New Updates on The Edge

In Practice:
Historic School Redeveloped as Senior Housing in Webster, Massachusetts
The Anthony J. Sitkowski Middle School, a historic landmark of downtown Webster, Massachusetts, was decommissioned in 2005 but found new life after a $20.5 million rehabilitation transformed it into affordable senior housing. The building reopened in 2015 as the Sitkowski School Apartments, with 66 housing units and the new Webster Senior Center. The nonprofit community development corporation Neighborhood of Affordable Housing (NOAH) was the developer and owns the building, while the town's Council on Aging staffs the center.

Spotlight on PD&R Data:
Tourism, Construction, and Healthcare Industries Lead Strong Growth in Las Vegas
The most recent article in a series focusing on HUD's Comprehensive Housing Market Analyses examines the Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, Nevada Housing Market Area (HMA). Located on the southern tip of Nevada, this HMA has an economy centered on tourism, which suffered during the recession but has seen employment increases since 2011. The construction sector has led job growth. The housing sales and rental markets are balanced, and strong employment growth is expected for the next 3 years.

Trending:
Considering SRO Housing in New York City and Beyond
Single-room occupancy (SRO) units, generally understood as small studio apartments with shared kitchen or bathroom facilities, were historically common in New York City but gained a reputation as sub-standard by the mid-20th century. Today, SROs are primarily an option for nonprofits providing subsidized housing, as many jurisdictions have effectively regulated the construction of market-rate SROs out of existence. A recent white paper published by New York University's Furman Center examines market-rate SROs as a tool for reducing housing costs in America's cities.

Please send your comments and suggestions to editor@huduser.gov.