New Updates on The Edge - 03/24/2015

New on The Edge

Message from PD&R Leadership:
HUD's Research NOFA
HUD recently issued a Notice of Funding Availability for cooperative agreements for four new research projects, which will evaluate the Moving to Work and Jobs Plus initiatives, the Small Area Fair Market Rent Demonstration, and the Resident Opportunities and Self-Sufficiency Program. Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy Development Todd Richardson provides details on each of the research projects, including eligibility criteria for applicants, and he describes how cooperative agreements will help HUD continue to produce high-quality data and research reports.

In Practice:
Second Chance for an Abandoned School in Kansas City's Green Impact Zone
In 2013, Bancroft School, a formerly vacant, distressed historic school building, reopened in the Manheim Park neighborhood of Kansas City, Missouri. As part of Kansas City's Green Impact Zone initiative to reverse decline and enhance sustainability in the community, the historic Bancroft School building was converted into 29 affordable residential units with community amenities and 21 new, affordable townhomes.

Trending:
About Income Limits: An Interview with Peter Kahn
HUD's income limits, which are released each fiscal year, are used to determine whether families are eligible for HUD's rental assistance programs. Peter Kahn, Director of PD&R's Economic Market Analysis Division, discusses how income limits are calculated, how they are used and by whom, and how FY2015 income limits differ from those of previous years.

Policy Update:
Federal Disaster Policy: Toward a More Resilient Future
Communities call on the federal government to assist response and recovery efforts when major disasters and catastrophes strike. In the wake of increasingly frequent natural disasters, rapid urbanization, climate change, and globalization, the need to promote resilience in federal disaster policies has become more urgent. In response, federal disaster policy has become more proactive — promoting predisaster mitigation planning and enhancing resilience in postdisaster planning and recovery.

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 quarterly and annual trends in Residential Fixed Investment and its contribution to Gross Domestic Product.