New Updates on The Edge

Message from PD&R Leadership:
Operation Breakthrough
In the leadership message, acting general deputy assistant secretary for PD&R Todd M. Richardson discusses Operation BREAKTHROUGH, a PD&R demonstration launched in 1969 that tested industrialized methods of housing production. Between 1971 and 1973, designated developers constructed 2,794 housing units on nine prototype sites as part of Operation BREAKTHROUGH, some of which still exist today. Richardson examines the lessons of the demonstration and quotes a 2008 review performed by the National Academy of Sciences.

Research:
Process Evaluation: HUD Section 811 Project Rental Assistance Program
A recently released report analyzes the experience of 12 state housing agencies in implementing a new housing assistance model for HUD's Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities program. "HUD Section 811 PRA Program: Process Evaluation" is the second report in a multi-phase evaluation designed to assess the implementation and effectiveness of this new model of housing assistance for extremely low-income, nonelderly adults with disabilities. The research article summarizes the evaluation's findings and describes the second phase, expected to be published in spring 2019.

In Practice:
Housing for Low and Extremely-Low Income Households Opens in Alameda
Stargell Commons, a 32-unit affordable housing development on the island of Alameda in California's San Francisco Bay, was completed in May 2017. The $17.4 million project is part of Alameda Landing, a brownfield redevelopment project constructed on a site that was once a U.S. naval base. Stargell Commons features many amenities including a community room with a full kitchen, a children's play area, and onsite tenant services provided by the nonprofit Operation Dignity. The developers of Alameda Landing benefited from a recent shift in policies, spurred by local advocacy, to reduce regulatory barriers to new development in Alameda.

Trending:
Introducing HUD's Innovative Building Technology Guide, An Interview with Michael Blanford
In the trending article, PD&R research engineer Michael Blanford answers questions about HUD's Innovative Building Technology Guide. The guide, published in October 2017, is intended to assist public housing agencies, building professionals, and consumers in their decisionmaking about building technologies. Blanford discusses important considerations for selecting new technologies, how new technologies can impact costs for builders, and more.

Please send your comments and suggestions to editor@huduser.gov.