Welcome to the June 2006 Newsletter from The Center For Innovation in Affordable Housing Design This month’s newsletter includes links to a number of design related articles, several articles about homelessness, a number of articles outlining innovative practices, and a few articles regarding setbacks to providing affordable housing in addition to many articles about 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 Tulane Architecture Students Help New Orleans Rebuild Pittsburgh Housing Authority Opens Musical Arts Center Kinston Lofts Earn National Recognition Building With a Mission: The Duty of Design Coping With The FEMA Trailer AHR Breaks Ground on Mixed-Use Development in Downtown Nashville Design Firms Tapped for Trailer Park   Developer Incentives and Inclusionary Zoning Articles about  Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., Mayor Says Affordable Housing Residents Should Work More 'Unprecedented' Zoning Ruling Favors Affordable Homes Group Seeks Refund for Affordable Housing Fees Florida Jurisdictions Watch Challenge to Tallahassee Law Affordable Housing Strategy Could Become Statewide Model New Financing Program Targets Rental-unit Builders East Hampton Housing Plan Excludes Illegals NAHB Urges States to Revise Property Taxes for Affordable Apartments Housing Advocates are Pleased by Tougher Rules on Condo Conversions Florida Enacts Workforce Housing Innovation Program Over 152,000 Affordable Apartments Preserved with LIHTCs Since 2003 Massachusetts Court Ruling Supports Affordable Housing Affordable Housing Bylaw Approved Articles about Broadening Affordability Concerns New York City Losing Affordable Housing Is There A Nationwide Gentrification 'Conspiracy'? The City's 'Affordable' Housing Crisis Restaurant Operators Struggle to Find Affordable Homes for Employees Did Landlords Force Out Tenants To Gentrify Apartments? Harvard Study Predicts Continued Affordability Problems Landlords Push Tenants Out to Gentrify Units, Suit Says 2006 State Of The Nation's Housing Urban Gentrification Typifies Growing Economic Polarization   Articles about Affordable Housing in New Orleans New Orleans Resumes Blighted House Sales Clamoring to Come Home to New Orleans Projects: AFL-CIO Plans To Invest $1 Billion in New Orleans Construction New Orleans to Reopen 1,000 Units by August, Demolish Others HUD Raises Rental Voucher Values; Activists Still Contend Housing Shortage Housing Aid Plan Challenged; Renters Neglected, Nonprofit Groups Say Homelessness Related Articles Cheaper To Provide Permanent Housing For Homeless People? Treatment and Housing Essential in State's Care of Mentally Ill Drive to End Homelessness Assesses "A Wonderful Start" IMBY: Neighborhood Organizes to Welcome Supportive Housing Project Mass. Veterans Get Advice, Assistance at Shelter `Stand Down' Many Helping Hands Give Homeless a Lift Group Presents Plan to House All Dallas Moves More Homeless People Off Streets Other Affordable Housing Related Articles Zoning Regulation Opens Doors Engineering Firm Looks for Urban Renewal Test Site Calistoga Wins Top Award for Self-help Home Building Program New $1.7 Million Pool for Affordable Housing in Macon Fort Wayne, Indiana, Web Site Links Volunteers to Neighbors in Need A Land Trust Formula Builds Infill Housing and Preserves the Neighborhood Community Land Trusts Ensure Continued Affordable Housing County Will Help Families Buy Homes with Rent-to-Own Program Philadelphia Charter School Rebuilds Lives, Homes ANNOUNCEMENTS Enterprise Resources: A Gold Mine for Community Developers Terner Prize for Successful and Innovative Affordable Housing Projects, September 18   STUDIES and RESOURCES RELEASED  Report Examines LIHTC Use for Supportive Housing Gulf Coast Report: Enterprise Analyzes FEMA Guidance on Rebuilding Guide Covers Cleaning Up Flooded Homes Paper Explores Neighborhoods' Influence on Well-Being of Families Report Addresses Ending Family Homelessness  Rural Supportive Housing Development Report   EVENTS 2006 Enterprise Network Conference, Oct. 25-27 Green Homes and Sustainable Communities Conference, July 13-14 Annual Conference on Ending Homelessness, July 17-19 ARTICLES Design Related Articles   Tulane Architecture Students Help New Orleans Rebuild Tulane University's School of Architecture hopes to use a redevelopment project targeting four New Orleans neighborhoods to kick-start a similar nationwide initiative, reported New Orleans CityBusiness. Thanks to a $300,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Tulane students will design five housing prototypes for each of the four neighborhoods participating in the URBANbuild project. The school will partner with a community organization in each area to build and sell one home. Tulane is also seeking to engage as many as 30 architecture schools in a consortium called CITYbuild, which would design and build a home in 60 neighborhoods nationally. KnowledgePlex June 1 Pittsburgh Housing Authority Opens Musical Arts Center A "first-of-its-kind" creative arts center has opened in a Pittsburgh public housing complex, reported the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Using $100,000 in federal "Moving to Work" demonstration funds, the Pittsburgh Housing Authority converted more than 2,100 square feet of basement space in the Northview Heights complex into the Creative Arts Corner. The center features state-of-the-art recording facilities, a control room, and a dance studio, offering residents the opportunity to make commercials, videos, and CDs and to dance, the article said. KnowledgePlex June 1 Kinston Lofts Earn National Recognition A restored Kinston, N.C., tobacco warehouse that was converted into lofts was named the nation's most outstanding affordable rural housing project by the Affordable Housing Tax Credit Coalition, reported The Free Press. The award recognizes Nantucket Lofts' education and tenant services programs as well as its downtown location and unique design, said the coalition's executive director. The development, which opened in February 2005, features such amenities as 14-foot ceilings, hardwood floors, and access to an indoor playground, computer room, and fitness facility, the article said. KnowledgePlex June 1 Building With a Mission: Charities find that good design benefits the people they serve: ...heightened interest in design and architecture comes at a time when an increasing number of people in those fields...are seeking ways to use their skills to benefit society. -- Association for Community Design; Enterprise Community Partners; Habitat for Humanity; Center for Health Design; Architecture for Humanity- The Chronicle of Philanthropy ArchNewsNow June 2 The Duty of Design Shigeru Ban has pioneered the art of designing housing for people in disaster zones- Vancouver Sun ArchNewsNow June 16 COPING WITH THE FEMA TRAILER Many of those who lost their homes in Hurricane Katrina or Rita struggle daily with the 240 square foot FEMA trailer. Jun 16 2006 -- New York Times Planetizen June 19 AHR Breaks Ground on Mixed-Use Development in Downtown Nashville Affordable Housing Resources of Nashville, Tennessee, recently held a groundbreaking on its 5th and Main mixed-use development, according to an article in The Tennessean. The development will feature 129 lofts, flats and townhomes along with 30,000 square feet of retail and commercial space — all within a clear view of the downtown Nashville skyline. NeighborWorks Alert June Design Firms Tapped for Trailer Park Habitat for Humanity officials in Charlottesville, Va., say their impending transformation of a trailer park into an affordable community could serve as a national model, reported the Richmond Times Dispatch. More than 400 architectural firms entered a contest to design apartments, condominiums, and commercial space for the 15-unit park, purchased by Habitat for $1 million last year. KnowledgePlex June 29 Articles about Developer Incentives and Inclusionary Zoning   Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., Mayor Says Affordable Housing Residents Should Work More Siding with developers, the mayor of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., is resisting pressure from Broward County to pass an inclusionary zoning law, reported the Los Angeles Times. The proposed law would require developers to either include affordable housing in their projects or pay a fee. Absent such a law, the city won't be allowed to construct thousands of new condominiums downtown, the county says. Developers want incentives written into the law, saying the increased costs incurred under the current version would raise housing prices overall. According to Mayor Jim Naugle, the proposed measure is "unfair" and "communistic." KnowledgePlex June 1   'Unprecedented' Zoning Ruling Favors Affordable Homes A  New Jersey judge has stripped the boroughs of Carlstadt and East Rutherford of their zoning powers, reported the Herald News. The decision stems from developer Tomu Corp.'s fight to build an 840-unit residential complex that would straddle both boroughs to add 60 affordable housing units to East Rutherford and 80 to Carlstadt. Currently, neither community has the number of affordable housing units as required by the state. KnowledgePlex June 1 Group Seeks Refund for Affordable Housing Fees In a victory for the San Diego County building industry, a Superior Court judge has thrown out the city of San Diego's 3-year-old inclusionary zoning law, reported The San Diego Union-Tribune. The ordinance required residential developers to reserve 10 percent of the units in their projects for low- and moderate-income households or pay a fee. According to the judge, the ordinance is unconstitutional because it doesn't provide an exemption clause to builders whose projects are unconnected to the city's affordable housing shortage. KnowledgePlex June 1 Florida Jurisdictions Watch Challenge to Tallahassee Law Jurisdictions across the state are keeping close watch on the Florida Home Builders Association's challenge of Tallahassee's mandatory inclusionary zoning ordinance, reported the Tampa Tribune. Under the ordinance, 10 percent of certain large homeownership developments and 15 percent of rental projects must be set aside for households falling within a city-mandated income target. The measure allows developers the option of paying a fee instead. The builders association sued in February, contending that the law is unconstitutional because it burdens a small group with the cost of handling an affordable housing shortage caused by the community at large. KnowledgePlex June 1 Affordable Housing Strategy Could Become Statewide Model Manatee County, Fla.'s success at using developer incentives to boost the number of proposed below-market housing units is attracting attention from other communities, reported the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. The county has defined two housing categories that qualify for builder incentives. Developments that include "work force housing" are eligible for expedited reviews and approvals, while lower-cost "affordable housing" qualifies for the streamlined permitting in addition to fee rebates and other incentives. KnowledgePlex June 1 New Financing Program Targets Rental-unit Builders The California Housing Finance Agency has launched a new program to fuel interest in affordable rental housing construction by providing developers with greater flexibility, agency officials told the San Jose Mercury News. In recent years, developer focus on converting rental homes to condominiums and building new condos has eroded rental stock. KnowledgePlex June 15 East Hampton Housing Plan Excludes Illegals Town board members in Long Island's East Hampton Town are backing plans to allow 100 homeowners to create accessory apartments that would rent from $900 to $1,100 a month, reported Newsday. The proposed program seeks to create lower-cost housing in a high-cost town, the article said. Protests from some Latinos prompted the board to remove from the draft proposal language requiring landlords and tenants to furnish identification documents. However, the board let stand a prohibition on renting the accessory apartments to undocumented immigrants. A Latino advocate criticized the plan, saying the town is rejecting the needs of undocumented workers who are central to the local economy. Employers should take responsibility for finding homes for undocumented workers, board members said. KnowledgePlex June 15 NAHB Urges States to Revise Property Taxes for Affordable Apartments The National Association of Home Builders is urging states to help preserve affordable rental housing by revising the way they assess property taxes on government-financed rental complexes, reported multi-housingnews.com. According to NAHB officials, property owners who financed their projects with Low Income House Tax Credits or other government subsidies face rent restrictions and income limitations that constrict their ability to raise rents to offset property tax increases. The association recommends that states require property appraisals of affordable projects to reflect restrictions on rental income. KnowledgePlex June 15 Housing Advocates are Pleased by Tougher Rules on Condo Conversions The San Diego City Council approved new regulations that will make it harder and, in some cases, more expensive to convert apartments into condominiums, reported The San Diego Union-Tribune. Under the new rules, developers must provide more off-street parking, include affordable housing in their projects, notify tenants earlier, and provide relocation assistance to all tenants. KnowledgePlex June 21 FLORIDA ENACTS WORKFORCE HOUSING INNOVATION PROGRAM http://www.planetizen.com/node/20185 The affordable housing crisis in Florida, arising from the state's booming real estate market, has pushed moderate income residents out of the housing market. Florida's legislature passed a bill in 2006 to create new programs addressing the problem. Jun 21 2006 -- Sun-Sentinel Planetizen June 22 Over 152,000 Affordable Apartments Preserved with LIHTCs Since 2003 The number of affordable apartments preserved each year through low-income housing tax credits (LIHTC) has increased by 180% in five years, from an estimated 20,000 units in 2000 to 56,870 units in 2005. National Housing Trust June Massachusetts Court Ruling Supports Affordable Housing A ruling by Massachusetts' highest court has "removed a key barrier for developers of affordable housing projects, particularly in the suburbs, where such development often faces strong opposition," reported The Boston Globe. In 2002, a developer proposed to build a residential building in which a quarter of the units would be set aside as affordable. The developer obtained a permit under the state's 40B law, which allows affordable housing developers to override most local zoning ordinances in municipalities comprised of less than 10 percent affordable housing stock. Homeowners near the proposed development challenged the permit, saying the project would lower their property values. The Supreme Judicial Court refused to grant the petitioners the standing to challenge the permit, stating 40B is intended to provide relief from exclusionary zoning practices that thwart the development of affordable housing, the court said. KnowledgePlex June 29 Affordable Housing Bylaw Approved Plainville, Mass. became one of the area's first communities to pass an affordable housing bylaw, the town planner told the The Boston Globe. Under the measure, at least 10 percent of the units in all new residential developments of eight or more units must be affordable. A builder criticized the bylaw for failing to help developers offset the cost through a density bonus, which would allow more units on a given piece of land. Supporters said the measure would help the town retain its current proportion of affordable housing to the overall housing stock. KnowledgePlex June 29 Articles about Broadening Affordability Concerns NEW YORK CITY LOSING AFFORDABLE HOUSING http://www.planetizen.com/node/19946 Two studies confirm that NYC is loosing its affordable housing stock at an increasingly rapid pace notwithstanding Mayor Blumberg's to both preserve existing stock and add substantially to it. Section 8 and Mitchell-Lama programs were studied. May 30 2006 -- The New York Times Planetizen June 1 IS THERE A NATIONWIDE GENTRIFICATION 'CONSPIRACY'? http://www.planetizen.com/node/20000 In New York City, big landlords are driving out thousands of low income residents. Juan Gonzales believes this may be a national trend and local governments are actively assisting in gentrification. Jun 05 2006 -- Democracy Now Planetizen June 8 The City's 'Affordable' Housing Crisis http://www.knowledgeplex.org/news/174233.html Amid a backdrop of reports citing New York City's accelerating affordable housing crunch, a number of agencies and developers are working to create more affordable units, according to an opinion article in The New York Sun. Reports by the city comptroller and the Community Service Society point to the widespread and ongoing conversion of rental properties from public subsidization to market rates. Separately, an Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now study reports that only 3 percent of the 5,934 housing units under construction in downtown Brooklyn and nearby areas are affordable to moderate-income residents. KnowledgePlex June 15 Restaurant Operators Struggle to Find Affordable Homes for Employees http://www.knowledgeplex.org/news/173740.html The nation's restaurateurs are increasingly challenged by a lack of affordable homes for their employees, a problem "that threatens business if left unaddressed," reported Nation's Restaurant News. Rental rates in resort communities and busy restaurant cities are outstripping the means of restaurant workers, which is producing "spatial mismatch," a trend some food service employers are seeking to correct. KnowledgePlex June 15 DID LANDLORDS FORCE OUT TENANTS TO GENTRIFY APARTMENTS? http://www.planetizen.com/node/20141 A lawsuit alleges that landlords harassed tenants and forced them out from rent-controlled buildings in gentrifying neighborhoods. Jun 15 2006 -- Los Angeles Times Planetizen June 19 Harvard Study Predicts Continued Affordability Problems According to a new report by the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University, the housing sector, though headed for a soft landing, will continue to experience affordability problems, reported MarketWatch. KnowledgePlex June 21 Landlords Push Tenants Out to Gentrify Units, Suit Says The Los Angeles city attorney's office has filed the latest in a series of lawsuits against landlords who are allegedly breaking the law as they try to gentrify their properties, reported to the Los Angeles Times. The most recent suit is against Landmark Equity Management and affiliated companies. It alleges the companies bought apartment complexes in rapidly gentrifying communities and then used tenant lockouts, utility shutoffs, and other intimidation tactics to force residents from their rent-controlled apartments in order to lease the units for more money. KnowledgePlex June 21 2006 STATE OF THE NATION'S HOUSING http://www.planetizen.com/node/20204 Affordability problems are escalating even as the housing market cools, according to a new report published by Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies. House prices will continue to appreciate in 2006. Jun 20 2006 -- Harvard University Planetizen June 22 URBAN GENTRIFICATION TYPIFIES GROWING ECONOMIC POLARIZATION http://www.planetizen.com/node/20251 A snapshot of urban gentrification in San Francisco shows what is happening throughout the U.S., according to a new Brookings Report. The middle class is not only losing ground, but entire neighborhoods, and the consequences are far-reaching. Jun 23 2006 -- San Francisco Chronicle Planetizen June 26 Articles about Affordable Housing in New Orleans New Orleans Resumes Blighted House Sales New Orleans is reopening a program that sells abandoned residential properties to private companies for redevelopment, reported the Times-Picayune. When it was launched in 2005, the Sale of Adjudicated/Abandoned Property (SOAP) program sought to raze thousands of decrepit structures in the city's most run-down neighborhoods and replace them with new single-family homes designed in classic New Orleans styles. KnowledgePlex June 1 Clamoring to Come Home to New Orleans Projects: Residents of public housing fear that officials who say the projects are not ready are really trying to redevelop them.- New York Times ArchNewsNow June 6 AFL-CIO Plans To Invest $1 Billion in New Orleans Construction In its "most ambitious funding project ever," the AFL-CIO will invest $1 billion in the development of 10,000 affordable homes and a hotel in New Orleans, reported USA TODAY. The funds will draw from the labor coalition's Housing Investment Trust, a 40-year-old program that invests worker pensions in affordable housing. Under the plan, the AFL-CIO will begin purchasing from the city 200 blighted or abandoned properties in Treme, a historic black neighborhood that was not severely damaged by Hurricane Katrina. KnowledgePlex June 21 New Orleans to Reopen 1,000 Units by August, Demolish Others Federal housing officials said they will reopen 1,000 public housing units in New Orleans by the end of the summer and tear down and replace four complexes within three years, the Times-Picayune reported. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development officials also said they would increase Section 8 housing subsidy vouchers from $670 to about $900 to help alleviate the pinch on low-income renters caused by the city's housing crisis. KnowledgePlex June 21 HUD Raises Rental Voucher Values; Activists Still Contend Housing Shortage Federal housing officials said they will seek to increase the number of New Orleans landlords willing to rent to Section 8 voucher holders by substantially increasing the value of the vouchers, reported the Times-Picayune. KnowledgePlex June 29 Housing Aid Plan Challenged; Renters Neglected, Nonprofit Groups Say Nonprofit advocacy groups have filed a complaint with HUD that Louisiana's housing recovery plan devotes insufficient resources to rebuilding rental housing, reported the Times-Picayune. Under the HUD-approved "The Road Home" plan, $6.3 billion of about $8 billion in Community Development Block Grants will go toward home rebuilding or relocation. Another $1.5 billion is targeted to rehabilitating damaged rental properties and supporting Low-Income Housing Tax Credit developments, which are expected to produce 25,000 apartments. KnowledgePlex June 29 Homelessness Related Articles CHEAPER TO PROVIDE PERMANENT HOUSING FOR HOMELESS PEOPLE? http://www.planetizen.com/node/20058 Many cities provide free permanent apartments first, then offer services and job training, to chronically homeless people. Eventually, formerly homeless people earn enough to afford the modest rents. Jun 08 2006 -- New York Times Planetizen June 12 Treatment and Housing Essential in State's Care of Mentally Ill California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has agreed to allocate money each year for building supportive housing for homeless people with mental illnesses. Proposition 63, a measure to expand mental health services, collects $750 million annually, of which 10 percent will be dedicated to fund the housing, said an editorial in the Fresno Bee. KnowledgePlex June 15 Drive to End Homelessness Assesses "A Wonderful Start" Since King County, Wash., launched its 10-year plan to end homelessness last year, government and private agencies have built or funded 1,300 new housing units and moved more than 900 people into permanent housing, reported The Seattle Times. KnowledgePlex June 21 IMBY: Neighborhood Organizes to Welcome Supportive Housing Project Some residents in Seattle's Rainier Valley are offering unprecedented support for a planned 60-unit apartment complex for mentally ill homeless people, the director of the Committee to End Homelessness in King County told The Seattle Times. By 2008, the Downtown Emergency Service Center expects to complete the four-story apartment building, which would provide treatment and counseling to residents. KnowledgePlex June 21 Mass. Veterans Get Advice, Assistance at Shelter `Stand Down' More than 200 struggling Massachusetts veterans, many homeless, received meals, haircut vouchers and other services at the Massachusetts Veterans Inc. Stand Down in Worcester last week, reported the Telegram & Gazette. Participants had a chance to learn about or sign up for services from a number of housing, legal services, education and employment, and counseling and medical organizations. KnowledgePlex June 29 Many Helping Hands Give Homeless a Lift The estimated 500 to 1,000 homeless people attending Project Homeless Connect in St. Paul, Minn., had access to free haircuts, health screenings, and representatives from more than 70 shelter, employment, and other social service providers, reported the Star Tribune. The program was modeled on a "one-stop shopping approach to helping the homeless" that was piloted in San Francisco in 2004. KnowledgePlex June 29 Group Presents Plan to House All Durham, N.C., has joined the roughly 200 jurisdictions nationwide with 10-year plans to end homelessness, reported The News & Observer. The plan, which was drafted by a broad-based committee of city, nonprofit, and civic representatives, has been formally adopted by the Durham City Council and Durham County commissioners, but awaits implementation funding approval. KnowledgePlex June 29 Dallas Moves More Homeless People Off Streets According to Dallas' "homeless czar," the city is on track to end chronic homelessness by 2014 but has much left to accomplish, reported The Dallas Morning News. The plan sets an annual production goal of 70 units of permanent supportive housing and 30 units of transitional housing. According to the Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance, the city has surpassed its goals, creating 290 units with 372 beds in the last two years. KnowledgePlex June 29 Other Affordable Housing Related Articles Zoning Regulation Opens Doors Bridgeport, Connecticut's first-ever adaptive reuse regulation could open up more than 2 million square feet of unused industrial space for housing or other uses, reported Connecticut Post Online. The new regulation allows developers to apply for a special permit to convert an industrial building to another use that is "compatible with [other] existing and permitted" uses in the zone, the article said. KnowledgePlex June 1 Engineering Firm Looks for Urban Renewal Test Site A Fortune 100 company plans to test a "shock and awe" economic development strategy in Milwaukee before potentially taking it to the country's 50 major urban centers, reported the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Under its MetroMarkets program, engineering company Johnson Controls Inc. will select at least one area of roughly 10 square blocks in which to coordinate investment. KnowledgePlex June 1 Calistoga Wins Top Award for Self-help Home Building Program A public-private effort to create more affordable housing in the pricey resort town of Calistoga, Calif., has won an award from the League of California Cities, reported Nation's Cities Weekly. Many hotel, retail, and wine industry workers in the town earn less than 80 percent of the median income and can't afford to own or rent there, the article said. With $540,000 from the city and funds from other sources, Calistoga Affordable Housing and the Burbank Housing Development Corp. developed Saratoga Manor, a community of 18 affordable homes built under a self-help model. KnowledgePlex June 15 New $1.7 Million Pool for Affordable Housing in Macon The Macon, Ga., Housing Authority has launched a $1.7 million affordable housing trust fund, reported The Macon Telegraph. The fund will make loans, grants, and investments in local housing projects. To endow the fund, the authority pooled monies from several non-federal sources, including fees and profits from some of its own housing programs, said the authority's executive director. KnowledgePlex June 15 Fort Wayne, Indiana, Web Site Links Volunteers to Neighbors in Need On third Saturday of every month, dozens of Fort Wayne, Indiana, residents show up at 9 a.m. to devote three hours of their time to help a neighbor. A community-based Web site called NeighborLink Fort Wayne http://www.nlfw.org makes the connections between people in need and hundreds of people willing to assist them. Although recent trends show that the fastest growth in Internet usage is among social networking sites, NeighborLink's brand of connection has little in common with such popular sites as MySpace, Blogger, or Facebook. In fact, the Fort Wayne site appears to be one of the first in the nation to connect local volunteers to people needing help. NeighborWorks Alert June A Land Trust Formula Builds Infill Housing and Preserves the Neighborhood As gentrification transforms one of Albuquerque, N.M.'s oldest neighborhoods, a development being built on community-owned land is helping to preserve affordable homes for longtime, low-income residents, reported the Albuquerque Journal. The Sawmill Community Land Trust is kicking off the second phase of a multiyear plan to construct a mix of affordable housing types and retail on 27 acres of formerly industrial land. KnowledgePlex June 21 Community Land Trusts Ensure Continued Affordable Housing "Community land trusts are gaining momentum as housing costs continue to climb," according to an opinion article in the Rocky Mountain News. Land trusts offer first-time buyers an opportunity to build some equity but, by limiting that equity, ensure that the homes remain affordable to future buyers, wrote Aaron Miripol, executive director for Thistle Community Housing in Boulder, Colo. Thistle manages the largest community land trust west of the Mississippi, with more than 300 permanently affordable homes built or under construction, said the article. KnowledgePlex June 21 County Will Help Families Buy Homes with Rent-to-Own Program Anne Arundel County, Md., is launching a rent-to-own program to get as many as 200 county families into their first homes, reported The Maryland Gazette. Modeled after similar initiatives in California, Georgia, and Texas, the program is targeting families earning 80 to 140 percent of the area median income. KnowledgePlex June 29 Philadelphia Charter School Rebuilds Lives, Homes In Philadelphia, a charter school affiliated with the national YouthBuild USA program for out-of-school youth is helping high school dropouts earn their diplomas while gaining trade skills, according to a column in the Philadelphia Daily News. The home building, computer repair, or certified nursing skills obtained by students at the YouthBuild Philadelphia Charter School help them earn a living after graduation, the article said. KnowledgePlex June 29 ANNOUNCEMENTS Enterprise Resources: A Gold Mine for Community Developers The Enterprise Practitioners Resource is packed with useful information, tools and resources -- and it's free! This section of the Enterprise website features tools such as the Enterprise Resource Database that includes hands-on, how-to documents and in-depth expertise about the community development field. Additional tools and resources available: Enterprise MoneyNet™,  Workforce Support System,  Housing Developer Pro Version 2,  Child Care Library,  publications and technical assistance. Enterprise NetworkNews June 8 Terner Prize for Successful and Innovative Affordable Housing Projects, September 18 "Recognizing successful and innovative affordable housing projects and their leadership teams, the Terner Prize is being inaugurated to commemorate Don Terner on the tenth anniversary of his death. One $25,000 prize will be awarded biennially to the affordable housing project and leadership team that best exemplifies the spirit of Don Terner's work, commitment to affordable housing, and practice principles. In addition, five finalist teams will be awarded leadership stipends of $5,000. NeighborWorks Alert June STUDIES and RESOURCES RELEASED   Report Examines LIHTC Use for Supportive Housing The Supportive Housing Investment Partnership, a collaboration between Enterprise Community Partners and the Corporation for Supportive Housing, has published a report on states that encourage supportive housing in their allocation plans for Low-Income Housing Tax Credits. Communities nationwide have identified expanding the supply of supportive housing as critical to their efforts to end homelessness. The LIHTC program is a major source of financing for supportive housing development. The report identifies a variety of innovative housing credit policies, including credit set-asides, scoring incentives, and threshold requirements, under which only supportive housing projects that meet minimum requirements receive support. KnowledgePlex June 1 Gulf Coast Report: Enterprise Analyzes FEMA Guidance on Rebuilding The Federal Emergency Management Agency's guidelines could drive up rebuilding costs in New Orleans and put renovations out of reach for some. Enterprise discusses and analyzes these guidelines in the latest issue of the Gulf Coast Report. The issue also features updates on supplemental federal funding, large-scale housing production and the Healthy Homes demonstration. Enterprise NetworkNews June 8 Guide Covers Cleaning Up Flooded Homes The National Center for Healthy Housing and Enterprise Community Partners have published an instructional guide for cleaning flood-damaged homes. The manual documents a protocol tested on four homes in New Orleans by the two organizations in partnership with NeighborWorks® America and Neighborhood Housing Services of New Orleans. A press release from Enterprise cites a home that experienced at least five feet of standing water for at least two weeks. The protocol reduced the mold to non-detectable levels. Once the mold is treated in this way, the flooded areas of a home can be renovated, the release said. Most mildly to moderately damaged structures can be decontaminated for about $3 to $4 a square foot, according to the release. The guide targets do-it-yourselfers and contractors who need to remove mold before rebuilding or renovating. KnowledgePlex June 15 Paper Explores Neighborhoods' Influence on Well-Being of Families Authors Margery Austin Turner and Deborah R. Kaye of the Urban Institute use the latest data from the National Survey of America's Families (NSAF) to explore variations across types of neighborhood environments in the well-being of families and children. NeighborWorks Alert June Report Addresses Ending Family Homelessness A new report from the National Alliance to End Homelessness and Freddie Mac says some communities are making progress in decreasing homelessness among families. The report, "Promising Strategies to End Family Homelessness," features prevention and intervention efforts under way in Columbus, Ohio; Hennepin County, Minn.; Massachusetts; New York; and Washington, D.C. The five common strategies pursued by communities showing progress are targeting assistance to at-risk families; helping families quickly access and then sustain housing; helping families pay for housing; targeting services to meet each family's needs; and tracking data for use in planning. KnowledgePlex June 29   Rural Supportive Housing Development Report A new report from the Housing Assistance Council examines how rural organizations are developing affordable housing with supportive services to meet their communities' special-needs populations. The report, "Formulas for Success: Housing Plus Services in Rural Areas," describes case studies of five groups: seniors, homeless people, victims of domestic violence, people recovering from substance abuse, and people with mental health problems or disabilities. The case studies emphasize essential components and methods to implement successful housing plus services projects in rural America. A funding and information resources guide is also included. KnowledgePlex June 29     EVENTS 2006 Enterprise Network Conference, Oct. 25-27 Don’t miss an opportunity to network with 1,200 community development professionals at the 2006 Enterprise Network Conference, Oct. 25-27, in Los Angeles . Invited guest speakers include L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. The conference also features “hot topic” workshops, increased networking opportunities, plus mobile tours of affordable housing developments throughout the city. Enterprise NetworkNews June 8 Green Homes and Sustainable Communities Conference, July 13-14 The Institute for Professional and Executive Development and Enterprise will host a conference on the impact of green building trends on community development July 13-14 in San Francisco . In his lunchtime address on the first day of the conference, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, or a key staff member, will describe the city's program requiring all affordable housing developments to meet sustainability standards. Developers participating in a roundtable discussion will share advice for first-time green builders and insights on green building costs and benefits. Other conference sessions will address such topics as the nuts and bolts of sustainable community development strategy; demystifying the elements of green design; investor and lender perspectives; methods in which state housing credit programs are going green; and additional resources for sustainable development. KnowledgePlex June 15 Annual Conference on Ending Homelessness, July 17-19 The National Alliance to End Homelessness will host its annual conference July 17-19 in Washington, D.C. The conference will span topics from crucial elements of community plans to end homelessness to guidance on dealing with common implementation problems. Sessions will cover the housing of families with substance abuse challenges; designing state and local housing subsidy programs; using Medicaid to help end homelessness; funding for supportive housing development; and working with public housing authorities. KnowledgePlex June 15 __________________________________________________________________________ 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.