New Updates on The Edge -10/21/2014

New on The Edge

Message from PD&R Leadership:
Understanding the Real Meaning of Data
Housing data often only provides part of the story and requires knowledge of the data's context to make it useful. To get a better sense of what's "behind" tribal housing data and understand the hardships faced by residents of tribal public housing, Todd Richardson, Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy Development, recently visited over two dozen tribal communities in South Dakota. Tribal public housing, he observed, must overcome problems with inadequate infrastructure, a patchwork of land ownership, and high unemployment and poverty rates.

Trending:
Demystifying LIHTC: An Interview with Mike Hollar
The federal Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program provides tax incentives to developers of low-income housing. Mike Hollar, Senior Economist in PD&R's Economic Development and Public Finance Division, discusses the history, current use, and future of the program, which in recent years has become the primary federal vehicle for low-income housing production.

In Practice:
Rent-to-Own Program Rehabilitates Abandoned and Foreclosed Properties
Addressing the dual need of community revitalization and affordable housing, two organizations in Milwaukee, Wisconsin have partnered to develop a rent-to-own program that rehabilitates foreclosed properties. The program will help 24 low-income households achieve homeownership after a 15-year tenancy by providing a downpayment credit and home buying classes. The previously blighted properties are also stimulating new private development in the Near South Side of Milwaukee.

Policy Update:
Expanding Opportunity Through Fair Housing Choice
Fair housing remains critical to the pursuit of sustainable and inclusive communities, yet housing discrimination continues to undermine efforts to support equal opportunity for all. Renewed efforts at both the local and federal levels are promoting fair housing choice with the ultimate goal of reducing economic inequality by ensuring equal opportunity.

Spotlight on PD&R Data:
U.S. Housing Market Conditions
PD&R's U.S. Housing Market Conditions (USHMC) website contains national, regional, state, metropolitan, and local data and analysis in one location. Featured USHMC charts highlight monthly and annual existing homes sales data for the nation and by region.