CURRENT RESEARCH

• Shared Equity Homeownership
  As the housing crisis worsens, putting the American Dream out of reach for millions, communities around the country are turning to shared equity homeownership – limited equity coops, community land trusts and inclusionary units – to redefine the housing ladder. This breakthrough study examines the benefits of these models within a sectoral framework; a third sector housing strategy. Support for this study was provided by the Ford and Surdna foundations. For more information please click here.

• Building A Better Urban Future: New Directions for Housing Policies in Weak Market Cities
  A policy paper for practitioners and policymakers investing housing resources in weak market cities. The project focuses on market-driven approaches, the integration of affordable and market-rate housing and the use of housing as a core element in both economic development and neighborhood revitalization strategies. The project is in collaboration with the Community Development Partnerships’ Network, LISC and the Enterprise Foundation.

• Bringing Buildings Back: From Abandoned Properties to Community Assets
  The first comprehensive guidebook for practitioners and policymakers on addressing abandoned property. The guidebook details the key issues, strategies and tactics in three major areas: abandonment prevention, controlling and managing abandoned properties, and reuse and redevelopment. Supported by the Fannie Mae Foundation and the Ford Foundation, the Guidebook is now available. For more information, please click here.

• New Jersey Rental Housing Preservation
  A study of the trends, dynamics and pressures on the private unsubsidized affordable rental housing market in New Jersey’s urban centers, with an extensive menu of strategy and program options that are available to preserve the private affordable rental housing stock. The research was performed for the New Jersey Housing Mortgage and Finance Agency with support from the MacArthur Foundation.

• Integrating School Development and Housing
  As large sums are being invested in school construction in a number of states, there are new opportunities – and new innovative approaches – for CDCs to collaborate with school districts and local governments to advance community development and affordable housing goals. This project assesses current strategies to link school construction and community development. The research is supported by Washington Mutual.

• Real Estate and Mortgage Brokerage Licensure Issues for CDCs
  An analysis of the licensure issues that need to be addressed to facilitate CDC activity in the area of community-based real estate and mortgage brokerage, including state level regulatory policy recommendations. The research is supported by the Surdna Foundation.

PROJECTS IN DEVELOPMENT

• CDC Networks: Survey of their Role in Community Development
  CDC networks are coalitions of CDCs and related institutions that exist in most states and metro areas. These networks play key roles in such areas as capacity building, advocacy, organizing and public policy development and implementation, yet little is known about them as a group. This project, through a comprehensive survey, seeks to describe what they are and what they do. It will examine their commonalities and differences, identify best practices, and explore what they need to increase their effectiveness.

• The Dynamics of the Private Affordable Rental Market
  Research into the dynamics of the private unassisted rental housing market, with particular emphasis on the 1-4 unit urban rental housing market. This market represents the bulk of housing available to low income households, but there is a significant lack of policy-relevant information on it.

• Finding Lost Land: A Guidebook for CDCs
  A guidebook for CDCs that details how to find and use  “lost land” – sites such as parking lots or underutilized commercial property that the housing market has overlooked. Focusing on strong market environments with intense competition for developable land, the guidebook would detail acquisition, development planning and obtaining approvals for these sites.

• The Community Effects of Greening Strategies
  Greening strategies –  such as community gardens, parks, squares, greenways, urban farms – are important options in the redevelopment and reuse of urban land, particularly in severely distressed areas with high levels of abandonment. The study would examine how different greening alternatives affect the viability of their surroundings, including economic impacts and quality of life benefits.

• Addressing Problem Properties: CDC-Based Strategies
  A group of case studies of innovative approaches to dealing with widespread abandonment in distressed neighborhoods. It looks at new and creative models for problem property acquisition and evaluates program outcomes. 

PAST RESEARCH

• Beyond Gentrification: Strategies for Managing Community Change. To accompany the PBS P.O.V. series documentary "Flag Wars." Moderated by Shelterforce Editor Harold Simon.

• Taming Sprawl With Affordable Housing: Part of the 1999 Sierra Club Sprawl Report, by Shelterforce's Miriam Axel-Lute.

• Special National Housing Institute Report: Saving Affordable Housing, by John Atlas and Ellen Shoshkes

• Progressive Housing Program for America, by John Atlas and Peter Dreier 

• Policy Debate: A Million Families at Risk
  Helen Dunlap of HUD and Michael Bodaken of the National Housing Trust debate HUD's Mark to Market proposal. Will it help preserve the homes of over one million low-income families or will it create massive displacement?
  

We Must Preserve the Nation's Supply of Affordable Housing
By Michael Bodaken
A Strategy to Recapitalize HUD's Assisted Housing Inventory
By Helen Dunlap

• The Mansion Subsidy
• National Association of Home Builders Concedes – Mansion Subsidy is Unfair!
• Reform the Mansion Subsidy – Now!

• Housing Publications catalog and order form.

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