PD&R Edge Elist 04/10/2013

New on The Edge

Message from PD&R Senior Leadership:
PD&R’s Upcoming Research on Combating Homelessness Part 1
What role does research play in shaping HUD policies and programs? Mark Shroder, Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary for Research, Evaluation, and Monitoring discusses HUD’s work to combat homelessness and current research efforts designed to inform these efforts.

Research:
Interventions Offer Approaches To Tackling Homelessness
HUD’s Family Option Study is the largest effort to date to learn about the effects of housing and services interventions on homeless families through an experimental design. The interim report details the baseline characteristics of families enrolled in the study and the various interventions that will be evaluated.

In Practice:
North Dakota Funds Affordable Rental Housing During the Oil Boom
With funding support from the state’s Housing Incentive Fund and the Law Enforcement Pilot Program, the Patterson Heights apartments in Dickinson are providing much needed affordable housing in one of North Dakota’s boomtowns.

Statistical Reports:
Housing Scorecard: March 2013
The March 2013 scorecard shows continued progress for the housing market in many key indicators with home prices showing strong annual gains and new and existing home sales continuing on their upward trajectory. In 2012, homeowner equity grew by $1.64 trillion and rising home prices lifted 1.7 million homeowners out of negative equity positions. The Administration’s programs continue to encourage improved standards in the industry; through December 2012, HOPE Now lenders have offered nearly 3.5 million proprietary mortgage modifications to families and individuals.

Policy Update:
Individual Development Accounts: A Vehicle for Low-Income Asset Building and Homeownership
The ability to build wealth remains a challenge for many low-income families. However, the emergence of individual development accounts presents a promising tool for asset building and social mobility.