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Secretary Castro at Habitat III; funding available for research partnerships

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December 1, 2016  
Partnering across borders and sectors

HUD's Office for International and Philanthropic Innovation (IPI) recently returned from Habitat III, the United Nations' Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development and the last major UN conference of the Obama Administration. This event – that happens once every twenty years – was an inspiring and thought-provoking experience, where more than 30,000 people gathered in Quito, Ecuador on October 17th-20th, 2016, filled with enthusiasm for taking action to improve our cities and communities.

HUD organized an official side event: Equity & Inclusion: A Mayor and Minister Discussion of National to Local Policies to Combat Inequality and Achieve Opportunity for All. In this session, Secretary Castro, led a roundtable discussion focused on ways in which we can achieve inclusive growth and opportunity in our communities. By speaking to lessons of national-subnational coordination and actionable solutions for cities, the participants focused on ways to activate and implement the New Urban Agenda.

In the U.S., we know that this work is already moving forward, but much also remains to be done. We at HUD are continuing to push an inclusive approach that will draw upon the Habitat III Conference experience and further develop the partnerships we created and strengthened during the Habitat III process. We look forward to continuing to engage with all of you in the important work of strengthening our communities – and to rely on our collective roles, strengths, and perspectives in tackling these challenging issues.
The Latest from IPI

SECRETARY CASTRO AT HABITAT III | Watch Secretary's Castro's address during the Plenary Session at Habitat III in Ecuador.  
 
FUNDING FOR RESEARCH PARTNERSHIPS | Have an idea for a research proposal that aligns with HUD's Research Roadmap? Approximately $1 million is available for unsolicited research partnerships with universities, philanthropic organizations, and other federal or state agencies through noncompetitive cooperative agreements. Proposals may be submitted at any time and will be evaluated as they are received. 
 
PROSPERITY PLAYBOOK TOOLKIT | In partnership with the National League of Cities, the American Planning Association, Enterprise Community Partners, and the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, HUD launched the Prosperity Playbook Toolkit. This website features a growing collection of case studies and other resources that highlight the work being done across the country on promoting economic mobility and expanding access to affordable housing.
 
PHILANTHROPIC PARTNERSHIPS | Read an interview with HUD's Natalie Robles to learn more about best practices for government and philanthropy partnering together. Natalie Robles, a communications specialist in the Office of Economic Resilience, led the creation of Scaling Solutions, a playbook for activating cross-sector partnerships and improving collaboration within place-based initiatives.
 
HOMEOWNERSHIP IN GERMANY | For most Germans, renting a home is nothing unusual. Germany has developed an affordable, well-functioning rental market and a longstanding reputation as a nation of renters. In the latest issue of Cityscape, Alexander Reisenbichler of George Washington University provides insights into why Germany eliminated large-scale subsidies for homeowners and how that experience compares to the United States.
 
INTERNATIONAL HOUSING POLICIES | Also in the latest Cityscape, Christian A.L. Hilber and Olivier Schöni of the London School of Economics provide a comparative analysis of the housing market and current housing policies in the United States, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
 
Other News at HUD - In Case You Missed It 

INTER-AGENCY COOPERATION: President Obama established a Council on Community Solutions that creates a structure for Federal agencies to continue improving coordination across government and strengthening cross-sector partnerships. The Council will support federal agencies taking a "bottom up" approach, working closely with local partners to maximize federal resources and tailor solutions to the needs of their community.
 
FAMILY HOMELESSNESS: HUD released the results of an exhaustive study to identify the most efficient and cost-effective ways to house and serve families experiencing homelessness. After tracking more than 2,200 families over a three-year period, HUD found that a long-term subsidy, typically a Housing Choice Voucher, led to far better outcomes for reducing family homelessness and improving family well-being.
 
HOUSING CHOICE: In some metropolitan areas of the country, families who depend upon the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program have limited choices about where they can find suitable affordable rental housing. HUD finalized a new method to establish the Fair Market Rents (FMRs) upon which rental subsidies are based in a manner that would expand neighborhood options for households living in particularly challenging housing markets.
 
HOMELESSNESS: Homelessness continues to decline in the U.S, specifically among families with children, Veterans, and individuals with long-term disabling conditions according to the latest national estimate by HUD.
 
FOOD INSECURITY: For the first time in its 42-year history, the American Housing Survey included questions on food security status, which allowed HUD to assign households a "food security status" score. Using these categories, about 10.5 million occupied households were classified as having "low" or "very low" food security, which is commonly known as being "food insecure."
 

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