New Updates on The Edge

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Research:
Assessing How Parents Experiencing Homelessness Make Preschool Decisions: Policy and Practice Implications
A new study examines factors that influence children's participation in preschool. Researchers conducted focus groups and interviews with 28 families that experienced homelessness to learn how families identified, pursued, and participated in preschool options. The report contains policy and community practice recommendations based on researchers' findings to facilitate preschool enrollment for children experiencing homelessness.

In Practice:
A Community of Teachers Helps Revitalize Newark, New Jersey
Teachers Village, a new $150 million mixed-use development, replaces a number of vacant lots and deteriorating buildings in downtown Newark, New Jersey. The development includes retail space, schools, and residential units intended for teachers. Through Teachers Village, the developer hopes to attract and retain teachers, spark educational innovation, and promote economic development in the area.

Trending:
The Opportunity Project, Creating Digital Tools with Open Data: An Interview with Drew Zachary
In an in-depth Q & A, Drew Zachary, Policy Advisor at the White House Domestic Policy Council, discusses the Opportunity Project, an effort to expand access to opportunity by leveraging open government data to create tools that are useful for everyday Americans.

Policy Update:
Smoke-Free Public Housing: Research and Implementation
On November 12, 2015, HUD Secretary Julián Castro announced a proposed rule to require all public housing properties to become smoke-free indoors. Considerable research on the dangers of smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke supports the need to protect residents from involuntary exposure to tobacco smoke. Researchers estimate that the proposed rule will reduce healthcare costs related to secondhand smoke among nonsmoking residents and generate other cost savings for public housing agencies.

Spotlight on PD&R Data:
Homeownership in the U.S.
PD&R's U.S. Housing Market Conditions website contains national, regional, state, metropolitan, and local data and analysis in one location. The latest spotlight discusses national and regional homeownership rates and implications for the future.