Research Topic: Housing Policy

Research
Report Update: State Strategies to Increase Energy and Water Efficiency in LIHTC Properties (NHT/EEFA, 2021)

In 2017, Energy Efficiency for All released “State Strategies to Increase Energy and Water Efficiency in Low Income Housing Tax Credit Properties” which identified the most common strategies HFAs were using to advance water and energy efficiency in housing credit properties. This updated report examines the same ten strategies to identify trends in how HFAs are using 9 percent LIHTCs to develop and preserve affordable rental housing that is energy and water efficient, and identify states encouraging higher levels of performance and promising practices.

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Research
Fairfax County Communitywide Housing Strategic Plan (2018)

The Communitywide Housing Strategic Plan includes two phases. Phase 1 of the Plan identifies 25 short-term strategies that can be implemented, without major policy or revenue impacts, to encourage and produce additional housing units within the county. The strategies, which were adopted in June 2018, are expected to take one to two years to implement. Phase 2 of the plan looks at long-term strategies, tools, policies and resources to support the development and preservation of housing that is affordable in our community. To support the efforts of Phase 2 and to garner additional community input, the Board of Supervisors created an Affordable Housing Resources Panel (AHRP).

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Research
City of Alexandria Housing Master Plan (2014)

The 2014 Housing Master Plan (HMP) sets forth principles, goals, and strategies to address the City's housing needs through 2025. The HMP's housing affordability goals are augmented by the 2020 Regional Housing Initiative which establishes housing production targets through 2030.

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Research
Affordable Housing in Virginia (JLARC, 2021)

In 2020, the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission directed staff to conduct a review of affordable housing in Virginia. JLARC staff were asked to report on the number of Virginia households that are housing cost burdened; the supply of affordable quality housing statewide and by region; the state’s efforts to increase the supply of affordable housing and make existing housing more affordable through direct financial assistance; and the effectiveness of the management of the state’s housing assistance programs.

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Research
Money Is Policy: How Federal Dollars are Spent: The Case for New Priorities (Terwilliger Foundation, 2017)

This Terwilliger Foundation report reveals the striking imbalance of current federal housing assistance, where most of the benefits accrue to higher income households. It notes that the median income of homeowner households ($68,797) is more than double the median income of renter households ($33,784), but renters receive none of benefits of mortgage-related tax expenditures and most of these expenditures go to higher income homeowners.

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Research
Urban Blight and Public Health (Urban Institute, 2017)

This Urban Institute report synthesizes recent studies on the complexities of how blight affects the health of individuals and neighborhoods while offering a blend of policy and program recommendations to help guide communities in taking a more holistic and coordinated approach, such as expanding the use of health impact assessments, tracking health outcomes, and infusing public health into housing policies, codes and practices.

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