domain Looms Over Downtown Project
Vancouver Housing Least Affordable In Canada
A Market Response To Eminent Domain
The Pioneers Of Gentrification
New Fund Backs Workforce Housing
Dream Of Housing Co-Op Starts With Big Cleanup
Bronx Affordable Housing Project Gets Co-Op Approval With $100m
Mayor Set To Expand Developer Density Bonuses
New York City Promotes Inclusionary Housing
Long Island , N.Y. , Debates Affordability Programs
Cities Try To Calm Home-Park Disputes
Future Will Force Dallas To Become A Part Of Something Bigger
San Pedro Building To Be Offered As Affordable Housing
San Francisco Plan Would Require Child-Friendly Housing
Hampden Concerned Housing Costs Squeezing Families Out
Nursing Shortage Spurs Relocation Incentives
With Employer-Assisted Housing, Everyone Wins
Trust Will Build Homes Near Sarasota Memorial Hospital
Cha Residents Get Key To Job Opportunities
Home Loan Program Serves Undocumented San Diegans
Solutions To Workforce Housing Not In The Market Alone
Santa Fe County Adopts Inclusionary Zoning
West Palm Rights Transfer To Aid Housing
Denver Ties Community Benefits To Public Subsidy
Renters With Hard Pasts Get Budget Training, Housing Help

ANNOUNCEMENTS
Awards Recognize High-Quality Multifamily Affordable Housing
Call: 2006 “Timmy” Awards For Historic Rehabilitation
Training Cd Covers Affordable Housing For Public Officials
How To Develop And Operate Family Supportive Housing

Call For Abstracts:
"Affordable Design: Convening The Conversation"
Learn Innovative Affordable Housing Strategies / Urban Design
Rouse Award Application Deadline April 7

STUDIES RELEASED

Katrina Index: Tracking Variables Of Post-Katrina Reconstruction
Study Spotlights Homelessness Prevention Strategies
Book Examines America's Housing Crisis
Housing Production Study Highlights Best Practices

EVENTS

National Green Building Conference, March 12-14
Reinventing Older Communities Conference, April 5-7
Affordable Housing And Child Care, Multiple Dates
Michigan Conference On Affordable Housing, June 4-7

ARTICLES

Design Related Articles

CATCHING YOUR EYE: THE IMPORTANCE OF VISUAL COMPLEXITY
As you spend time in your community, which buildings catch your eye and interest you? Which do you find uninteresting? The last time you looked for a house or an apartment, how much of your decision was based on how the building ‘felt’ from the street – its "curb" appeal? The ones that you remember, the ones that had a lot of curb appeal, were probably the ones that were more interesting visually. In this Update we look at several different approaches to creating visual complexity and see how thoughtful design can add visual interest – and appeal – to affordable housing developments.
Enterprise Network news February 2006

POOR PEOPLE, POOR HOMES
It's official. There is one architecture for those with the freedom to choose, another for those for whom a roof over their heads is a matter of all but choiceless necessity. The Guardian February 8
ArchNewsNow February 8

ORDINANCES DESIGNED TO SLOW MOBILE HOME PARK CONVERSIONS
A series of mobile home park conversions in Clark County , Nev. , has prompted county commissioners to consider curbs on such conversions, reported the Las Vegas Review-Journal. In 2005, 13 mobile homes parks were sold, displacing more than 1,000 people. KnowledgePlex February 2

WITH NO SALES YET, AFFORDABLE HOUSING CHANGES SOUGHT
In Madison , Wis. , two new reports differ on the efficacy of the city's controversial inclusionary zoning law. The current ordinance -- which is up for review by the city council -- requires developers to set aside 15 percent of the units in most residential projects for people who make less than 80 percent of the area's median income, reported The Capital Times.
KnowledgePlex February 2

STATE BILL SUPPORTS FACTORY HOME LIVING
The Florida senate is considering legislation requiring local governments to address the needs of manufactured-home residents displaced by redevelopment, according to a column in The Ledger.
KnowledgePlex February 2

LINCOLN , NEBRASKA , HOMEBUILDER TAKES ON CONCEPT-HOME PROJECT
The Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing has selected a Lincoln , Neb. , homebuilder to construct its first-ever "concept home," reported the Lincoln Journal Star. KnowledgePlex February 2

CONDOS PLANNED FOR OLD CHURCH SITE
Developers plan to transform seven former Catholic Church-owned properties in Chelsea , Mass. , into loft-style condominium for first-time home buyers, reported The Boston Globe. The Archdiocese of Boston sold the former church, two schools, three convents, and a rectory for $2.3 million to new owners with ties to Habitat for Humanity. KnowledgePlex February 2

MODERN MODULAR: TICKY-TACKY NO MORE
On a lot in Wilton, Conn., a suburb of New York City, architect Douglas Cutler has turned six boxes into a 3,200-square-foot house that is, in his words, "very much out of the box." Philadelphia Inquirer February 3
ArchNewsNow February 3

THE FOUNTAINHEAD
Low-cost housing, building with landscape & lending an expression. New Zealand-based architect Gerald Melling works on rock-solid foundations. Indian Express
ArchNewsNow February 7

CO-HOUSING REQUIRES MORE OWNER INPUT
The collective ownership feature of co-housing resembles that of cooperatives or condominiums, but co-housing participants play a much greater role in designing and running the development, reported the Chicago Sun Times. There are more than 50 co-housing developments in 21 states, with more under construction or planned, the article said.
KnowledgePlex February 8

CROWDED HOUSES GAINING ATTENTION IN SUBURBS
In the suburbs of Atlanta , Boston , New York City, and Washington , D.C. , "anger over immigration is playing out through the issue of overcrowded housing," reported USA TODAY .
KnowledgePlex February 8

IMMIGRATION FUELS HOUSING BATTLES; OVER ON OVERCROWDED HOMES
Among the dangerous conditions found in overcrowded Fairfax County homes are "crawl spaces turned into bedrooms" and people tapping into gas lines, a county supervisor said. County officials are seeking state authorization to jail landlords who allow more than four unrelated people in one home. According to some activists, laws limiting the number of people in homes target immigrants, who often can afford housing only if they share rent, some activists say.
KnowledgePlex February 8

LINKING URBAN SPRAWL AND POVERTY
A new book examines how racial segregation and urban sprawl perpetuate cycles of poverty. Feb 08 2006 -- National Trust Preservation Magazine
Planetizen February 9

LOW-INCOME FAMILIES ARE THE FOCUS OF DOWNTOWN HIGH-RISE
Planning is under way for the first-ever downtown San Diego project to use a state program that grants density bonuses to builders of housing for the poor, reported The San Diego Union-Tribune.
KnowledgePlex February 15

TINY COTTAGES ARE FUNCTIONAL, AFFORDABLE HOMES
Katrina Cottage 1...is permanent housing, designed and built to be beautiful and functional. -- Marianne Cusato; Congress of the New Urbanism; Andres Duany- Fort Wayne News-Sentinel (Indiana)
ArchNewsNow February 16

CREATING DIGNITY BY DESIGN
“Wouldn’t it be great to see affordable housing on the covers of magazines, built within the necessary budgets?”..."political activist masquerading as an architect"... -- Dan Pitera/Detroit Center for Collaborative Design- National Catholic Reporter
ArchNewsNow February 22

KATRINA RECOVERY RELATED ARTICLES

BAKER: ADMINISTRATION OFFERS LOUISIANA A 'DEATH BLOW'
Rep. Richard Baker (R-La.) vowed to press on with his hurricane Katrina recovery bill after the Bush administration failed to support the measure, reported the Times-Picayune. KnowledgePlex February 2

STUDY UNDERSCORES CHALLENGES OF NEW ORLEANS ' REBUILDING EFFORT
According to a new study, the New Orleans ' areas hardest hit by Hurricane Katrina were home to 80 percent of the city's black population, reported The Dallas Morning News. The study is "one of the most concrete profiles of Katrina victims to come out since the storm," the article said. Proportionally more blacks, poor people, and renters lived in damaged areas than in undamaged areas, researchers found.
KnowledgePlex February 2

MISSISSIPPI TOWN PREPARES FOR 'NEW URBANISM'
A small suburban community along the Gulf Coast is learning to embrace New Urbanism and create its first ever town center. Jan 31 2006 -- The Clarion-Ledger
Planetizen February 2

THE LOST CITY OF NEW ORLEANS?
It may turn out that the first line of defense for coastal cities isn't the levee in your backyard, but that marsh in your backyard that the city built on top of. Feb 03 2006 – BBC
Planetizen February 6

NEW URBANIST PLANNING ESSENTIAL TO GULF REBUILDING
Ricky Mathews, Publisher of the Biloxi Sun Herald and Vice-Chairman of the Governor's Commission on Recovery, Rebuilding, and Renewal after Hurricane Katrina, argues that Andres Duany and other New Urbanists have been critical to the early success of rebuilding efforts in Mississippi, providing citizens not only with the hope of recovery, but with master planning that has inspired confidence in a bigger and better Gulf Coast community, all while respecting local traditions.
Feb 07 2006 – Planetizen

HOUSING TRUST PLAN OK'D DESPITE CONCERNS OVER COST
Blanco's proposal to spend $5.6 billion of federal funds on homeowner assistance and affordable housing is a back-up plan in case the Baker bill fails, reported another article in the Times-Picayune. The housing trust that would be established under the proposal would offer buyouts or financial assistance to owners of flood-damaged houses, package properties for redevelopment, and help mortgage lenders work with people who need to refinance. KnowledgePlex February 15

ROSS SEES USE FOR IDLE MOBILE HOMES
"Only eight of Louisiana 's 64 parishes have granted the agency unconditional permission to place mobile homes, and all of those parishes are in flood-prone areas," reported the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. According to Croft, local governments want FEMA to reimburse them for some of the costs associated with new mobile home parks.KnowledgePlex February 22

FLA. STILL STRUGGLES WITH HOUSING -- FEMA ASSISTANCE DEADLINE NEARS
"FEMA contractors searching for sites for trailers for Hurricane Katrina evacuees in Louisiana have found few welcome mats," reported The Advocate. For example, officials in both the West Feliciana and Ascension parishes are opposing plans to place temporary housing for hurricane victims on parish land.
KnowledgePlex February 22

NEW URBANISM AND NEW ORLEANS
Austin Williams presents a critique of New Urbanism and its influence on rebuilding efforts in New Orleans. Feb 18 2006 – Spiked
Planetizen February 21

HOMELESSNESS RELATED ARTICLES

MAYOR CALLS LOS ANGELES 'CAPITAL OF HOMELESSNESS'
According to Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, a report by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority paints Los Angeles as the nation's "capital of homelessness KnowledgePlex February 2

A POLISHED BIG APPLE GIVES L.A. IDEAS
A delegation led by state Sen. Gil Cedillo (D- Los Angeles ) toured New York City for lessons on cleaning up Los Angeles ' Skid Row, reported the Los Angeles Times. The group included city and county officials, Los Angeles ' police captain, and other representatives from business, law enforcement, and community organizations. KnowledgePlex February 2

CRITICS ASSAIL NYC HOMELESS PROGRAM
According to the New York City-based Coalition for the Homeless, the number of people in the city's homeless shelters is at its highest in three decades, reported The New York Sun.
KnowledgePlex February 2

UNIONS USE HOMELESS PICKETERS
Organizers with the national carpenters' union are paying homeless people slightly above minimum wage to man picket lines in Atlanta , Baltimore , Washington , D.C., and other areas, reported Scripps Howard News Service. Homeless protesters recruited from shelters work up to 20 hours a week without health benefits. According to a union official based in Baltimore , union carpenters are too busy to participate in protest marches. KnowledgePlex February 2

NEW RULE WOULD REUSE FEDERAL PROPERTIES AS SUPPORTIVE HOUSING During a recent meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, a federal official announced a new policy aimed at reusing surplus federal property as permanent, supportive housing, according to a press release from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. KnowledgePlex February 2

PUBLIC HOUSING GETTING READY FOR PRIME TIME
The Dayton , Ohio , Metropolitan Housing Authority is one of several public housing authorities nationwide that are carving out important roles in their cities' efforts to end chronic homelessness, according to editorials in the Dayton Daily News. KnowledgePlex February 15

HOW PUBLIC HOUSING CAN HELP HOMELESS
Housing authorities elsewhere are also committing public housing units and Section 8 housing vouchers to homeless people, usually as part of supportive housing programs, according to the Dayton Daily News. For example, the Housing Authority of New Haven, Conn., is a partner in an effort to create 175 new supportive housing units by linking services to existing federally subsidized housing.
KnowledgePlex February 15

LANDMARK PROJECT TO EASE CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS
The Housing Authority of Salt Lake City will soon begin construction of Utah 's first apartment complex for chronically homeless people, reported the Deseret Morning News. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Continuum of Care program is providing nearly $600,000 for the project.
KnowledgePlex February 15

HOUSTON AIDS GROUP TO SERVE CHRONICALLY HOMELESS
A Houston nonprofit serving people infected with HIV is launching the first local "housing first" program for homeless people, a homeless advocate told The Houston Chronicle. KnowledgePlex February 15

HOMELESS PLAN GETS A $5 MILLION PLEDGE FROM THE FREY FOUNDATION
The Frey Foundation of Minneapolis has pledged $5 million to help the state end long-term homelessness within 10 years, reported the Star Tribune.
KnowledgePlex February 22

GRANT FOR SKID ROW TO DEVELOP HOUSING WITH SERVICES
A $2 million grant from The California Endowment will fund 900 affordable supportive housing units for the chronically homeless in Los Angeles and in San Francisco 's Bay Area counties, according to a press release from the endowment.
KnowledgePlex February 22

NEW SUPPORTIVE HOUSING RESIDENCES OPEN IN TENDERLOIN
Since Gavin Newsom's election as mayor two years ago, San Francisco has created 1,983 new supportive housing units for homeless people with substance abuse and other problems, reported The San Francisco Chronicle.
KnowledgePlex February 22

BILL OFFERS A WAY HOME FOR FOSTER YOUTH
Youth advocates in California are urging the state to expand the Transitional Housing Program for Emancipated Youth, according to an editorial in The San Francisco Chronicle. The program, which was enacted by the Legislature in 2001, provides gradually decreasing rent subsidies, grocery vouchers, and other assistance to youth leaving the foster care system at age 18.
KnowledgePlex February 22

INNOVATIONS TO HELP HOUSE THE HOMELESS
An editorial in The Seattle Times urged state lawmakers to appropriate new funding for the Washington Families Fund. The fund supports efforts by local public housing authorities and social service agencies to join with nonprofits to provide job training, substance abuse treatment, and other services that address the causes of homelessness.
KnowledgePlex February 22

SUBURB RELATED ARTICLES

WHY WE NEED SUBURBIA
Suburban growth has kept our cities livable while they expand, and attempts to limit suburban growth ignore important historical trends, writes Joel Kotkin. Jan 30 2006 -- San Francisco Chronicle
Planetizen February 2

LINKING HOUSING AND TRANSPORTATION TO DEFINE AFFORDABILITYThis brief describes a new information tool developed by the Urban Markets Initiative to quantify, for the first time, the impact of transportation costs on the affordability of housing choices. Jan 30 2006 -- Brookings Institution
Planetizen February 2

REMAKING AMERICA'S FIRST SUBURBS
In this op-ed, Bruce Katz and Robert Puentes argue that America's older, inner-ring, first suburbs -- like Nassau County – must embrace a new vision for remaking themselves. Feb 01 2006 -- New York Times
Planetizen February 2

REINFORCING SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA'S POLYCENTRICITY
A re-awakening of interest in walkable urban environments in suburban locations? This trend mostly revolves around the pre-war downtowns of small Southern California cities that grew into suburban bedroom communities in the 1950s and 1960s. Jan 31 2006 -- Los Angeles Times
Planetizen February 2

MOST PORTLAND OFFICE SPACE GROWS IN SUBURBS
Office space in the Portland metro area grew by a net 1.45 million square feet in 2005, but only 150,000 was added to Portland's commercial core in Multnomah county. The rest, almost 90 percent, was distributed across three suburban counties. Jan 30 2006 -- The Oregonian
Planetizen February 2

LEGISLATION, FUNDING AND OTHER ARTICLES

FUND HELPS DISPLACED HOMEOWNERS
Currently, changes in land use that benefit local governments and developers shortchange manufactured-home owners, according to a column in The Ledger. A law enacted several years ago created a fund to pay the relocation expenses of displaced manufactured-home owners.
KnowledgePlex February 2

LOW-COST HOUSING LAWS NO CURE-ALL; REPORT FINDS FEW UNITS ADDED According to a recent report by the Boston-based Pioneer Institute, 40 percent of Greater Boston communities with inclusionary zoning have produced no affordable units under the laws, reported The Boston Globe. Further, only a handful of the communities that added such units said they developed more than 50 of them, the report said.
KnowledgePlex February 2

DEVELOPER GAINS HISTORIC TAX BREAK FOR APARTMENT PROJECT
One of the largest renovation projects in downtown Kansas City , Mo. , will turn a 450,000-square-foot U.S. Cold Storage Co. building into a 224-unit apartment complex with a rooftop pool, parking, and other amenities, reported The Kansas City Star. Ninety percent of the apartments will be reserved as affordable homes.
KnowledgePlex February 2

CITY SKYLINE MAY MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Arlington , Texas , has joined other U.S. cities seeking to redevelop older neighborhoods by increasing development densities, according to a column in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
KnowledgePlex February 2

DEVELOPERS CHALLENGE AFFORDABLE HOUSING STUDY
Developers of condominiums in downtown Seattle disputed a recent study showing that financial profits from taller buildings would allow them to pay a new $20 per square foot fee to fund affordable housing, reported The Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
KnowledgePlex February 2

PENDING PROJECT FORCE PROPERTY RIGHTS DEBATES
Overturning two lower court rulings, the Minnesota Supreme Court endorsed a notion, codified in state law, giving comprehensive city plans precedence over zoning rules, reported the Star Tribune.
KnowledgePlex February 2

EMINENT DOMAIN LOOMS OVER DOWNTOWN PROJECT
An Oregon property rights group is circulating petitions to get a measure strengthening property-owner rights on the November ballot, reported The Register Guard. The measure would limit what lawyers say is the state's broad latitude to exercise eminent domain. Under the measure, governments couldn't sell land acquired through eminent domain from one private owner to another for public use.
KnowledgePlex February 2

VANCOUVER HOUSING LEAST AFFORDABLE IN CANADA
The Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey finds Vancouver housing to be 'severely unaffordable', and 15th worst worldwide. Jan 31 2006 -- Vancouver SunPlanetizen February 2

A MARKET RESPONSE TO EMINENT DOMAIN
BB&T, the country's ninth-largest bank, announces that it will not make commercial loans to developers who plan private projects on land seized via eminent domain. Jan 30 2006 -- Winston-Salem Journal
Planetizen February 2

THE PIONEERS OF GENTRIFICATION
Creative class or not, Philadelphia artists are making a tangible impact on the city's neighborhoods, with support from major donors, and developers looking to cash in. Feb 01 2006 -- Philadelphia City Paper
Planetizen February 2

NEW FUND BACKS WORKFORCE HOUSING
Banks and insurance companies have launched a $30 million equity fund to help finance workforce housing developments throughout California , reported The San Diego Union-Tribune.
KnowledgePlex February 8

DREAM OF HOUSING CO-OP STARTS WITH BIG CLEANUP
A nonprofit advocacy group in Buffalo , N.Y. , is turning a long-vacant four-unit building on the city's West Side into a housing co-op for low- to moderate-income buyers, reported the Buffalo News.
KnowledgePlex February 8

BRONX AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECT GETS CO-OP APPROVAL WITH $100M
An eight-building, 1,865-unit apartment complex in the Bronx , N.Y., is finally converting to an affordable co-op, reported cponline.com. The conversion, which took 10 years to complete, moved forward when private and nonprofit companies committed debt and equity to the transaction.
KnowledgePlex February 8

MAYOR SET TO EXPAND DEVELOPER DENSITY BONUSES
Chicago Mayor Richard Daley wants to extend "density bonuses" beyond downtown neighborhoods, reported the Chicago Sun-Times.
KnowledgePlex February 8

NEW YORK CITY PROMOTES INCLUSIONARY HOUSING
New York City officials have used incentives such as tax subsidies to encourage market-rate developers to include affordable homes in their projects, reported Commercial Property News. The city typically promotes inclusionary zoning in neighborhoods that are moving from mixed- to upper-income housing, the article said.
KnowledgePlex February 8

LONG ISLAND , N.Y. , DEBATES AFFORDABILITY PROGRAMS
According to a column in Newsday, the most influential business group in Long Island , N.Y. , is seeking to raise $1 million for an advertising campaign to build support for affordable housing.
KnowledgePlex February 8

CITIES TRY TO CALM HOME-PARK DISPUTES
Officials in two Portland , Ore. , suburbs are taking steps "to persuade manufactured home park owners to sell the parks to their tenants rather than close them," reported The Oregonian.
KnowledgePlex February 8

FUTURE WILL FORCE DALLAS TO BECOME A PART OF SOMETHING BIGGER
The inevitable "grand realignments" that have created mega regions encompassing several cities will transform Dallas , according to an opinion article in The Dallas Morning News.
KnowledgePlex February 8

SAN PEDRO BUILDING TO BE OFFERED AS AFFORDABLE HOUSING
For the first time, Los Angeles city officials plan to build affordable homes on a tax-defaulted property acquired from the county at a reduced rate, a city official told Copley News Service.
KnowledgePlex February 15

SAN FRANCISCO PLAN WOULD REQUIRE CHILD-FRIENDLY HOUSING
Advisors to San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom are seeking the mayor's endorsement of a plan to require family-friendly units in new housing developments, reported The San Francisco Chronicle.
KnowledgePlex February 15

HAMPDEN CONCERNED HOUSING COSTS SQUEEZING FAMILIES OUT
Hampden , Maine , officials concerned about diminishing homeownership opportunities for working-class families are looking at creating affordable housing development districts, reported the Bangor Daily News.
KnowledgePlex February 15

NURSING SHORTAGE SPURS RELOCATION INCENTIVES
Hospitals in Panama City , Fla. , are responding to the nationwide shortage of nurses with housing assistance and other recruitment incentives, reported The News Herald. KnowledgePlex February 15

WITH EMPLOYER-ASSISTED HOUSING, EVERYONE WINS
A health care provider in Jacksonville , Fla. , is partnering with local nonprofits and banks to offer home purchase assistance to staff, according to an editorial in the Florida Times-Union. The program is open to Baptist Health employees who have held full-time jobs for at least a year.
KnowledgePlex February 15

TRUST WILL BUILD HOMES NEAR SARASOTA MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
The Community Housing Trust of Sarasota County is developing 20 new affordable homes near Sarasota Memorial Hospital in Sarasota County , Fla. , reported the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. It is the first major project for the trust, which keeps prices down by retaining ownership of the land.
KnowledgePlex February 15

CHA RESIDENTS GET KEY TO JOB OPPORTUNITIES
Chicago officials announced plans to expand a jobs program run by the Chicago Housing Authority, reported the Chicago Sun-Times.
KnowledgePlex February 15

HOME LOAN PROGRAM SERVES UNDOCUMENTED SAN DIEGANS
Citibank has issued its first mortgages to undocumented Mexican immigrants in San Diego County , reported Copley News Service. Members of San Diego 's ACORN Housing Corp. help the bank recruit applicants.
KnowledgePlex February 15

SOLUTIONS TO WORKFORCE HOUSING NOT IN THE MARKET ALONE
When financial incentives and regulatory mandates are lacking, affordable housing for many employed in the nation's workforce will not be developed privately. By Roger K. Lewis- Washington Post
ArchNewsNow February 20

SANTA FE COUNTY ADOPTS INCLUSIONARY ZONING
After more than two years of proposals and deliberation, county commissioners in Santa Fe , N.M. , unanimously passed an inclusionary zoning ordinance, reported the Albuquerque Journal.
KnowledgePlex February 22

WEST PALM RIGHTS TRANSFER TO AID HOUSING
West Palm Beach , Fla. , officials created a new housing trust fund and capitalized it with $1.8 million earned through the city's "transfer of development rights" program, according to the Palm Beach Post.
KnowledgePlex February 22

DENVER TIES COMMUNITY BENEFITS TO PUBLIC SUBSIDY
For the first time, Denver officials will require a developer receiving public subsidies to create a package of community benefits, according to an opinion article in The Denver Post. The benefits would be designed with input from a community coalition, the article said.
KnowledgePlex February 22

RENTERS WITH HARD PASTS GET BUDGET TRAINING, HOUSING HELP
A Catholic services organization in Coeur d'Alene , Idaho , offers renters with poor tenancy records a chance to rehabilitate their reputations, reported the Spokesman Review. About 50 people have graduated from the Second Chance Renters' Rehabilitation Program, run by the St. Vincent de Paul Society.
KnowledgePlex February 22

ANNOUNCEMENTS

AWARDS RECOGNIZE HIGH-QUALITY MULTIFAMILY AFFORDABLE HOUSING
The National Affordable Housing Management Association has announced the winners of its 2005 Communities of Quality Awards™ program. The program honors the achievements of affordable housing providers for developing and maintaining high-quality, safe, and affordable housing for lower-income families. The awards are co-sponsored by The Home Depot Supply™.
KnowledgePlex February 8

CALL: 2006 “TIMMY” AWARDS FOR HISTORIC REHABILITATION
Washington, DC – The National Housing & Rehabilitation Association is proud to announce a call for entries to the second annual J. Timothy Anderson Awards for Excellence in Historic Rehabilitation. The “Timmy” awards honor outstanding rehabilitation and preservation projects based on overall design and quality, interpretation and respect of historic elements, impact on the community and financial and market success.
Enterprise Network News February 2006

TRAINING CD COVERS AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR PUBLIC OFFICIALS
The Michigan Municipal League has produced a CD-ROM that trains local public officials in the issues, programs, and opportunities related to the provision of affordable homes. The training tool explores the definitions and significance of affordable housing, describes the development process, emphasizes the advantages of regional planning, and the critical role of nonprofits in affordable housing production. Six case-study cities serve as models of how municipalities can solve land-use challenges, overcome development pressures, champion mixed-income housing, and tackle other challenges.
KnowledgePlex February 15

HOW TO DEVELOP AND OPERATE FAMILY SUPPORTIVE HOUSING
A new report from the Corporation for Supportive Housing offers service providers, housing developers, and managers practical lessons for developing and operating family supportive housing. According to the report, permanent supportive housing combines affordable housing with services to help homeless people and families with special needs live more stable, productive lives. The report draws lessons from supportive housing projects in the Chicago, Minneapolis, and San Francisco areas. Chapters cover such topics as converting family transition housing program to permanent supportive housing programs, tenant engagement, youth services, harm reduction, leadership and community building, domestic violence, and team-building tools.
KnowledgePlex February 15

CALL FOR ABSTRACTS:

"AFFORDABLE DESIGN: CONVENING THE CONVERSATION"
Papers focusing on strategies for employing design to dramatically increase the economic and social performance of affordable housing for June forum. Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA)
ArchNewsNow February 16

LEARN INNOVATIVE AFFORDABLE HOUSING STRATEGIES / URBAN DESIGN
Feb 14, 2006 -- Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, Rutgers University
Planetizen February 16

ROUSE AWARD APPLICATION DEADLINE APRIL 7
Enterprise Community Partners is seeking nominations for its 2006 Jim and Patty Rouse Award for Excellence in Community Revitalization. The program honors Enterprise Network member organizations that develop affordable homes and are engaged in comprehensive community revitalization efforts. Two organizations with sound, innovative, and comprehensive neighborhood plans will be awarded $5,000 each in unrestricted funds. Financially solid organizations that provide housing to low- and very low-income people, maintain a high level of resident involvement and community services, and have significant community impact are eligible.
KnowledgePlex February 22

STUDIES RELEASED

KATRINA INDEX: TRACKING VARIABLES OF POST-KATRINA RECONSTRUCTION
Now six months since Katrina's landfall, New Orleans remains primarily in a gut and wait mode. Homeowners have gutted their houses, but are waiting to invest in their homes until they receive greater signs of certainty. Families are awaiting confirmation of levee strengths, guidance from the forthcoming FEMA revised flood plain zones for the state, results from a city-wide neighborhood planning process to determine which neighborhoods will be rebuilt, and details about additional housing aid, especially from new federal Community Development Block Grant funds. The Brookings Institute
ArchNewsNow February 7

STUDY SPOTLIGHTS HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION STRATEGIES
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has published a study of six communities and states that have implemented effective homelessness prevention strategies. The sites are Hennepin County, Minn.; Montgomery County, Md.; the Kansas City metropolitan area, as served by the Mid America Assistance Coalition; the Boston metropolitan area and western Massachusetts, as served by the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health; Philadelphia; and Denver and Colorado Springs, Colo., as served by an agency called Urban Peak.
KnowledgePlex February 8

BOOK EXAMINES AMERICA'S HOUSING CRISIS
A new book from Temple University Press features essays by leading activists and scholars on the nation's continued housing crisis. According to the press page for A Right to Housing: Foundation for a New Social Agenda, more than 100 million people in the United States live in housing that is physically inadequate, unsafe, overcrowded, or unaffordable.
KnowledgePlex February 8

HOUSING PRODUCTION STUDY HIGHLIGHTS BEST PRACTICES
A new study by the Cabrillo Economic Development Corporation of Saticoy, Calif, highlights best practices in affordable housing development across Ventura County. The study grew out of the organization's effort to track how well the county is meeting state-mandated housing production goals. In addition to tracking housing production by income in the county, the study describes creative financing mechanisms, innovative city planning strategies, and other model practices used to meet housing needs. The last section of the report identifies 10 ways that housing policy-makers and practitioners can improve the collection and sharing of housing production data.
KnowledgePlex February 22

EVENTS

NATIONAL GREEN BUILDING CONFERENCE, MARCH 12-14
The National Association of Home Builders will host a conference on green building March 12-14 in Albuquerque, N.M. Conference sessions will cover such topics as trends and innovations in the residential green building marketplace, sustainable development practices, the five pillars of integrated green building design, sustainable water management, and factory-built components.
KnowledgePlex February 2

REINVENTING OLDER COMMUNITIES CONFERENCE, APRIL 5-7
The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia , the William Penn Foundation, and the Brookings Institution will host the second biennial conference on reinventing older communities April 5-7 in Philadelphia . Bruce Katz, director of Brookings' Metropolitan Policy Program, will discuss ways to physically transform communities so that they can harness positive market and demographic changes. Developers and government leaders investing in cities and older communities will discuss ways to apply the transformative agenda to older communities. Other conference sessions will cover such topics as the market potential of high-density, low-wealth communities; downtown revitalization; waterfront redevelopment; eminent domain law; and modern urban zoning codes. KnowledgePlex February 15

AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND CHILD CARE, MULTIPLE DATES
The Nuts and Bolts of Successful Development will be in New York City on March 14-15, in San Diego on April 24-25, and in Los Angeles on April 27-28. This training Institute is designed specifically for housing developers considering child care operators as development partners and tenants in their projects, and will provide a solid understanding of child care operations as well as the resources and tools necessary for co-locating child care in developments. Space is limited.
LISC eNewsletter February 15

MICHIGAN CONFERENCE ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING, JUNE 4-7
The largest conference of its kind in the United States, will be June 4-7 in Lansing. Educational tracks for the 2006 conference include ending homelessness, homeownership, creating and preserving multi-family housing, community economic development, organizational development, and asset management for individuals and families. For more information, please visit the Housing Conference website <http://www.housingconference.org/>.
LISC eNewsletter February 15
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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.