New Updates on The Edge

Message from PD&R Leadership:
Health, Housing, and Data Matching
HUD and the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) recently collaborated to form a linkage between HUD's administrative data and two long-running NCHS health surveys. In the leadership message, Todd Richardson, acting general deputy assistant secretary for PD&R, describes the recent Vital and Health Statistics Series 1 report that discusses the interagency collaboration. The report summarizes data sources, methods used for the linkage, details of the resulting linked data files, linkage rates, and analytic considerations for using the linked data.

In Practice:
Nonprofit Develops Affordable Housing for Low-Income Seniors and Special Needs Individuals in Albuquerque
In August 2016, the Greater Albuquerque Housing Partnership opened CUATRO, a three-building, 56-unit affordable housing development in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The development serves low-income individuals over age 55 and those with special needs, and helps address the city's high demand for senior housing. Located on the North Fourth Street corridor, CUATRO includes several pedestrian-friendly design details to enhance walkability and transit access, such as new wide sidewalks and a new transit shelter for the adjacent bus stop.

Research:
The Role of Downpayment as a Mortgage Risk Deterrent
A newly published HUD report used a database of more than 19 million loans originated between 2000 and 2012 to measure the extent to which differing downpayment amounts reduce the risk of mortgage default. The research article summarizes the methodology and findings of the study, which quantified the impact of downpayment on delinquency and default and discussed the tradeoff between downpayments and other loan characteristics.

Trending:
Global Cities and Affordable Housing: Berlin
The third article in a series on affordable housing in global cities discusses Berlin, the capital of Germany and the European Union's second most populous city. Berlin's housing market reflects Germany's strong preference for renting over owning, with 85 percent of the population renting. In 2015, the Berlin Senate passed a rule that limited private landlords' ability to raise rents and established a 10-year plan for obtaining more public housing. The government is also pursuing other methods to promote housing affordability, including the exploration of alternative grassroots models like cohousing.

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