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This issue of Evidence Matters explores the role and influence of institutional investors in the housing market. Institutional investors are increasing their footprint throughout the country, particularly in the Sun Belt states, so analyzing the impacts of these investors, including their impacts on low- and moderate-income communities and communities of color, is important. With the finding that large corporate investors tend to concentrate their single-family rentals in low-income neighborhoods that are historically nonwhite, it is vital that we undertake a critical analysis of this trend as we work to reduce the racial wealth gap, increase homeownership opportunities, and support the growth of intergenerational wealth. Learn More >>

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Offsite construction of housing, which includes manufactured housing, modular homes, and prefabricated structural components, offers potential for production efficiencies, improved quality, and lower costs. Key knowledge gaps and research needs to be addressed to overcome the barriers and challenges of offsite construction and fulfill its potential. A literature review and industry consultation informed development of this research roadmap and recommended research priorities for the Department of Housing and Urban Development and broader public-private collaborations to advance offsite construction for housing. Research priorities are identified for six topical areas: Regulatory Framework; Standards and System Performance; Capital, Finance, and Insurance; Project Delivery and Contracts; Labor and Workforce Training and Management; and Business Models and Economic Performance. Learn More >>

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This case study is the first to examine the implementation of a coordinated entry (CE) system which Continuums of Care (CoCs) are using to prioritize housing resources for individuals experiencing homelessness. The coordinated entry system uses a standardized assessment of individuals’ vulnerability and service needs to appropriately match housing and support services. The study team conducted in-depth interviews and focus groups with recently housed tenants, direct service staff in various roles, and policy leaders involved in the Coordinated Entry for All (CEA) system in King County, WA. A qualitative analysis was conducted to examine how CE facilitates or creates barriers to housing individuals experiencing homelessness. The analysis found that there were benefits, but that the challenges and barriers generally outweighed the benefits, especially in terms of racial equity and equity for populations with other marginalized identities. The analysis also identified several ways in which King County, WA adapted to emerging concerns and provides recommendations for CE systems to consider. This study also highlights the importance of including lived experience in policy and program implementation and research. Learn More >>

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This report seeks to use HUD administrative data to estimate “voucher success rates”—that is, the rate at which households that receive a housing choice voucher successfully find and lease units in the private market. Previous studies of voucher success rates have required costly data collection directly from PHAs. Conducting the analysis using existing HUD data would enable more frequent monitoring of this important metric. The methods presented in this report require further validation, but are promising. The authors estimate that nearly two-thirds of non-Moving to Work PHAs pass data quality standards and, in 2019, those PHAs had a 61 percent success rate. Learn More >>

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Housing and Children’s Healthy Development (HCHD) is a longitudinal study of families with children aged 3 to 10 years of age at the study’s inception that tests the impact of offering the families rental assistance through HUD’s Housing Choice Voucher program on their housing choices, housing and neighborhood quality, and children’s development. The study intends to reveal how being offered the housing choice voucher affects parents’ housing choices and children’s development. It includes a voucher sample of 895 households (1,231 children) randomly selected to receive or not receive the offer of a housing choice voucher in Cleveland, OH and Dallas, TX. It also includes a sample of 894 (1,194 children) households from the general population of families with children from a range of income levels. The Baseline Report describes the research questions, the contribution of the research, and research methods, including sites, sampling, and data collection. This research was funded by the MacArthur Foundation, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and HUD. Learn More >>

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The Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD), authorized by Congress in 2012, allows Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) to convert their public housing properties to either Project-Based Vouchers (PBVs) or to Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA) Section 8 contracts, to help address properties’ short-term capital needs and preserve their long-term viability. RAD residents have a right called choice mobility, which allows them to request tenant-based rental assistance after living on the RAD property for a minimum period of time. This report assesses the implementation and usage of choice mobility through interviews with a small number of PHAs, property owners, and residents. The report is part of a larger evaluation of RAD that will assess the implementation and impact of choice mobility, the long-term preservation and financial viability of converted properties, the adequacy of asset management for RAD conversions, and PHA organizational change. PHAs reported a low number of choice mobility requests and usage and attributed it to the quality of the newly renovated properties and tight rental markets. Residents also cited the quality of their current RAD units, housing market challenges, and mobility limitations as disincentives to moving. The final report of the RAD evaluation, which includes surveys of PHAs, residents, and property owners and operators, will provide additional information about the implementation and outcomes of the choice mobility option to supplement findings identified in this report. Learn More >>

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Factory-built homes are produced in a climate-controlled factory, mostly using standardized, repeatable design, and then assembled on-site. This study examines current trends in the factory-built housing industry, with primary emphasis on modular homes, to understand manufacturing and construction processes, the development of innovative building materials, consumer education, and affordable housing finance. A literature review, engagement with industry experts, and manufacturer case studies provide ample evidence that factory-built housing offers enhanced opportunities for affordable homeownership. The report offers market-driven and policy-specific recommendations for the industry and federal policymakers regarding the affordability potential of factory-built housing, the ongoing challenge of transportation costs, the need for educating market participants, and the need for continuing research on benefits and risks as well as production efficiencies including automation and robotics. Learn More >>

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In 2017, HUD awarded $33 million to 10 Continuums of Care (CoCs) in Round 1 of YHDP to develop and implement coordinated community approaches to preventing and ending homelessness of youth ages 14-24. Under contract to PD&R, Westat conducted a 4-year evaluation of this initial set of 10 YHDP sites. The evaluation employed a longitudinal, cross-site implementation evaluation that compared outcomes for the selected sites to outcomes of three non-YHDP comparison CoCs. The study seeks to understand three key areas: 1) the baseline status of the systems in place within each selected community that served targeted youth; 2) the changes to systems that improved access to housing and services for targeted youth over time; and 3) changes to how many youth were reached by local systems and their demographic composition. Through qualitative interviews with local stakeholders and youth serving on Youth Action Boards (YABs) , focus groups with youth experiencing homelessness, two waves of national CoC surveys, and analysis of Homelessness Management Information Systems (HMIS) data, the study found that the 10 YHDP sites studied were more intentionally designed to serve youth, increased coordination among community partners, and expanded youth-specific services when compared to the three non-YHDP sites. Learn More >>

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The goal of Cityscape is to bring high-quality original research on housing and community development issues to scholars, government officials, and practitioners. Cityscape is open to all relevant disciplines, including architecture, consumer research, demography, economics, engineering, ethnography, finance, geography, law, planning, political science, public policy, regional science, sociology, statistics, and urban studies. Learn More >>

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