New Updates on The Edge

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Message from PD&R Leadership:
HUD Advances Opportunity and Fair Housing for Low-Income Renters With Small Difficult Development Areas
In November, HUD published its annual notice designating Difficult Development Areas (DDAs) and Qualified Census Tracts (QCTs) for the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Economic Affairs Kurt Usowski describes how HUD’s move from designating DDAs at the metropolitan level in previous years to designating them at the ZIP Code level in the most recent release will better target incentives for LIHTC development in higher-opportunity areas.

In Practice:
Zero Net Energy Affordable Housing: Home for Agricultural Workers in Woodland, California
Mutual Housing at Spring Lake (MHSL), a 62-unit development, is helping to meet goals for increases in energy-efficient residential development and affordable agricultural workforce housing in Woodland, California. The development produces as much energy as it consumes each year, reducing utility costs and rental rates for local farmworkers and their families. This achievement has helped MHSL earn the U.S. Department of Energy’s Zero Energy Ready Home certification.

Trending:
Linking National Health Surveys and HUD Administrative Data, An Interview with Jon Sperling & Veronica Helms
Although homes and neighborhoods can greatly affect individual and population health, until recently, data have not been available to offer nationally representative estimates of health indicators among HUD-assisted households. In January, PD&R and the National Center for Health Statistics announced the availability of a data set that matches 13 years of HUD administrative data with data from two national health surveys to provide a better picture of the HUD- assisted population.

Policy Update:
Partnerships and Planning for Impact
Many communities experience challenges that transcend local jurisdictional boundaries, such as insufficient affordable housing, inadequate transportation, climate change, and the threat of natural disasters. Regional planning aims to facilitate collaboration among local governments and foster cross-sector approaches to these regional challenges, creating a foundation to pursue more equitable economic growth and sustainable development that improves opportunities and outcomes for current and future generations alike.