New Updates on PD&R Edge

Research:
Evaluation of the HUD Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program: Final Report
HUD created the Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program (YHDP) in 2017 to assist local Continuums of Care (CoCs) in planning, developing, and implementing coordinated responses to youth experiencing homelessness. Since its launch, YHDP has funded more than 90 CoCs, encouraging systems that serve youth experiencing homelessness to work more closely with stakeholders to build and deploy comprehensive plans to end homelessness among youth and young adults aged 14 to 24. While this study reported mixed results for YHDP, some key findings can inform ongoing policy development and research.

In Practice:
Ohio’s First Affordable LGBTQ+-Friendly Senior Housing Development Opens in Cincinnati
John Arthur Flats, an affordable senior housing development geared for members of the LGBTQ+ community, opened in 2022 in Cincinnati’s Northside neighborhood. The development is the first of its kind in the state and one of only a few in the country. Developer Northsiders Engaged in Sustainable Transformation built John Arthur Flats in response to a specific need to address the marginalization of LGBTQ+ seniors in the housing market over the past several decades.

PD&R at 50:
Fifty Years of Formula Fairness
Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) were established to “promote decent housing and suitable living environments and expand economic opportunities.” Fairly targeting CDBG funds requires agreement on what constitutes community development needs. By developing a community development needs index, HUD can measure the extent to which the CDBG formula succeeds at allocating funds fairly. Over the years, several studies have helped deepen policymakers’ understanding of the formula’s performance.

Trending:
Bridging the Wealth Gap: Asset Building and Economic Justice
On May 1, 2023, HUD hosted a summit on policies and strategies to close the racial wealth gap in today’s financial markets. Participants discussed programs dedicated to asset building for low-income individuals and families, including program successes and areas for improvement. These programs help close the wealth gap through financial education and increasing access to banking and credit-building.

PD&R Leadership:
New Funding Opportunity: Grants for University-Nonprofit Partnerships Supporting Community-Engaged Research Designed to Address Homelessness
In the Leadership Message, general deputy assistant secretary for Policy Development and Research Todd M. Richardson announces a new funding opportunity for institutions of higher education or nonprofit entities that train and support institutions of higher education in conducting research that applies community-engaged research methods to address homelessness. Under this new funding opportunity, HUD is making $1 million in cooperative agreement funding available. In addition to expanding the knowledge base on homelessness, HUD is seeking applicants who can build and expand partnerships between nonprofit organizations and institutions of higher education to grow the capacity for community-engaged research methods or research related to homelessness through partnerships with people and community groups with lived experience.

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