New Updates on The Edge

Message from PD&R Leadership:
Introducing PD&R's New Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy Development Paige Esterkin
In the leadership message, PD&R's new deputy assistant secretary for policy development Paige Esterkin introduces herself and discusses the benefits of homeownership to individuals and communities. Esterkin previously served in the role of senior advisor to the assistant secretary in HUD's Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity and transitioned to PD&R in December 2019.

In Practice:
Neighborhood Transformation in North Minneapolis, Minnesota
Completed in late 2017, the Hawthorne EcoVillage Apartments is a 75-unit affordable housing complex developed in a four-block neighborhood revitalization cluster area in north Minneapolis, Minnesota. The $18 million project, which incorporates numerous design features to reduce negative environmental impacts and improve nearby ecological health, was developed by the Project for Pride in Living. Amenities include a fitness room, bike storage, and community space open for use by the development's neighbors.

Research:
Interim Impacts From the HUD First-Time Homebuyer Education and Counseling Demonstration
Released in summer 2019, the publication Short-Term Impact Report: The HUD First-Time Homebuyer Education and Counseling Demonstration Preliminary Findings examines the impact of education and counseling on 5,800 prospective homebuyers in 28 metropolitan areas around the country. Researchers found mixed evidence of these interventions on the observed outcomes in the short term.

Trending:
New Research on Rural Housing
In November 2019, government-sponsored enterprise Freddie Mac hosted a Rural Research Symposium to discuss recent work on the state of rural housing in America. The discussion addressed a range of topics including the tendency of rural households to pay more in mortgages while attaining less satisfaction with the lending process, the complications of accurately appraising the value of rural properties, and the opportunities and challenges associated with the share of manufactured housing units in rural areas.

Please send your comments and suggestions to editor@huduser.gov.