| The Center
for Innovation in Affordable Housing Design, is a partnership
between Penn Design
and the Peoples Emergency Center Community Development Corporation
(PECCDC). Dedicated to developing
new models of affordable housing, the Center combines an innovative
real-world development approach with housing designs produced in the
academic studio. Together, the partnership will offer tomorrow's planners
and architects the opportunity for first hand experience in design
and community development process while helping the West Powelton
community served by PECCDC accomplish sustained and equitable development. 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. This newsletter is directed toward students, educators, affordable housing developers, designers and anyone with an interest in affordable housing. There are two components to the newsletter. We will have news from the ongoing COPC Future’s programs, including our own work in West Philadelphia. Secondly, the newsletter will include articles that we feel are pertinent to our audience. These articles are pulled from several sources, and the sources are listed with each article. We encourage you to look at these other newsletters and the additional information hosted on their home sites. This month’s newsletter is largely pulled from the newsletters of ArchNewsNow, KnowledgePlex, and Planetizen. If you know of other sources to add to the digest, have comments on the format, or have comments on the project please feel free to contact us at copc@design.upenn.edu . Also feel free to pass this newsletter along to anyone who might find it interesting. We look forward to any comments you have. The Editors Summary Articiles Brooklyn's Identity Crisis Las Vegas Glitz Dulled By Growing Pain Sat Scores And Home Value: An Internet Match Rent Caps Divide College Town Condo Conversions Help Boost Affordable Housing Stock Zoning, Housing Policies Spur Legal Challenges Mixed-Income Projects Don't Affect Home Values, Study Says Affordable Housing Myths Priming The Market To Bring Back The Neighborhood California Communities Promote Affordable Housing Harnessing The Power Of Gentrification American Indian Housing Project Will Link Tribal, Academic Communities Student Project Helps Revitalize Neighborhood: Brooklyn Developer Delivers On Affordable Housing Allentown, Pa., Hits Jackpot With Grant For Housing Why We Neglect Historic Preservation In Low-Income Neighborhoods Greenwich Village Gentrifies Vision For A Progressive 'Ownership Society' Denver's New Plan: House All The Homeless Homes That Age Gracefully: Making Walls Work For You, Shaping Your Development With Design Studies Released New Affordable Housing Studies Calls For Entries First John M. Clancy Award For Socially Responsible Housing; ARTICLES BROOKLYN'S IDENTITY CRISIS The borough, which 'once epitomized working class America,' faces intense gentrification. Apr 29 -- Village Voice from Planetizen May 02, 2005 LAS VEGAS GLITZ DULLED BY GROWING PAIN As the city opens the world's most expensive casino, residents worry about lack of housing, bad traffic, smog, and crime. Apr 29 -- Christian Science Monitor from Planetizen May 02, 2005 SAT SCORES AND HOME VALUE: AN INTERNET MATCH More school district scores are available on line, and families with means are using it to decide where to live. Apr 29 -- Christian Science Monitor from Planetizen May 02, 2005 RENT CAPS DIVIDE COLLEGE TOWN It's landlords versus students and townies as College Park draws the line on rent increases. May 01 -- Diamondback Online from Planetizen May 02, 2005 CONDO CONVERSIONS HELP BOOST AFFORDABLE HOUSING STOCK In Worcester, Mass., "a growing number of investors are helping to meet the regional demand for affordable housing by converting aging multifamily homes into condominiums," reported The Boston Globe. May 24 -- The Boston Globe from KnowledgePlex May 03, 2005 ZONING, HOUSING POLICIES SPUR LEGAL CHALLENGES A coalition of minority groups, landowners, and individuals is suing Summit County, Utah, over allegedly discriminatory zoning practices, reported the Deseret Morning News. May 26, 2005 -- Desert Morning News from KnowledgePlex May 03, 2005 MIXED-INCOME PROJECTS DON'T AFFECT HOME VALUES, STUDY SAYS According to a new study by the Center for Real Estate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, mixed-income housing developments have no impact on the value of homes nearby, reported The Boston Globe. May 27, 2005 -- The Boston Globe from KnowledgePlex May 03, 2005 AFFORDABLE HOUSING MYTHS Julie Bornstein offers insight into the myths and truths about affordable housing. May 06 -- Milwaukee Journal Sentinel from Planetizen May 9, 2005 PRIMING THE MARKET TO BRING BACK THE NEIGHBORHOOD Cities and neighborhoods in decline should consider adopting strategies that will change their housing markets for the better, and at the same time preserve affordability. May 05 -- Shelterforce Online from Planetizen May 9, 2005 CALIFORNIA COMMUNITIES PROMOTE AFFORDABLE HOUSING Glendale, Calif., is a leader in developing affordable housing projects in the Southland region, reported The Daily News of Los Angeles. from KnowledgePlex May 11, 2005 HARNESSING THE POWER OF GENTRIFICATION Washington D.C.'s New Communities program sells market rate housing to help subsidize adjacent low-income homes, but do the city's poor really benefit? May 18 -- Washington Post from Planetizen May 19, 2005 AMERICAN INDIAN HOUSING PROJECT WILL LINK tribal, academic communities ...a building made of straw bales and stucco...equally an exercise in green construction...cultural partnership and immersion experience for undergraduate students.- University of Wisconsin/Madison from ArchNewsNow May 19, 2005 STUDENT PROJECT HELPS REVITALIZE NEIGHBORHOOD: Studio 804/School of Architecture and Urban Design at The University of Kansas, Lawrence...provide an architectural home, at an affordable price... [image]- Kansas City Kansan from ArchNewsNow May 24, 2005 BROOKLYN DEVELOPER DELIVERS ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING New York City officials and New Jersey Nets owner Bruce Ratner have reached a deal to include more than 2,000 units of affordable housing in the proposed $2.5 billion redevelopment of Brooklyn's Atlantic Yards neighborhood, reported The New York Sun. from KnowledgePlex May 25, 2005 ALLENTOWN, PA., HITS JACKPOT WITH GRANT FOR HOUSING The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded $20 million to the Allentown, Pa., Housing Authority to help rebuild "two of the nation's oldest public housing complexes," reported the Morning Call. from KnowledgePlex May 25, 2005 WHY WE NEGLECT HISTORIC PRESERVATION in low-income neighborhoods Historic preservation and urban revitalization may seem perfect pairs, but the two rarely meet as often as they should. May 23 -- Philadelphia City Paper from Planetizen May 26, 2005 GREENWICH VILLAGE GENTRIFIES A park redesign symbolizes Greenwhich Village's bohemian past andgentrified future. May 24 -- Los Angeles Times from Planetizen May 26, 2005 VISION FOR A PROGRESSIVE 'OWNERSHIP SOCIETY' Communities and cities can benefit from a more communal and equitable approach to "ownership", argues Gar Alperovitz, one that embraces cooperatives, land trusts and non-profit neighborhood corporations. May 24 -- Tom Paine - Common Sense from Planetizen May 26, 2005 DENVER'S NEW PLAN: HOUSE ALL THE HOMELESS The 10-year plan would call for building of over 3,000 transitional homes, as well as social services. May 25 -- Denver Post from Planetizen May 26, 2005 HOMES THAT AGE GRACEFULLY: The challenge, architects say, is meeting the needs of a graying population... The realities of growing elderly surfaced repeatedly at the AIA national convention -- Safdie Rabines Architects; David Salmela; Dulcie Horwitz; Stephen A. Kliment; Duo Dickinson; etc.- Los Angeles Times from ArchNewsNow May 26, 2005 MAKING WALLS WORK FOR YOU, SHAPING YOUR DEVELOPMENT WITH DESIGN You will be amazed what you can do with walls. They are much more than just the surfaces that hold up the roof and keep the weather out. They are most of what you see when you look at a building, and the character of your walls is in large part what people will remember as the character of your building. from designadvisor.org STUDIES RELEASED NEW AFFORDABLE HOUSING STUDIES "The Housing Landscape for America's Working Families 2005" and "Something's Gotta Give: Working Families and the Cost of Housing"- Center for Housing Policy from ArchNewsNow May 05, 2005 CALLS FOR ENTRIES FIRST JOHN M. CLANCY AWARD FOR SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE HOUSING; deadline: June 13 Boston Society of Architects/AIA from ArchNewsNow May 11, 2005 |