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Message from PD&R Leadership:
The SC2 National Resource Network: A Place-Based Federal Delivery System for Strong Cities
In the final months of the Obama administration's second term, the 19 federal agencies that make up the White House Council on Strong Cities, Strong Communities (SC2) are preparing the SC2 Initiative for an effective transition to the next administration. Patrick J. Pontius, executive director for the White House Council on SC2, and Kathryn Dykgraaf, senior program manager for the SC2 National Resource Network (NRN), discuss how the SC2 NRN will continue to engage almost 50 cities through 2017.

In Practice:
Environmentally Sustainable Neighborhood Revitalization in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Larimer Pointe, an affordable housing development completed in July 2014, was the first new construction in the Larimer neighborhood of Pittsburgh in more than 50 years. The development consists of 40 rental units in 22 buildings of various types, including single-family houses, duplexes, and townhouses. Larimer Pointe incorporates green elements consistent with the community's 2012 Vision-to-Action Plan, which is the basis of the Larimer/East Liberty Choice Neighborhoods implementation framework.

Trending:
From Habitat II to Habitat III, An Interview with Ismael Guerrero
The Habitat III conference, which will be held in Quito, Ecuador, in October 2016, is an opportunity for leaders to engage, share, celebrate, and build on collective experiences and successes. Ismael Guerrero, executive director of the Denver Housing Authority, discusses how the Habitat II convening held in 1996 in Istanbul, Turkey, revealed the commonality of challenges facing disenfranchised communities across the globe, and he presents priorities and expectations for Habitat III.

Policy Update:
Pressing Challenges in Housing Finance: Credit Access and Seniors' Mortgage Debt
Nearly a decade after the onset of the housing and financial crises, several indicators, including increases in home prices and decreases in foreclosures, show that the housing market is recovering. However, important housing finance challenges persist. Lenders are implementing strict credit standards that exclude creditworthy borrowers, especially traditionally underserved populations, and a greater proportion of older homeowners are carrying mortgage debt, potentially affecting their financial stability.