New Updates on The Edge - 04/22/2015

New on The Edge

Message from PD&R Leadership:
Perspectives on the Opportunity of Expanding Housing Affordability
Approximately 1.6 billion people worldwide face problems associated with housing affordability. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy Development Lynn Ross shares highlights from PD&R's recent conference, "The Housing Affordability Opportunity: Lowering Costs and Expanding Supply," and highlights the views expressed by special guest Vice President Biden, Secretary Castro, and expert panelists on how the housing affordability crisis might be turned into a housing affordability opportunity.

In Practice:
Brownfield Redevelopment in New Haven, Connecticut
A former manufacturing park for Winchester Repeating Arms in New Haven, Connecticut has been revitalized as Yale Science Park, a vibrant innovation district with mixed-income housing. The Science Park Development Corporation has attracted private investment, assisted in brownfield remediation efforts, and spurred the development and redevelopment of office, laboratory, retail, and residential spaces. Recently opened on the site, Winchester Lofts offers 158 apartments with 32 rent restricted units.

Trending:
Learning about CHAS data: An Interview with Paul Joice
Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) data are an important source of information for assessing local housing needs, and grantees of several programs from HUD's Office of Community Planning and Development use the data to determine their funding strategies. Paul Joice, Social Science Analyst with PD&R, discusses how CHAS data are compiled and used, how often the data are updated, and how interested parties can access the data.

Policy Update:
Preparing for the Next Disaster: Three Models of Building Resilient Communities
Cities throughout the nation are vulnerable to natural disasters and rising sea levels, risking millions of lives and trillions of dollars in assets. In response, many communities are embracing a resilience framework that allows them to develop in a way that can better withstand future stresses. Three communities that have weathered their own catastrophes — the San Francisco-Oakland region in California; Grand Forks, North Dakota; and Greensburg, Kansas — provide valuable lessons for developing a consensus-based and context-sensitive approach to resilience.

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 FHA Unassisted Multifamily Mortgage Insurance Activity by the number of units insured for new, existing, other multifamily units, and the existing rental mortgage amount.