New Updates on The Edge

PD&R’s online magazine, The Edge, provides you with a snapshot view of our newly released research, periodicals, publications, news, and commentaries on housing and urban development issues. Stay informed on current topics and check back frequently, as our content is routinely updated.

Message from PD&R Leadership: HUD Team Attends the World Urban Forum in Kuala Lumpur

In the leadership message, director of PD&R’s Office for International and Philanthropic Innovation Cynthia F. Campbell discusses the February 2017 World Urban Forum. First convened by the United Nations in 2001, the World Urban Forum meets every two years and is the world’s largest conference on urban issues. More than 20,000 attendees from 165 countries participated in the 2017 convening in Kuala Lumpur.

Featured: Adapting to Natural Hazard Risk in Louisiana

The Center for Planning Excellence of Baton Rouge held the Rising Above Symposium, a two-day workshop to coordinate Louisiana’s plans for adapting to hazard risk and impending environmental change, in November 2017. The symposium discussed the impact of two state efforts to reduce risk — the regularly updated Coastal Master Plan and the Louisiana Strategic Adaptations for Future Environments (LA SAFE) initiative, which is currently being piloted in six parishes. The three communities of Chauvin, Buras, and Thibodaux were chosen to participate in the event.

In Practice: The Mechanicsville Cityside Initiative Provides Scattered-Site Housing for Low-Income Atlanta Residents

Mechanicsville Cityside, a 74-unit, scattered-site affordable housing project in Atlanta’s Mechanicsville neighborhood, was completed in December 2017. The $19.5 million project was the first use of low-income housing tax credits (LIHTC) for a scattered-site project in the state of Georgia. The completed Mechanicsville Cityside project contains 8 renovated and 66 newly constructed single-family houses over a 20-block area. The city is working to establish a purchase program to allow tenants to buy their homes after the LIHTC-imposed affordability period expires.

Spotlight on PD&R Data: Growth in Employment and Rental Housing Demand in the Fort Wayne HMA

The eighth article in a series focusing on HUD’s Comprehensive Housing Market Analyses (CHMAs) examines the Fort Wayne, Indiana housing market area (HMA). This HMA, which includes Allen, Wells, and Whitley counties, has been experiencing overall economic growth since 2010, although the unemployment rate has been declining more slowly than the state and national averages. The housing sales market is slightly tight, with a vacancy rate of 1.3 percent, and the rental market is slightly soft, with a vacancy rate of 7.2 percent.