Title Summary

ARTICLES
Design Related Articles

Reducing the Impact of Parking: The Role of Good Design
No More Bleak Houses:
It's All Good At The New Plaza Apartments: Supportive Housing Provides Green Oasi
Urban Public Housing Conditions Can Contribute to Obesity
Height Variances for Low-Cost Housing Going to Voters
New Supportive Housing in San Francisco Provides Green Oasis
What's Beautiful, Green, Affordable, And In Skid Row?
Comfortable Modular Homes May be the Wave of the Future
Senior Housing Set for Charter school complex
'EDo' Plan Earns National Praise

Land Use Related Articles
Snob Zoning Loses Out on State Dollars
Cities Face Challenges of Building in Built-out Areas
The NIMBY Factor
Density Key to Affordability in Vegas, Experts Say
Proviso Gives Builders Leeway
Developer, State Legislators Hope to Skip Local Rules
Builders Sue Over Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance
Housing Plan Change Blasted
Housing Lawsuit Dismissed by Judge
Conservation District Proposal Conflicts with State Affordable Housing Laws
Land Trust Seeks to Preserve Long-Term Affordability
Deed Restrictions Give Broward Housing Launch a Boost
Forcing Developers To Build Affordable
Irvine CA Creates Land Trust to preserve inclusionary housing
*Stapleton Cited for Success With Affordable Homes
Palm Beach County to Require That 11-20 Percent of New Homes Are 'Affordable'
Broward's Affordable Housing Plan Criticized for Developer-friendly Loophole
Owner of Bayswater Property Upset Over Rezoning

Katrina Related Articles
The Gulf Coast: Restoring the Landscape:
HANO Wants Only Working Tenants; Council Members Applaud Screening
Thomas Stands by Rules for Re-entry; Job Requirement has Strong Support, He Says
Report Suggests HUD Assume FEMA Role in Gulf Coast
A Newer Orleans: Six Proposals.
New Orleans Residents Shun Expert Advice and Begin Rebuilding in low areas
Louisiana Landlords Shouldn't Expect Grants
$3.5 Billion Plan Helps Louisiana Landlords
Revised Rebuilding Plan Extends Neighborhood Planning Deadline

Legislation, Funding and other Affordable Housing Articles
Housing Agency Eyeing an Investment
Chicago Five-year Senior Housing Plan Calls for 4,000 Units
Senior Homelessness on Rise, Advocates Say
Philadelphia's Agency Consolidation Plan Raises Union Ire
Six Ways Los Angeles Can Address Homelessness
More Funding for Cabrini Green Housing Reconstruction
Rental Housing Recovery Plan Takes Shape
Housing Shortage Hits Labor Market
Lawmakers Support Affordable Housing Plans
New Housing and Social Services May Stem Decline in Chosen Neighborhoods
Mayor Pledges $51 Million to Build Affordable Housing
Shelters Looking for New Avenues
Rent Aid Cuts May Force Families Out
Survey Shows Substantial Negative Effect of Cuts to CDBG on Americans in Need
Los Angeles to Stem 'Dumping' of Homeless on Skid Row
American Dream Further Away for Working Families

ANNOUNCEMENTS
Awards of Excellence in Affordable Housing Built Responsibly
Help Your Local Government Better Understand Affordable Housing
April 28 Deadline for Manufactured Homes Grants 
New Web Portal for Louisiana Evacuees and Businesses 
Deadline for Tax Credit Award Entries Now March 31 
Applications for MetLife Awards Due May 5 

STUDIES RELEASED
Oxfam America Releases Katrina Report 
Affordable Housing Construction Lags Demolition
Study evaluates Family Assistive Housing
Study illustrates positive results of Family Assistive Housing
Publication Showcases Rural Disaster Recovery 
Smart Growth CD Provides Library of Resources 
UI Report Covers Preventing Displacement 
13 Projects Win AIA Housing Awards 

EVENTS
March 31 Deadline for Executive Fellowships at Harvard 

Race, Class, and Fair Housing Symposium, April 25 
Rural Residential Green Building Conference, April 25-26 
Transportation and Housing Policy Conference, April 27 
Affordable Housing and Child Care: Nuts and Bolts Restoration 2006: Community and Economic Recovery, May 16-17 in New Orleans Michigan Conference on Affordable Housing, June 4-7 in Lansing.
KnowledgePlex Chat: VAWA Housing Impacts, April 11 

ARTICLES

REDUCING THE IMPACT OF PARKING: THE ROLE OF GOOD DESIGN
We all know that parking requirements can overwhelm an affordable housing development. They can overwhelm market rate housing developments as well. The difference is that affordable housing budgets are tighter, so your site plans are typically tighter as well. Since you have more dwelling units per acre, you also have more parking spaces per acre. Here are several design ideas that you can work with to help reduce the impact of parking on your development and your residents. residents.Enterprise Network News March

NO MORE BLEAK HOUSES:
A visionary development aims to regenerate one of Manchester's most run-down areas...group's first venture into the messy world of housing associations...have set out to shake up the received ideas of what constitutes social housing. Observer (UK)

ArchNewsNow March 1

 

IT'S ALL GOOD: SUPPORTIVE HOUSING PROVIDES GREEN OASIS

On gritty Sixth Street, …a design future where environmentalism and architecture are fused together so tightly they can't be pulled apart. By John King - San Francisco Chronicle

ArchNewsNow March 3

URBAN PUBLIC HOUSING CONDITIONS CAN CONTRIBUTE TO OBESITY
according to a new study- Newswise

ArchNewsNow March 3

HEIGHT VARIANCES FOR LOW-COST HOUSING GOING TO VOTERS

In Key West, Fla., an ordinance allowing land-use officials to grant affordable housing projects height variances has been approved by city commissioners, reported the Florida Keys Keynoter. 

KnowledgePlex March 8

 

NEW SUPPORTIVE HOUSING IN SAN FRANCISCO PROVIDES GREEN OASIS

Thanks to green building principles, a new apartment complex for 106 chronically homeless people lends "lasting warmth and presence" to its site in San Francisco's Skid Row, according to a column in The San Francisco Chronicle. "The quest for sustainability leaves its mark throughout the project," the article said.

KnowledgePlex March 8

 

WHAT'S BEAUTIFUL, GREEN, AFFORDABLE, AND IN SKID ROW?

San Francisco Chronicle urban design writer John King comments on the city's newest 'supportive housing' development, the eight-story Plaza Apartments, located in the heart of skid row, to open on March 15.

Mar 07 2006 -- San Francisco Chronicle

Planetizen March March 9

 

COMFORTABLE MODULAR HOMES MAY BE THE WAVE OF THE FUTURE

Manufactured housing industry representatives, developers, public officials, and others recently gathered in Baton Rouge, La., to view five factory-built homes hailed as the "new face of modular and manufactured housing," reported the Times-Picayune.

KnowledgePlex March 15

SENIOR HOUSING SET FOR CHARTER SCHOOL COMPLEX

A nonprofit developer in Chula Vista, Calif., is building a 42-unit apartment complex for low-income seniors on the site of a charter school, reported The San Diego Union-Tribune. The Chula Vista Elementary School District is leasing the western acre of the Chula Vista Learning Community Charter School's campus to the developer, the MAAC Project. Although senior residents cannot be required to participate in school activities, MAAC Project officials are working with educators to create a voluntary program.

KnowledgePlex March 15

 

'EDO' PLAN EARNS NATIONAL PRAISE

The redevelopment plan for East Downtown ("Edo") Albuquerque, N.M., is one of 25 projects featured in a national study recognizing 25 transit-oriented development projects that benefit working families, reported the Albuquerque Journal. The study, by the nonprofit group Good Jobs First, included projects meeting such criteria as job access, affordable housing, community involvement, and development in low- or mixed-income areas.

KnowledgePlex March 29

Land Use Related Articles

SNOB ZONING LOSES OUT ON STATE DOLLARS

In Massachusetts, local officials seeking a share of $500 million in state development funds must report on their efforts to increase affordable housing, according to a column in the Boston Herald.

KnowledgePlex March 1

CITIES FACE CHALLENGES OF BUILDING IN BUILT-OUT AREAS

Officials in the Sacramento area are struggling with how to respond to an increased number of infill development proposals without alienating residents, reported the Sacramento Bee.

KnowledgePlex March 1

 

THE NIMBY FACTOR
According to a new nationwide survey, 83 percent of suburban Americans do not want new development in their neighborhoods, reported The San Diego Union Tribune. The survey, sponsored by the Massachusetts-based Saint Consulting Group, polled 1,000 households.

KnowledgePlex March 1

 

DENSITY KEY TO AFFORDABILITY IN VEGAS, EXPERTS SAY

According to participants in the Urban Land Institute's recent Las Vegas housing seminar, retaining affordability among escalating land and construction costs requires building at higher densities, reported the Las Vegas Review Journal. But many local zoning codes limit density and discourage adjoining mixed-use developments, said John McIlwain, a senior ULI fellow.

KnowledgePlex March 1

PROVISO GIVES BUILDERS LEEWAY
Officials in Florida's Pasco County are permitting a planned town-house project to include narrower streets and lots than usually allowed under county land-use rules, reported the Tampa Tribune.

KnowledgePlex March 1

 

DEVELOPER, STATE LEGISLATORS HOPE TO SKIP LOCAL RULES
Florida state lawmakers from Pinellas County are backing state legislation that would waive state traffic requirements for a private development project in the county, reported the St. Petersburg Times. The bill would also allow for increased residential density without triggering the local review process. According to the developer, the measure would ensure that cumbersome and costly regulations don't kill the project, which includes affordable homes for workers.

KnowledgePlex March 1

BUILDERS SUE OVER INCLUSIONARY ZONING ORDINANCE

The Florida Home Builders Association has sued the city of Tallahassee, Fla., seeking to revoke the city's inclusionary zoning ordinance, reported The Bradenton Herald. The measure requires developments with 50 or more homes to sell 10 percent of the homes at reduced prices.

KnowledgePlex March 8

 

HOUSING PLAN CHANGE BLASTED
In Annapolis, Md., lagging sales of homes built under the city's 2004 inclusionary housing law are prompting calls for revision, reported The Capital. Under the law, 12 percent of the homes in subdivisions with 10 or more units must be affordable to people making up to 80 percent of the regional median income. But the program has been unable to draw enough qualified applicants, the article said.

KnowledgePlex March 8

 

HOUSING LAWSUIT DISMISSED BY JUDGE

A Sacramento, Calif., Superior Court judge has dismissed a lawsuit seeking to overturn Sacramento County's affordable housing ordinance, reported the Sacramento Bee. Under the ordinance, residential developers must set aside 15 percent of units as affordable "or provide the equivalent in land or fees," the article said.

KnowledgePlex March 8

 

CONSERVATION DISTRICT CONFLICTS WITH AFFORDABLE HOUSING LAWS
Legislation introduced in the Rhode Island House would exempt parts of seven towns from the state's low- and moderate-income housing requirements, reported The Providence Journal.

KnowledgePlex March 8

 

LAND TRUST SEEKS TO PRESERVE LONG-TERM AFFORDABILITY

If things go as planned, Chicago's new Community Land Trust will be self-sustaining and have at least 300 housing units in its portfolio within three years, reported multi-housingnews.com.

KnowledgePlex March 8

 

DEED RESTRICTIONS GIVE BROWARD HOUSING LAUNCH A BOOST
Broward County, Fla., has launched a program to build affordable homes on lots seized through tax foreclosure action, reported the Palm Beach Daily Business Review. Program officials expect to develop more than 100 homes for buyers making up to 80 percent of the county median income.

KnowledgePlex March 8

 

FORCING DEVELOPERS TO BUILD AFFORDABLE

Two downtown housing plans in Seattle present different demands to developers; each calls for the creation of an affordable housing fund, yet the amount of funding and additional amenities required varies. Mar 06 2006 -- Seattle Stranger

Planetizen March March 9

             

IRVINE CA CREATES LAND TRUST TO PRESERVE INCLUSIONARY HOUSING

The City of Irvine CA was a leader in the nation in adopting Inclusionary housing.  Over the past 30 years they have produced 4,400 units of affordable housing through their ordinance.  However, because these units were created with short term (30 year) affordability requirements, they are now facing a situation where most of their affordable units will convert to market over the next few years.  Last night the Irvine City Council voted unanimously to create a Commuity Land Trust and to establish a goal to create nearly 10,000 permanently affordable housing units - this will represent 10% of the City's total housing stock.

Inclusionary Housing Digest, Vol 19, Issue 1

 

STAPLETON CITED FOR SUCCESS WITH AFFORDABLE HOMES
A new report cites 15 communities -- including Denver's Stapleton airport -- for providing working families with affordable housing, reported The Denver Post. The report was issued by Homes for Working Families, a nonprofit that seeks to increase the availability of affordable homes.

KnowledgePlex March 29

 

PALM BEACH COUNTY TO REQUIRE 11-20 % OF NEW HOMES AS 'AFFORDABLE'

Palm Beach County, Fla., commissioners approved a new interim policy reserving nearly 20 percent of some new residential developments for low- and middle-income people, reported the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

KnowledgePlex March 29

 

AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAN CRITICIZED FOR LOOPHOLES

Broward County, Fla., commissioners want to require cities to address affordable housing needs when developers propose major residential projects, reported the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. The plan, which heads to the state for review, offers a menu of possible city responses to builders seeking permits for developments with 100 or more housing units.

KnowledgePlex March 29

 

OWNER OF BAYSWATER PROPERTY UPSET OVER REZONING

A family in Queens is threatening legal action against New York City and civic groups for including their home in an area to be "downzoned," reported The New York Sun. At the behest of many neighborhood residents, the city's Department of Planning has approved rezoning the Queens community of Bayswater to allow fewer homes per acre. The City Council is expected to pass the downzoning measure, the article said. Owners of one home say the change will lower their property's value by $400,000.

KnowledgePlex March 29

 

Katrina Related Articles

 

THE GULF COAST: RESTORING THE LANDSCAPE:

ASLA and the National Building Museum convened a panel of landscape architects and planners -- American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA)

ArchNewsNow March 1

HANO WANTS ONLY WORKING TENANTS; COUNCIL MEMBERS APPLAUD

Despite some public backlash, federal and local officials in New Orleans are defending plans to give working people preference to public housing residency, reported articles in the Times-Picayune.

KnowledgePlex March 1

 

THOMAS STANDS BY RE-ENTRY RULES; JOB REQUIREMENT HAS SUPPORT

Thomas'  comments sparked "an immediate rebuke from officials in Houston, which has absorbed more Katrina evacuees than any other city," reported the Times-Picayune. After relying on other cities during its time of need, the city shouldn't be allowed to close its doors to any former residents, said a Houston city councilman.

KnowledgePlex March 1

REPORT SUGGESTS HUD ASSUME FEMA ROLE IN GULF COAST
A new report urges Congress to stop relying on travel trailers to house evacuees and instead start helping property owners fix easily repaired apartments, reported The Advocate. "Estimates indicate that about 20,000 vacant apartments in New Orleans could be made habitable with relatively modest repairs," the article said.

KnowledgePlex March 1

 

A NEWER ORLEANS: SIX PROPOSALS.
By Reed Kroloff and Aaron Betsky -- MVRDV; Huff + Gooden; UN Studio; Morphosis; West 8; Hargreaves Associates- Artforum

ArchNewsNow March 3

 

NEW ORLEANS RESIDENTS SHUN EXPERT ADVICE, REBUILDING LOW AREAS

New Orleans homeowners seeking to rebuild their flood-damaged homes are scrambling to secure city permits "before the Army Corps of Engineers releases updated 'base flood elevation maps,'" reported the Chicago Tribune. To obtain coverage under the National Flood Insurance Program, homes that were more than 49 percent damaged must be raised above the base flood elevation level. Before homeowners can access the state's federal rebuilding funds, they will likely be required to meet the new flood standards, the article said.

KnowledgePlex March 8

 

LOUISIANA LANDLORDS SHOULDN'T EXPECT GRANTS
The Louisiana Recovery Authority announced plans to set aside $1.75 billion of an expected allotment of federal Community Development Block Grants for renovating or rebuilding multifamily housing. Unlike the state's homeowner aid plan, the rental housing plan -- which is still being formulated -- won't offer grants, said the authority's executive director. Rather, it will likely offer landlords low-interest loans in combination with low-income housing tax credits, he said.

KnowledgePlex March 15

 

$3.5 BILLION PLAN HELPS LOUISIANA LANDLORDS

Earlier in the week, Gov. Kathleen Blanco announced a nearly $3.5 billion proposal to rebuild the state's storm-damaged rental properties, reported The Advocate. The plan draws on $1.75 billion in federal community development block grants and $1.7 billion in federal low-income housing tax credits (allotted to the state under Gulf Opportunity Zone legislation). Under the plan, $1 billion of the CDBG funds would be set aside for property repairs by small-scale landlords. Landlords who set rents at prescribed levels could apply for zero-percent loans that wouldn't have to be repaid until properties are sold.

KnowledgePlex March 22

 

REVISED REBUILDING PLAN EXTENDS NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNING DEADLINE

In a revised rebuilding plan, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin rejected the idea of halting all building in the city's most-flood damaged neighborhoods until residents can prove the areas are sustainable, reported The Advocate. In mid-January, a committee of the mayor's Bring New Orleans Back Commission recommended that the city both cease issuing permits in the hardest-hit neighborhoods and give residents until May 20 to produce neighborhood rebuilding plans.

KnowledgePlex March 29

 

Legislation, Funding and other Affordable Housing Articles

 

HOUSING AGENCY EYEING AN INVESTMENT

An Ohio housing authority is seeking to offset declines in federal funding by investing in market-rate housing, reported The Blade. The Lucas Metropolitan Housing Authority plans to upgrade the 200-unit apartment complex it is buying.

KnowledgePlex March 1

 CHICAGO FIVE-YEAR SENIOR HOUSING PLAN CALLS FOR 4,000 UNITS
Chicago Mayor Richard Daley announced plans to create 4,000 new homes for senior citizens within five years, reported the Chicago Tribune. Under the proposal, the city will help create 10 new apartment complexes for very low-income residents, 15 rental complexes for low-income households, five moderately priced condominium developments, and 15 buildings with various service levels.

KnowledgePlex March 8
SENIOR HOMELESSNESS ON RISE, ADVOCATES SAY

According to homeless advocates in New York City, more of the city's elderly are becoming homeless, reported Newsday. As housing costs outpace seniors' fixed incomes, more older adults are becoming homeless for the first time, said the CEO of Partnership for the Homeless.

KnowledgePlex March 8

 

'PHILADELPHIASS AGENCY CONSOLIDATION PLAN RAISES UNION IRE

Plans to consolidate Philadelphia's three housing agencies have sparked controversy, reported articles in the Philadelphia Inquirer.

KnowledgePlex March 8

 

SIX WAYS LOS ANGELES CAN ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS

Politicians, public officials and the public have come to a realization that Los Angeles needs to do something about homelessness. In a lengthy editorial, the Los Angeles Times suggests six attainable goals. Mar 06 2006 -- Los Angeles Times

Planetizen March March 9

 

MORE FUNDING FOR CABRINI GREEN HOUSING RECONSTRUCTION

Slowly but surely, the Chicago Public Housing Authority continues fundraising, demolition, and reconstruction at the infamous public housing project. Mar 10 2006 -- Chicago Tribune

Planetizen March 13             

 

RENTAL HOUSING RECOVERY PLAN TAKES SHAPE

While measures to compensate Louisiana homeowners have captured the public's attention, officials have been quietly lining up subsidies and incentives to rebuild the state's decimated rental housing stock, reported a series of articles in the Times-Picayune.

KnowledgePlex March 15

HOUSING SHORTAGE HITS LABOR MARKET
According to real estate observers, projects financed with tax credits will likely spring up first in areas outside the city. Experts say in-town investment will lag due to unresolved questions about the strength of New Orleans area's flood-protection system, insurance rates, and building requirements, the Times-Picayune reported.

KnowledgePlex March 15

 

LAWMAKERS SUPPORT AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLANS
The increasing gap between fast-rising home prices and slower-increasing wages has prompted Florida state legislators to propose a series of affordable housing measures, reported the Sarasota Herald-Tribune and the St. Petersburg Times.

KnowledgePlex March 15

 

NEW HOUSING AND SOCIAL SERVICES MAY STEM NEIGHBORHOOD DECLINE

More than a year into Houston's targeted neighborhood revitalization strategy, there are signs of both progress and challenges ahead, reported The Houston Chronicle. Under Project Houston Hope, the city has started amassing more than 3,000 tax-delinquent properties -- 200 of which have been purchased by the city -- in six declining neighborhoods. The city will soon ask developers to submit proposals for building homes on the 200 city-owned lots, the article said.

KnowledgePlex March 15

 

MAYOR PLEDGES $51 MILLION TO BUILD AFFORDABLE HOUSING

Bond funds will likely be needed to supplement a new plan to build 14 rental complexes for low-income city residents within two years, the article said. The 14 complexes would include nearly 1,000 apartments for people who make up to 60 percent of the area median income. The mayor recently committed nearly $51 million from the city's affordable housing trust fund for the plan, saying each trust fund dollar would leverage an additional $3 in state and private monies. Although some of the funds for the rental developments will come from a 2002 state housing bond, "that revenue stream is expected to dry up next year, leaving the city without one of its key funding sources for new housing unless a new bond is passed," the Times reported.

KnowledgePlex March 22

 

SHELTERS LOOKING FOR NEW AVENUES

According to Philadelphia's director of homeless services, citizen antagonism toward large long-term homeless shelters is prompting policy-makers to consider alternative models, reported the Philadelphia Inquirer. Last October, Mayor John Street launched a $10 million plan to end homelessness in the city in 10 years. As part of the plan, the city has created 100 emergency beds for the chronically homeless and two Center City "overnight cafes" offering temporary respite for habitual street dwellers.

KnowledgePlex March 22

 

RENT AID CUTS MAY FORCE FAMILIES OUT

According to a new study by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, President Bush's 2007 housing budget proposal would provide fewer low-income families in some areas with rental housing assistance, reported the Herald News of Passaic County, N.J.

KnowledgePlex March 22

 

SURVEY SHOWS SUBSTANTIAL NEGATIVE EFFECT OF CUTS TO CDBG
A new survey finds that recent cuts to the Community Development Block Grant program will affect millions of low- and moderate-income people, according to a press release from members of a coalition to preserve CDBG. Over the past two fiscal years, CDBG's formula funding has fallen 14 percent, resulting in 5 million low- and moderate-income people losing access to CDBG-funded programs, the study said.

KnowledgePlex March 22

 

LOS ANGELES TO STEM 'DUMPING' OF HOMELESS ON SKID ROW
Los Angeles County officials unveiled a $100 million plan to help stop police and care providers from discharging homeless people on

Los Angeles' skid row, reported the Los Angeles Times. The plan would establish one regional shelter in each of Los Angeles County's five supervisorial districts, at an estimated cost of $7 million a year.

KnowledgePlex March 29

 

AMERICAN DREAM FURTHER AWAY FOR WORKING FAMILIES
According to two new studies, some families have not shared equally in the nationwide increase in homeownership, reported The San Diego Union-Tribune. The National Housing Conference's Center for Housing Policy study found that

U.S. homeownership hit a record high of nearly 70 percent in 2003. However, the homeownership rate for working families with children making up to 120 percent of the median income is lower than in the late 1970s, the study said.

KnowledgePlex March 29

ANNOUNCEMENTS

AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING BUILT RESPONSIBLY
The Home Depot Foundation has announced its second annual national competition for Awards of Excellence in Affordable Housing Built Responsibly. The awards program seeks to identify, recognize and showcase the outstanding and innovative work of nonprofit housing development corporations engaged in green building/healthy home construction and rehabilitation.

Enterprise Network News March

HELP YOUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNDERSTAND AFFORDABLE HOUSING
If you have ever needed a little help teaching local public officials about the issues, programs and opportunities available in the field of affordable housing, here's the tool for you. The Public Official's Guide to Affordable Housing, a CD-ROM, provides creative and effective solutions to the many problems and issues encountered by local government agencies. It uses six case study cities as models of how municipalities are moving in creative ways to solve a variety of problems related to affordable housing. This resource also teaches how affordable housing is developed and emphasizes the many partners needed to provide a range of affordable housing options that work effectively in any community. In addition, the CD includes an extensive library of published and Internet resources.

Enterprise Network News March

APRIL 28 DEADLINE FOR MANUFACTURED HOMES GRANTS 
CFED is seeking proposals for funding under its Innovations in Manufactured Homes (I'M HOME) initiative. The program seeds innovative approaches to promote the use of manufactured homes as a way to achieve homeownership and build assets. CFED will award implementation grants of up to $150,000 to organizations ready to launch products, programs, or research. In addition, it will award catalyst grants of up to $50,000 to organizations for feasibility studies, market-research, or other types of planning activities. To qualify for consideration, proposals should focus on federal-code manufactured housing and meet a demonstrable need in the organization's target community. Applicants should be experienced in the affordable housing arena and be willing to at least match the award funds. Applicants who submit promising concept papers will be invited to prepare a more detailed proposal. 

KnowledgePlex March 15

NEW WEB PORTAL FOR LOUISIANA EVACUEES AND BUSINESSES 
The Louisiana Recovery Authority, in partnership with several national and local organizations, has launched a Web portal for Gulf Coast residents displaced by hurricanes Katrina and Rita. LouisianaRebuilds.info is a one-stop rebuilding and planning portal that seeks to assist displaced residents, businesses, government agencies, and nonprofits. The site features content and links to resources in and outside of the state, including jobs, affordable home listings, funding opportunities, and social services. The site will serve as the entry point to the state's new housing assistance registry, The Road Home. (Residents without Internet access can sign up for the registry by calling 1-888-Road2La.) Offline resources are in development to bring the same rich portal content to residents without Internet access.

KnowledgePlex March 15

DEADLINE FOR TAX CREDIT AWARD ENTRIES NOW MARCH 31 

The Affordable Housing Tax Credit Coalition is seeking applications for its 12th Annual Charles L. Edson Tax Credit Excellence Awards. The program recognizes the most outstanding Low Income Housing Tax Credit properties in four categories: projects located in a metropolitan area, projects located in a rural area, special needs housing, and senior housing. Projects must have been placed in service on or after Jan. 1, 2005. Winners will each receive $5,000 to bring additional services, facilities, or amenities to the winning development. 

KnowledgePlex March 22

 

APPLICATIONS FOR METLIFE AWARDS DUE MAY 5 
Enterprise and the MetLife Foundation are accepting applications for the MetLife Foundation Awards for Excellence in Affordable Housing. The awards recognize community-based or regional nonprofits and tribes or tribally designated housing entities for excellence in two categories: supportive housing and property and asset management. First-place winners in each category will receive $25,000; second-place winners, $15,000; and third-place winners, $10,000. 

KnowledgePlex March 22

 

  

STUDIES RELEASED

OXFAM AMERICA RELEASES KATRINA REPORT 
According to a new report from Oxfam America, poor households are being left behind in the Hurricane Katrina recovery efforts. The report, "Recovering States? The Gulf Coast Six Months After the Storm," examines current conditions and long-term implications for lower-income families in the region. It also devotes a section to affected renters, a large but largely overlooked group in federal aid efforts. The report urges federal and state officials to recommit themselves to inclusive rebuilding plans that address deep and persistent poverty in the region.

KnowledgePlex March 8

AFFORDABLE HOUSING CONSTRUCTION LAGS DEMOLITION
More affordable rental housing is being lost than created each year, according to a new study by Harvard University's Joint Center for Housing Studies. The study found that low-income housing tax credits and other programs support the development of about 100,000 new rental units for low-income people every year, reported the San Antonio Express-News.

KnowledgePlex March 15

STUDY EVALUATES FAMILY ASSISTIVE HOUSING
A study by Philliber Research Associates evaluates three programs in the San Francisco Bay Area and two Minnesota programs. The report describes the program models, profiles the families served, and provides information on housing retention, increases in employment and income, family reunification, and other outcomes.

KnowledgePlex March 15

STUDY ILLUSTRATES POSITIVE RESULTS OF FAMILY ASSISTIVE HOUSING
The National Center on Family Homelessness report summarizes the findings from three sets of studies of family permanent supportive housing programs and provides a cross-program analysis of factors that may lead to better outcomes.

KnowledgePlex March 15

PUBLICATION SHOWCASES RURAL DISASTER RECOVERY 
The latest issue of Rural Voices, the quarterly magazine of the Housing Assistance Council, explores how some rural communities devastated by disasters have taken steps to recover. Articles cover such topics as how Logan County, W.Va., recovered from the 1972 Buffalo Creek disaster; responses to recent crises by rural and urban communities in the Mississippi Delta; one town's response to the loss of its major employer; and community responses to environmental injustice on Native American lands. 

KnowledgePlex March 22

SMART GROWTH CD PROVIDES LIBRARY OF RESOURCES 
Smart Growth America has produced Smart Growth Shareware Version 2, a CD-ROM that contains essential reading and background information on Smart Growth issues and resources. The CD includes 120 publications and fact sheets, Web site links to more than 100 additional resources, and PowerPoint presentations and materials by local and national leaders and organizations. Resources on the CD are organized in a user-friendly format by various topics, including Introduction to Smart Growth, Costs of Sprawl and Benefits of Smart Growth, Transportation and Air Quality, Building Communities: Housing, Brownfields, and Infill Development.  In addition, users can search for information on economic development, affordable housing, rural communities, schools and children, energy, and other topics. 

KnowledgePlex March 22

UI REPORT COVERS PREVENTING DISPLACEMENT 
A new report from the Urban Institute explores ways to prevent low- and moderate-income residents from being priced out of gentrifying neighborhoods. Case studies cover displacement mitigation strategies used by nonprofits, for-profit developers, and city agencies in neighborhoods in the early, middle, and late stages of revitalization and gentrification. According to the report, the types of strategies used to prevent displacement depend on such factors as the intensity of the housing market, the local political climate, and an area's organizational capacity. The neighborhoods featured include Bartlett Park in St. Petersburg, Fla.; Oak Park in Sacramento, Calif.; Reynoldstown in Atlanta; Figueroa Corridor in Los Angeles; Central Area in Seattle; and Uptown in Chicago. 

KnowledgePlex March 28

13 PROJECTS WIN AIA HOUSING AWARDS 
The American Institute of Architects has announced the 13 recipients of its 2006 Housing Committee Awards. The AIA's Housing Awards Program recognizes the best in housing design and promotes the importance of good housing as a necessity of life, a sanctuary for the human spirit, and a valuable national resource. Winners in the single-family category are Kessler Residence, Chevy Chase, Md.; Slot House, Brooklyn, N.Y.; The Coconut House, Los Angeles; Avis Ranch, Clyde Park, Mont.; and Tower House, Chicago. The winner in the community design category is Live/Work Artists' Housing, Mount Rainier, Md. Winners in the multifamily housing category are Metro Hollywood Mixed-Use, Los Angeles; K Lofts, San Diego; University of Washington-Nordheim Court, Seattle; Orange Grove, West Hollywood, Calif.; and Contemporaine at 516 North Wells, Chicago. Winners in the innovations in housing design category are The Modern Modular, multiple U.S. locations; and Solar Umbrella, Venice, Calif.

KnowledgePlex March 28

EVENTS

 

MARCH 31 DEADLINE FOR EXECUTIVE FELLOWSHIPS AT HARVARD 

Each year, the Fannie Mae Foundation sponsors up to 35 government and nonprofit housing and community development leaders to attend the Senior Executives in State and Local Government program at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. The three-week summer program uses case studies to enhance leadership skills in the areas of organizational strategy, political management, policy development, management control and operations, and human resource management. 

KnowledgePlex March 1

 

RACE, CLASS, AND FAIR HOUSING SYMPOSIUM, APRIL 25 

The Equal Rights Center will host a daylong symposium on how race and class impact housing choices on April 25 in Washington, D.C. Stephen Bradberry, head organizer for the New Orleans Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, will give the keynote address. Bradberry received the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award in 2005. Other speakers include Wade Henderson, executive director of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights; Margery Austin Turner, director of the Metropolitan Housing and Communities Policy Center at the Urban Institute; and Janis Bowdler, housing policy analyst for the National Council of La Raza. Conference sessions include a panel on race, class, and fair housing; workshops on local residential segregation and inclusionary zoning. The registration deadline is April 7. 

KnowledgePlex March 1

 

RURAL RESIDENTIAL GREEN BUILDING CONFERENCE, APRIL 25-26 

The Housing Assistance Council will host a conference on building green housing in rural America April 25-26 in Atlanta. On the first day, national and local green builders and players in the sustainable rural housing development movement will participate in a roundtable discussion. The discussion will focus on current issues, challenges, and opportunities surrounding rural green affordable housing. In a later session, panelists from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and other institutions will describe funding resources. Other conference sessions will cover such topics as implementing green building in rural communities, understanding the Home Energy Rating System, and building high-performance green homes. Registrations received by March 17 qualify for the early registration fee. 

KnowledgePlex March 8

 

TRANSPORTATION AND HOUSING POLICY CONFERENCE, APRIL 27 

The National Housing Conference and its affiliate the California Housing Consortium will host a policy conference and awards luncheon April 27 in Los Angeles. Conference sessions will explore the link between transportation and housing, including how residents cope with high housing costs, the impact of housing and transportation options on quality of life, and sprawl. 

KnowledgePlex March 8

 

AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND CHILD CARE: NUTS AND BOLTS

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 housing developments. Space is limited.

LISC eNewsletter March 15

 

RESTORATION 2006: COMMUNITY & ECONOMIC RECOVERY, May 16-17

The conference in New Orleans will focus on long-term and sustainable community and economic recovery in the aftermath of a natural or man-made disaster. Organized by the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), the National League of Cities (NLC), and the National Association of Counties (NACo), in collaboration with LISC and numerous other organizations, the conference is designed to help local government and other community leaders determine next steps after a disaster.

LISC eNewsletter March 15

 

MICHIGAN CONFERENCE ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING, 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.

LISC eNewsletter March 15

 

KNOWLEDGEPLEX CHAT: VAWA HOUSING IMPACTS, APRIL 11 

On Tuesday, April 11 at 2 p.m. ET, KnowledgePlex® and the National Housing Law Project will present an online chat about housing protections in the Violence Against Women Act of 2005. The reauthorized act gives domestic violence victims living in public or subsidized housing more safeguards against sudden eviction and ensures that domestic abuse victims get the housing assistance they need. Presenters will examine the implementation of VAWA's new housing rules, including the steps public housing authorities, landlords, and state and local governments must take to comply with the new statutes; the policy choices confronting housing authorities; and the potential new funding sources available to address domestic violence.

KnowledgePlex March 28

 

 

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.