New Updates on PD&R Edge

PD&R Edge, an online magazine, 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.

Featured: Supporting Innovation for Sustainability in Affordable Housing

Climate and environmental challenges increasingly affect every aspect of society, including housing. One session at HUD’s 2024 Innovative Housing Showcase explored the connection between affordable housing and sustainability, with participants sharing insights into how HUD, the U.S. Department of Energy, and other agencies are addressing challenges and pursuing strategies at the intersection of decarbonization and affordable housing. The strategies include increasing the use of sustainable materials in housing construction, improving energy efficiency in existing buildings, and promoting workforce training to aid in the installation of green technologies. Participants also discussed how collaboration between agencies and with local communities enhances sustainability efforts while promoting equity, affordability, and resilience.

PD&R Leadership: Global Similarities

In the Leadership Message, Peter Kahn, Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Policy Development, discusses his recent involvement in two international engagements. At the 2024 Innovative Housing Showcase, a delegation from South Korea discussed that country’s efforts to overcome affordability challenges like those in the United States, including ways to increase the use of offsite construction methods. Last month, participants at a research roundtable hosted by counterparts from the United Kingdom discussed strategies and research opportunities to further place-based innovation to improve housing development and affordability.

In Practice: Transforming a Historic Single-Room Occupancy Building in Chicago Into Affordable Apartments

In Chicago, the Holsten Real Estate Development Corporation recently completed the transformation of what was once the largest single-room occupancy supportive housing facility in the Midwest into 406 affordable studio apartments. Known as Lawson House, the historic structure is a 24-story building emblematic of the Art Deco architecture built in the city’s “Gold Coast” area in the 1930s. Since 2017, the building has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places, helping the developer secure historic tax credits as part of the $129 million funding package needed to complete the renovation. The Chicago-Low Income Housing Trust Fund, which is primarily supported through fees paid through the city’s inclusionary housing program, funded over a quarter of the units.

Research: Medicare Advantage Coverage Among Individuals Receiving Federal Housing Assistance

A recent study commissioned by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and PD&R examined the prevalence of Medicare Advantage (MA) coverage among individuals who also receive federal housing assistance. Understanding MA coverage among older adults receiving federal housing assistance is important because this population faces disproportionately high rates of chronic conditions and healthcare utilization. The study determined that, compared with individuals enrolled in traditional Medicare plans, HUD-MA individuals were more likely to have lower incomes, belong to a racial or ethnic minority group, and demonstrate dual eligibility for Medicaid, suggesting the potential for providing coordinated services to enrollees.

International & Philanthropic Spotlight: Vacant Lot Remediation in the United States and Europe

Demographic shifts, deindustrialization, and disinvestment have resulted in high rates of abandoned and vacant properties and lots both in the U.S. and abroad. Because vacant lots are often concentrated in neighborhoods with predominantly low-income minority residents, the persistence of vacant properties and their associated ills is an equity issue. In the U.S., states and localities have approached remediation in various ways, including selling vacant city-owned properties to homebuyers as fixer-uppers, launching “cleaning and greening” programs run by community volunteers, and transferring ownership to neighborhood residents as a means of grassroots preservation. In addition to these strategies, some European countries have taken more aggressive action, offering to pay residents to move to remote villages.

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