October 2013 Partners in Progress eNewsletter

October 2013 Partners in Progress eNewsletter

Grantee Spotlight: Universities Share Housing Counseling with Their Communities and Each Other
Whether they are considering buying a house or just making sure that their rental is healthy and secure, households can often benefit from sound housing advice. In places such as Elizabeth City, North Carolina and Midland, Texas, HUD-approved housing counseling agencies at institutions of higher education are helping residents make the best possible housing decisions in the face of challenging circumstances — and these institutions are helping their peers do the same in their own communities. Read More

Anchor Institutions: A Review of the Literature
Over the past five decades, institutions of higher education and medicine (“eds and meds”) have emerged as the most common anchor institutions, leveraging their resources to strengthen neighborhoods, cities, and regions. Libraries, museums, arts centers, and community development organizations are among the other institutions investing in their surroundings and the residents and businesses located there. In cities affected by capital flight and deteriorating conditions, these institutions have also come to be regarded as crucial stabilizing forces and agents of change.

The Anchor Institutions Task Force, a think tank that advocates for anchor institutions participating in community development, commissioned “Anchor Institutions: An Interpretive Review Essay,” which discusses anchors’ practices and prospects as presented in research published since 2000. The literature review addresses the concept of anchor institutions, the role of anchor institutions in community development, the importance of a social purpose for anchor institutions, and recommendations for future research. Read More