New Updates on The Edge

Featured Story

Message from PD&R Leadership:
Over-Income Households: Who Really Pays?
On July 21, 2015, HUD's Office of the Inspector General (IG) issued a report that showed the number of households living in public housing who have remained in their units even after an increase in income caused them to exceed HUD's low-income limit. Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy Development Todd Richardson discusses who these over-income tenants are and the costs and benefits of moving over-income families out of public housing.

Research
Learning to Prevent Homelessness on a Large Scale
The Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program was authorized under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to provide financial assistance and supportive services to those who were homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. Funding was allocated to 535 grantees nationwide, including cities, counties, states, and territories. HUD recently released a report, the Homelessness Prevention Study: Prevention Programs Funded by the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program, which examines how grantees designed their homelessness prevention programs and how the programs worked in practice.

In Practice:
City of Burlington, Vermont Supports Efforts to Preserve Affordable Housing
A partnership supported by the city of Burlington between nonprofit Housing Vermont and the Burlington Housing Authority has resulted in the rehabilitation of Bobbin Mill Apartments, an affordable housing property with two deteriorating buildings that were in danger of being sold to make way for other uses. The rehabilitated development offers 17 one-bedroom, 23 two-bedroom, and 11 three-bedroom affordable units for individuals earning up to 50 percent of the area median income.

Trending
Designing HUD's Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program Part 1, An Interview with Ann Marie Oliva
In the first part of an in-depth Q & A, Ann Marie Oliva, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Special Needs at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, discusses efforts involved in the development and implementation of the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program and her view of the program as an opportunity to stem the tide of homelessness and give a significant infusion of new resources to communities that had gone a long time without any.

Spotlight on PD&R Data:
Spotlight on Housing Starts
The latest Spotlight on PD&R's data from the U.S. Housing Market Conditions portal focuses on single- and multifamily housing starts, showing how the data vary across regions and how they compare to national trends.

Policy Update:
Who Counts? Identifying Native American Populations
Obstacles to obtaining accurate data for American Indian and Alaska Native populations, such as logistical and cultural barriers, can impact the financial aid distributed to tribes by HUD and hinder the development of evidence-based policy. Improving access to accurate data on these communities, e.g., through partnerships between external investigators and tribal communities, is essential to better understanding their needs.