ARTICLES

Design Related Articles
Building Hope, Piece by Piece
Making a Flophouse a Home, and a Decent One at That
Housing Authority Trades Office Space for Jobs
Affordability Programs Feature Accessory Rental
Arsenal Hill Project to Bridge Income Gap
Homeless Find Good Design For $7 A Night
Plans to Invest $9 Million in Main Street Mixed-Income Housing
Redefining Affordable Living In London
The House That Costs £60,000 To Build - But A Good Deal More To Buy
Design Competition Demonstrates Future for Affordable Housing:
Los Angeles Okays 1-Year Ban On Loft Conversions
Fort Lauderdale Mayor Calls Workforce Housing Ordinance 'Communistic'
Does Land Use Planning Equal Unaffordable Housing In San Francisco?

Homelessness Related Articles
U.S. Homeless Numbers Decline
Psychiatric Services are Part of Homeless Housing Program
Mayor Cites Pollution 'Everywhere' to Defend Land Deal
Housing Program Holds a Catch-22
One-Year Ban Approved on Conversion of Residential Hotels

Innovative Services Related Articles
Inmates In The Garden: Feeding Philadelphia's Hungry
Pembridge Square Makes Children's Programs Part of Its Mission
Bangor, Maine, Creates a 'First' in Veterans Homes
Housing for Hearing Impaired Set to Open in July
A Foster Kid's Dream: A Home All Her Own
High-Class Pitches Increase Tax-Credit Occupancies
Mortgage Program Helps Public Servants Afford Homes in Their Communities

Articles about Setbacks to Providing Affordable Housing
Official Blunt on Public Housing; He Wants 'Only the Best Residents' Back
Public Housing Cuts May Jeopardize Chicago Plan
Dallas Approves Razing Apartments for Retail Complex
Cities Use Zoning, Housing Code To Define Social Norms
Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance Ruled Unconstitutional In San Diego

Funding, Legislation And Other Issues Related To Affordable Housing Design
High Gas Prices Drive Up Cost Of Housing
The Least Affordable Places To Live In The U.S.
Fees May Double for Opting Out of Low-Cost Housing
Police Housing Measure Gets OK
Companies Team Up to Add New Orleans Housing
State Housing Finance Program to Boost Urban Homeownership
Residential Zoning Code Updated
City in Sacramento County Supports Mobile Home Rent Control
Mobile Home Expo to Help Owners Cope
State Agencies Dig Deep to Preserve Rural Affordable Housing
The Ever-Expanding New York City Commute
Two Futures For Los Angeles' Skid Row
China's Housing Headed For Serious Deflation?

ANNOUNCEMENTS
June 30 Deadline for Neighborhood Excellence Funds
'Housing Heros' Award Goes to WNDC for its 43 New Affordable Condos, Office SpaceGreen Communities™ Grants from Enterprise Now Available
Round Sixteen of the Maxwell Awards of Excellence, June 30
NAHMA Announces 2006 Communities of Quality Awards Program Guidelines

STUDIES and RESOURCES RELEASED
Getting Ahead of the (Housing) Curve: A Look at Emerging Housing Needs and Market Dynamics
Easing the Affordability Crunch: The Inclusionary Housing Option
New Tools Connect Affordable Housing Residents to Social Services
Studies Assess Impact of Family Supportive Housing
The Impact of Housing on Community:
The Edens Lost and Found Series:
Philanthropy Guide Covers Homeless Housing Solutions
Report Urges Greater Financial Access for Immigrants

EVENTS
NeighborWorks Training Institute in Kansas City, Missouri, June 26-30
Green Homes and Sustainable Communities:

ARTICLES

Design Related Articles

BUILDING HOPE, PIECE BY PIECE
University of Detroit Mercy students design a house that will be built with salvaged material. Now they need a buyer.- Detroit Free Press
ArchNewsNow May 1

MAKING A FLOPHOUSE A HOME, AND A DECENT ONE AT THAT
Reinventing the Andrews House...It is not the amount of space that matters; it is how well the space is designed. -- Common Ground Community - New York Times
ArchNewsNow May 1

HOUSING AUTHORITY TRADES OFFICE SPACE FOR JOBS
The DuPage, Ill., Housing Authority is providing free office space in its headquarters to companies that hire people using or waiting for authority housing vouchers, reported the Chicago Tribune. To date, a construction company and nonprofit serving the arboriculture and urban forestry industry have accepted the offer of space.
KnowledgePlex May 3

AFFORDABILITY PROGRAMS FEATURE ACCESSORY RENTAL
Since its inception three years ago, the "Apartments-in-Homes" program, run by a Brattleboro , Vt. , nonprofit, has created 10 new affordable rental units within existing homes, reported the Brattleboro Reformer. Homeowners who create rental units in their homes receive $3,000 and architectural assistance from students in an advanced drafting and design class at a local career center.
KnowledgePlex May 3

ARSENAL HILL PROJECT TO BRIDGE INCOME GAP
A new community of affordable homes in Columbia , S.C. , is set for development under a new "smart code" zoning regime that features sidewalks and communal open space, as well as allowing for "in-law" apartments, reported The State. The development will feature a mix of town houses, single-family homes, and bungalow-style cottages, each costing between $130,000 and $280,000.
KnowledgePlex May 3

HOMELESS FIND GOOD DESIGN FOR $7 A NIGHT
How one non-profit design competition led to the creation of temporary housing for the homeless using a simple formula: asking future residents what they wanted. May 02 2006 -- New York Times
Planetizen Newswire May 4

PLANS TO INVEST $9 MILLION IN MAIN STREET MIXED-INCOME HOUSING
The Twin Cities Community Development Corporation in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, announced its plans to purchase an historic Main Street building and invest approximately $9 million dollars to develop the upper floors of the building into much-needed housing.NeighborWorks Alert May 4

REDEFINING AFFORDABLE LIVING IN LONDON
American architects Munkenbeck and Marshall redefine affordable and shared-ownership living in London with what looks like a super-luxury development. May 06 2006 -- Gabion, by Hugh Pearman
Planetizen Newswire May 8

THE HOUSE THAT COSTS £60,000 TO BUILD - BUT A GOOD DEAL MORE TO BUY Prescott 's challenge is met, but builders will charge market rates...SixtyK house... -- Sheppard Robson [image]- Guardian (UK)
ArchNewsNow May 15

DESIGN COMPETITION DEMONSTRATES FUTURE FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING: Design for Manufacture exhibition showcases the nine winning designs...[of] good-quality home for a construction cost of £60,000. [links]- AZoBuild.com ( Australia )
ArchNewsNow May 15

LOS ANGELES OKAYS 1-YEAR BAN ON LOFT CONVERSIONS
Los Angeles City Council hopes to slow gentrification of downtown by approving a moratorium on conversion or demolition of low-cost hotels. May 11 2006 -- Los Angeles Times
Planetizen May 15

MAYOR CALLS WORKFORCE HOUSING ORDINANCE 'COMMUNISTIC'
Fort Lauderdale's mayor condemned a proposed workforce housing ordinance as unfair to developers and 'communistic'. He said people mistakenly think they're entitled to an affordable single family house on a 40-hour work week. May 22 2006 -- Sun-Sentinel
Planetizen Newswire May 25

DOES LAND USE PLANNING EQUAL UNAFFORDABLE HOUSING?
Randal O'Toole blames land use planning for high housing costs in San Francisco in this op-ed column. May 23 2006 -- San Francisco Chronicle
Planetizen Newswire May 25

HOMELESSNESS RELATED ARTICLES

U.S. HOMELESS NUMBERS DECLINE
For the first time since the 1980s, the number of homeless people in the United States has plunged, suggesting that a national push to end chronic homelessness "may be working," reported The San Francisco Chronicle. In 2003, the Bush administration began encouraging communities to end homelessness within 10 years by placing chronically homeless people into permanent supportive housing.
KnowledgePlex May 18

PSYCHIATRIC SERVICES ARE PART OF HOMELESS HOUSING PROGRAM
Twin Cities , Minn. , nonprofit is partnering with the University of Minnesota on an  "unusual" pilot program to serve homeless people with mental illness, reported the Star Tribune. The three-year program seeks to place 120 homeless adults in two transitional "Safe Haven" residences operated by the nonprofit, People Incorporated. During their six-month stays, clients will be treated by university psychiatrists who are charged with providing the help that the residents are "clearly entitled to, but too sick to do [without support]," said one university psychiatric resident. Besides providing diagnoses, prescriptions, and counseling, the psychiatrists will help connect residents with other services.
KnowledgePlex May 18

MAYOR CITES POLLUTION 'EVERYWHERE' TO DEFEND LAND DEAL
Chattanooga , Tenn. , Mayor Ron Littlefield is taking to the airwaves to defend plans to build a homeless campus on contaminated land, reported the Chattanooga Times and Free Press. At the mayor's behest, the city council approved the $775,000 purchase of a former farmers' market. State environmental officials say the site, which contains coal tar and other pollutants, needs further testing and perhaps cleaning before a residential project can be built.
KnowledgePlex May 18

HOUSING PROGRAM HOLDS A CATCH-22
Two New York City Council members are calling for greater flexibility in the city's rental assistance program for formerly homeless women and families on welfare, reported Newsday. To encourage participants to seek employment, tenants who receive Housing Stability Plus vouchers must, after one year, cover 20 percent of their rent. Some residents do not earn enough to live self-sufficiently, and yet their wages disqualify them from receiving welfare, the article said. They must quit their jobs or lose their vouchers, which "punish[es] work," one of the council members say.
KnowledgePlex May 18

ONE-YEAR BAN APPROVED ON CONVERSION OF RESIDENTIAL HOTELS
A new yearlong ban on demolishing or converting low-cost residential hotels is "the most concrete step" Los Angeles officials have taken to deal with displacement fears arising from gentrification, reported the Los Angeles Times. Conversions of single-room occupancy hotels into luxury lofts have raised concerns about the future of the city's 240 downtown residential hotels, which have historically served some of the city's poorest residents. In recent years, Los Angeles has lost more than 1,200 such units, or 8 percent of the total, the city estimates.
KnowledgePlex May 18

INNOVATIVE SERVICES RELATED ARTICLES

INMATES IN THE GARDEN: FEEDING PHILADELPHIA'S HUNGRY
An unlikely partnership between community gardeners and local prison inmates will help feed the over one fifth of the city living below the poverty line. May 01 2006 -- Philadelphia City Paper
Planetizen Newswire May 4

PEMBRIDGE SQUARE MAKES CHILDREN'S PROGRAMS PART OF ITS MISSION
Montgomery Housing Partnership, a NeighborWorks member in Wheaton, Maryland, did more than renovate its 135-unit Pembridge Square apartment complex, reports the Washington Post. When it installed individual heating and air conditioning units, MHP converted the old boiler room into a community center. The homework club and other programs at the community center help parents connect with kids and give all residents the chance to build skills. The apartments, located in an inner-ring suburb, just north of Washington, D.C., are within walking distance to a Metro station and major shopping center.NeighborWorks Alert May 4

BANGOR , MAINE , CREATES A 'FIRST' IN VETERANS HOMES
A vacant dormitory on the campus of a psychiatric center in Bangor , Maine , will be the first state-owned building nationwide to be redeveloped as veterans housing, said officials in the Bangor Daily News. Last week, Gov. John Baldacci signed into law a bill authorizing the sale or lease of the former staff residence of the Bangor Mental Health Institute to the Veterans Housing Coalition of Maine, the article said.
KnowledgePlex May 18

HOUSING FOR HEARING IMPAIRED SET TO OPEN IN JULY
Despite some initial resistance, Connecticut 's deaf community is showing increasing interest in occupying the state's first-of-its-kind housing complex for people with hearing impairments, officials told the Hartford Courant. The Middletown Housing Authority expects to finish the $2.4 million, 16-unit project in time for a July opening. When construction began, the complex "was perceived as being a bit too far from the social and cultural epicenter of the deaf community -- the American School for the Deaf campus in West Hartford ," the article said.
KnowledgePlex May 18

A FOSTER KID'S DREAM: A HOME ALL HER OWN
A Miami developer of a new high-rise has set aside 21 apartments for teens aging out of foster care, reported The Miami Herald. Young adults leaving foster care pay their rent and utilities at Santa Clara II with a stipend from the federal Road to Independence program. Former foster children who maintain a 2.0 grade average while attending school full-time are eligible for the stipend. The complex was financed in part with federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits.
KnowledgePlex May 18

HIGH-CLASS PITCHES INCREASE TAX-CREDIT OCCUPANCIES
The high occupancy rates of tax-credit projects is due, in part, to successful brand marketing, says the largest owner and manager of affordable rental communities in the Washington, D.C., area, reported Units magazine. "Previously, there was some thought in the industry that the tax-credit customer was a lesser customer," said a marketing executive at KSI Management. Since 2003, KSI has subsumed 14 of its 28 tax-credit communities under The Fields brand. The branding encompasses signage, information-packed brochures akin to those one would expect with market-rate complexes, and inviting leasing offices, the article said.
KnowledgePlex May 18

MORTGAGE PROGRAM HELPS PUBLIC SERVANTS AFFORD HOMES
A recently revamped home-buyer assistance program for vital community workers in New Mexico has surprised officials by expending its initial $10 million allocation in less than a year, reported the Albuquerque Tribune. The New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority's Home Equity and Required Occupation -- or HERO -- program has thus far made more than 100 loans to police officers, firefighters, nurses, medical technicians, teachers, and members of the active reserve military, the article said. An earlier down payment assistance version of the program went largely unused, prompting officials to expand eligibility to those with higher incomes and create a new product. The new plan consists of a first mortgage covering the house and a second mortgage for the down payment, closing costs, and private mortgage insurance; both loans are packaged together at a 30-year fixed rate.
KnowledgePlex May 11

ARTICLES ABOUT SETBACKS TO PROVIDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING

OFFICIAL BLUNT ON PUBLIC HOUSING; 'ONLY THE BEST RESIDENTS' BACK According to HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson, "only the best residents" of the former St. Thomas housing development should be welcomed back to the new mixed-income complex that replaced it, reported the Times-Picayune. Jackson estimates 18 to 20 percent of the units in the River Gardens development have been allotted to former St. Thomas residents. Tenants who made timely rent payments or worked should return, but those whose gang activities hurt the community should not, he said. Local housing advocates criticized Jackson for his comments, saying he falsely implied that many public housing residents are unemployed or criminals.
KnowledgePlex May 3

PUBLIC HOUSING CUTS MAY JEOPARDIZE CHICAGO PLAN
Proposed cuts in federal funding to rebuild public housing would further delay completion of Chicago 's ambitious plan to transform city housing, Chicago Housing Authority chief Terry Peterson told the Chicago Tribune. The CHA's Plan for Transformation, which involves razing public housing high-rises and replacing them with new mixed-income developments, aims to create 6,000 public housing units citywide by 2010. HUD capital funds, a financing source for the project, have been reduced nearly $500 million nationwide since 2001 and are slated for an additional $300 million cut under HUD's proposed budget, the article said.
KnowledgePlex May 11

DALLAS APPROVES RAZING APARTMENTS FOR RETAIL COMPLEX
Opposing the mayor, the Dallas City Council granted a zoning change that will allow a developer to replace nearly 1,000 aging apartments in the northeast section of the city with a retail complex, reported The Dallas Morning News. Mayor Laura Miller said she objected to razing a relatively problem-free and reasonably priced rental project when the city has so many run-down, high-crime complexes. Current tenants -- who opposed the rezoning -- would have a hard time finding equivalent housing elsewhere, Miller said. KnowledgePlex May 18

CITIES USE ZONING, HOUSING CODE TO DEFINE SOCIAL NORMS
A city does not consider an unmarried couple and their children a family and denies them an occupancy permit.
May 23 2006 -- Los Angeles Times
Planetizen Newswire May 25

INCLUSIONARY ZONING ORDINANCE RULED UNCONSTITUTIONAL IN SAN DIEGOA judge has ruled the City of San Diego's 10 percent inclusionary zoning ordinance unconstitutional. Building industry officials are pleased, although the decision "could bankrupt the affordable housing fund". May 28 2006 -- Voice of San Diego
Planetizen Newswire May 30

ARTICLES REGARDING FUNDING, LEGISLATION AND OTHER ISSUES

HIGH GAS PRICES DRIVE UP COST OF HOUSING
Twin Cities residents are realizing that the seemingly affordable homes bought far from the region's core are not quite as affordable when transportation costs -- which have escalated as a result of high gas prices -- are taken into account. May 02 2006 -- Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune
Planetizen Newswire May 4

THE LEAST AFFORDABLE PLACES TO LIVE IN THE U.S.
California wins the dubious distinction of being home to 11 of the least affordable locales. Why has the state trumped other hotspots like New York and Florida? May 09 2006 -- New York Times
Planetizen May 11

FEES MAY DOUBLE FOR OPTING OUT OF LOW-COST HOUSING
Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino is asking the city Redevelopment Authority to double the fees for developers who opt out of their on-site affordable housing requirements, reported The Boston Globe. Currently, most new residential projects must include a number of affordable housing units equal to 15 percent of the development's market-rate units. Under Menino's plan, the fee paid by developers to avoid this requirement would increase from $97,000 to $200,000 per unit for rental housing. Condominium developers opting out would pay either $200,000 or half the difference between the price of a market-rate unit and an on-site affordable unit, whichever is greater. The plan would also tighten income limits for affordable housing eligibility.
KnowledgePlex May 11

POLICE HOUSING MEASURE GETS OK
A new law enacted by Howard County, Md., will allow landlords to provide low- or no-cost apartments to police officers in exchange for on-site security, reported The Baltimore Sun. The Police Department will set the level of security to be provided by the officers, whose duties may include giving their cell phone numbers to apartment managers or conducting periodic security audits, said County Councilman Ken Ulman, who sponsored the legislation.
KnowledgePlex May 11

COMPANIES TEAM UP TO ADD NEW ORLEANS HOUSING
Enterprise Community Partners and Providence Community Housing plan to build or repair approximately 6,500 housing units in the New Orleans area as part of a proposal by the Archdiocese of New Orleans, reported the Times-Picayune. Providence , a development corporation sponsored by Catholic Charities and other community-based organizations, will work with other housing providers to develop the sites, many of which will be acquired from the archdiocese. The units will include new or refurbished homes and apartments for seniors and people with special needs; mixed-income apartments; and modular single-family homes.
KnowledgePlex May 18

STATE HOUSING FINANCE PROGRAM TO BOOST URBAN HOMEOWNERSHIP
The Connecticut Housing Finance Authority has resumed a program that helps people purchase homes in cities in which they work, reported the New Haven Register. The Urban Rehabilitation Homeownership Program provides eligible home buyers in select cities with low-cost CHFA mortgages, as well as up to $25,000 in state funds with zero percent interest rates, to rehabilitate properties.
KnowledgePlex May 18

RESIDENTIAL ZONING CODE UPDATED
For the first time in 48 years, the Spokane , Wash. , City Council has rewritten the zoning code for residential areas, reported the Spokesman Review. The new code will increase allowable residential densities by shrinking by nearly half the minimum lot sizes of most single-family zones. The council has also sent to the Plan Commission several requests, including one to "to allow low-income duplex projects in single-family zones," the article said.
KnowledgePlex May 18

CITY IN SACRAMENTO COUNTY SUPPORTS MOBILE HOME RENT CONTROL
The Citrus Heights , Calif. , City Council voted to stabilize mobile home park rents through either a rent control ordinance or long-term agreements with park owners, reported the Sacramento Bee. Discussions about how to address park sales and rents began about 15 months ago, after residents of one park -- mostly seniors on fixed-incomes -- complained that they couldn't afford a $75 rise in their rents.
KnowledgePlex May 18

MOBILE HOME EXPO TO HELP OWNERS COPE
Pinellas County , Fla. , hopes to educate and help protect mobile home park residents through its first-ever Mobile Home Expo, an official with the Housing Finance Authority of Pinellas County told the St. Petersburg Times. Exhibitors at the expo will offer information about hurricane preparedness, crime prevention, credit repair, senior advocacy programs, and a county program offering as much as $10,000 in interest-free loans to income-eligible residents seeking to buy their mobile home parks.
KnowledgePlex May 18

STATE AGENCIES DIG DEEP TO PRESERVE RURAL AFFORDABLE HOUSING
USDA’s Section 515 Rural Rental Housing program has produced more than half a million homes for low income families since its start in 1963. These communities are now facing the same pressures their more urban counterparts have over the last decade: aging facilities and owners who want to prepay their mortgages and convert the housing to market rate, displacing current residents. Preserving rural rental housing has become more and more urgent.
National Housing Trust’s May Preservation Newsletter

THE EVER-EXPANDING NEW YORK CITY COMMUTE
As housing prices continue to increase in the New York City metropolitan area, residents are moving farther and farther away to find affordable housing. May 22 2006 -- New York Times
Planetizen Newswire May 25

TWO FUTURES FOR LOS ANGELES' SKID ROW
Los Angeles has to choose between luxury condos or more homeless services for skid row. May 22 2006 -- Planetizen
Planetizen Newswire May 25

CHINA'S HOUSING HEADED FOR SERIOUS DEFLATION?
An astronomical vacancy rate and prices that are far from affordable have prompted government action. May 22 2006 -- Asia Times
Planetizen Newswire May 25

ANNOUNCEMENTS

JUNE 30 DEADLINE FOR NEIGHBORHOOD EXCELLENCE FUNDS
The Bank of America Charitable Foundation is accepting applications for its Neighborhood Excellence Initiative, which recognizes and rewards efforts to rebuild and revitalize communities in major markets nationwide. The Initiative is composed of three programs: The Neighborhood Builders program provides $200,000 in grant funding and leadership training to two neighborhood nonprofits promoting vibrant communities; The Local Heroes program awards $5,000 to five community leaders to support the eligible nonprofit of their choice; and The Student Leaders program sponsors high school leaders to participate in an eight-week paid internship with a community-based organization.
| KnowledgePlex May 3

'HOUSING HEROS' AWARD GOES TO WNDC FOR ITS 43 NEW AFFORDABLE CONDOS, OFFICE SPACE

Citizens Bank honors the Woonsocket Neighborhood Development Corporation (WNDC) with its 2006 Housing Heroes award, according to the Providence Journal. The annual Housing Heroes award, now in its second year, honors an innovative housing development — one that shows a creative use of financial resources and leadership in creating affordable housing. The prize includes a $50,000 grant from the Citizens Bank Foundation, $10,000 of which must be used for beautification purposes at the new development. WNDC, a Rhode Island NeighborWorks member, plans to put its $10,000 toward a community center at Heritage Park , which will include a computer lab and an after-school facility for children. Executive Director Joe Garlick said the organization will direct the rest of the money toward the goal of building 300 new units throughout Northern Rhode Island in the next five years.
NeighborWorks Alert May 4

GREEN COMMUNITIES™ GRANTS FROM ENTERPRISE NOW AVAILABLE
June 15, 2006 is the deadline for affordable housing developers to submit a request for proposal for a Green Communities™ grant from Enterprise Community Partners. Funding is available for planning expenses related to an integrated green design process, including any additional costs for architectural work, charrette, engineering, site surveys, analysis of energy use and environmental reviews. Funding for Enterprise ’s Green Communities grants comes from corporations and foundations, including the Home Depot Foundation, The Kresge Foundation, Citigroup Foundation and the Surdna Foundation. Grant funds may be used in ways that benefit an entire project, even if it includes some homes and apartments that are not affordable for low-income residents. The maximum grant amount is $50,000.
Enterprise Network News May 2006

ROUND SIXTEEN OF THE MAXWELL AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE, JUNE 30
The National Vacant Properties Campaign and the Fannie Mae Foundation for the Round Sixteen of the Maxwell Awards of Excellence. This year, the awards will recognize outstanding work of nonprofit organizations in developing affordable housing while reclaiming vacant properties. The Fannie Mae Foundation will award up to four grants of $50,000 each to projects showcasing excellence in the reclamation of vacant and abandoned properties in the production of affordable housing. The application deadline is June 30.
LISC eNewsletter May 15

NAHMA ANNOUNCES 2006 COMMUNITIES OF QUALITY AWARDS PROGRAM
The National Affordable Housing Management Association (NAHMA) has announced participation guidelines for its 2006 Communities of Quality Awards program, which recognizes outstanding property management companies providing the highest possible quality of safe, affordable multifamily rental housing in communities around the country.
NAHMANewsrelease May 17

STUDIES and RESOURCES RELEASED

GETTING AHEAD OF THE (HOUSING) CURVE:
The Funders' Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities has published the first in a series of four papers on interconnections between housing and other issues of concern to philanthropic organizations and the communities in which they work. "Getting Ahead of the (Housing) Curve: A Look at Emerging Housing Needs and Market Dynamics," by Arthur C. Nelson of the Metropolitan Institute at Virginia Tech, provides an overview of the housing market's unique features and emerging trends. Other papers in the series will examine the relationship between housing and regionalism, education, energy, and transportation. The series seeks to provide a context for funder work related to housing and smart growth.
KnowledgePlex May 3

EASING THE AFFORDABILITY CRUNCH: THE INCLUSIONARY HOUSING OPTION
The pressure on state and local government intensifies to provide affordable housing. Faced with this challenge, many local governments (at times with the help of the state) have turned to inclusionary housing. More than 200 local governments, including large cities, small cities, and suburbs, are making inclusionary housing strategies a central component of their efforts to meet community development needs.
NeighborWorks Alert May 4

NEW TOOLS CONNECT RESIDENTS TO SOCIAL SERVICES
Enterprise recently launched a comprehensive suite of tools to support and encourage resident services— connecting people living in affordable rental housing to the social services that can help lead them out of poverty to self sufficiency.
Enterprise Network News May 2006

STUDIES ASSESS IMPACT OF FAMILY SUPPORTIVE HOUSING
Two new reports from the Corporation for Supportive Housing show the effectiveness of family permanent supportive housing and how it can increase housing stability for families that have experienced long-term or multiple episodes of homelessness. Supportive Housing for Families Evaluation: Accomplishments and Lessons Learned evaluates three supportive housing programs in the San Francisco Bay area and two in Minnesota. Family Permanent Supportive Housing: Preliminary Research on Family Characteristics, Program Models and Outcomes summarizes the findings from three sets of program studies. It provides a cross-program analysis of factors that may lead to better outcomes.
Enterprise Network News May 2006

THE IMPACT OF HOUSING ON COMMUNITY:

http://www.jchs.harvard.edu/whatsnew/new_pubs.html
A Review of Scholarly Theories and Empirical Research, a new study by Alexander von Hoffman, Eric S. Belsky, and Kwan Lee, published by Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies, analyzes the ways in which housing markets shape initial neighborhood conditions and drive changes in these conditions over time. In addition, it examines the impact of housing markets on communities and individuals and considers the resulting public policy responses.
LISC eNewsletter May15

THE EDENS LOST AND FOUND SERIES:
A four-hour PBS series highlighting practical solutions to improve the environment and quality of life in cities, will premiere on May 18 (check your local listing). The centerpiece of a multimedia program and outreach initiative, this special broadcast will showcase extraordinary community activists as well as forward-thinking professionals and governmental officials who are transforming their urban environments in for major U.S. cities: Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Seattle.
LISC eNewsletter May15

PHILANTHROPY GUIDE COVERS HOMELESS HOUSING SOLUTIONS
The Bay Area Foundation Advisory Group to End Homelessness has published a guide of housing-related strategies that foundations can use to help end homelessness. According to the report, some foundations fear homeless housing programs are too expensive to tackle. However, foundations in the San Francisco area are making a difference through "productive, highly leveraged investments" in such programs. Foundations can support capacity building or invest directly in programs such as supportive housing, deeply affordable housing, transitional subsidies, and homelessness prevention. According to the guide, foundations can also aid the quest to end homelessness by supporting certain policy goals, such as housing-friendly land use policies and housing trust funds. The guide is the third in a series of publications on the role of philanthropy in ending homelessness in the Bay area. KnowledgePlex May 18

REPORT URGES GREATER FINANCIAL ACCESS FOR IMMIGRANTS
According to a new report from the Brookings Institution Metropolitan Policy Program, connecting today's immigrants to mainstream financial services can help ensure their success and benefit the communities in which they live. The report, "Financial Access for Immigrants: Lessons from Diverse Perspectives," begins with an analysis of why immigrant financial access is important and then presents new research on immigrants' financial practices. Subsequent chapters describe ways that mainstream financial institutions are reaching out to immigrant customers and discuss why and how community organizations are connecting immigrants to the financial mainstream. The report concludes with recommendations to further expand immigrants' financial access through such actions as expanding bank branches at schools and outreach through employers. KnowledgePlex May 18

EVENTS

NEIGHBORWORKS TRAINING INSTITUTE, KANSAS CITY , MISSOURI , JUNE 26-30
At this NTI we are offering almost 90 professional courses ranging from affordable housing to community development. Other courses include the Native American Community Development Training Program, Green Building and Healthy Homes, a new Resident Services course, and a Spanish-language version of our Homebuyer Education Methods: Training the Trainer course - Métodos de Educación para Compradores de Casa: Entrenando a los Instructores.
NeighborWorks Alert May 4

GREEN HOMES AND SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES:
The Future of Affordable Housing and Community Development
San Francisco July 13-14
Be a part of the first comprehensive national affordable housing and community development conference on the industry's critical role in promoting and implementing sustainable development. Learn how public policies at the state and local level are increasingly encouraging—and in some instances requiring—"green building" practices. Be aware of early signs of a market transformation, as public officials and policies recognize how green building practices can deliver significant health, environmental and financial benefits to lower income families and communities. This conference will prepare you to seize these opportunities.
Enterprise Network News May 2006