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News & Events
A Conversation with Sheryll Cashin: “White Space, Black Hood”
On September 22, the NYU Furman Center hosted a conversation with Sheryll Cashin, author of “White Space, Black Hood: Opportunity Hoarding and Segregation in the Age of Inequality” and Carmack Waterhouse Professor of Law, Civil Rights and Social Justice at Georgetown University. Using personal narratives, local case studies, and legal analysis, White Space, Black Hood argues that residential caste is central to understanding the persistence of racial inequality in the United States.
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Data Updates
Rent Payments in Affordable Housing During the Pandemic: The Role of Rental Subsidies and the Safety Net
As members of the Housing Crisis Research Collaborative, the NYU Furman Center and the Terner Center for Housing Innovation at UC Berkeley conducted an analysis of rental payments during the pandemic among a set of primarily affordable portfolios and compared the size and frequency of rent arrears for households that receive housing subsidies that adjust with income (like Housing Choice Vouchers) and unsubsidized households. The comparative analysis suggests that nonpayment rates increased for both groups after the start of the pandemic. Landlords with subsidized tenants benefitted from the protective effects of the subsidy portion which lessened the economic impact of the pandemic.
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Data Updates
Exploring Variations in ERAP Application Rates Across New York State
According to the most recent Household Pulse Survey, a quarter of renters in New York State—nearly 1 million individuals—are behind on rent payments and have rental arrears. Of these renters, 38 percent predict that they are somewhat or very likely to be evicted sometime in the next two months. After a slow start in New York relative to states that did not use a legislative process to create new rental assistance programs, recent reports indicate an acceleration of obligations and disbursements of Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) funds. Landlord outreach and participation remain crucial in turning obligated funds, which are earmarked once a tenant applies and is determined eligible, into payments, which are only made once landlords are aware of and complete their portion of the application.
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Research & Policy
Cracking Code Enforcement: How Cities Approach Housing Standards
In a new policy brief, Cracking Code Enforcement: How Cities Approach Housing Standards, Sophie House of the NYU Furman Center’s Housing Solutions Lab explores how code enforcement and compliance are handled in different jurisdictions. Through analysis of 40 different cities of varying sizes and geography, as well as communication with stakeholder groups in local government, research, and affordable housing provision, the brief explores three different dimensions that shape code enforcement: a regime’s relative emphasis on neighborhood quality or individual tenant protections; use of proactive or reactive enforcement mechanisms; and reliance on collaborative or punitive engagement.
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Research & Policy
Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act: An Initial Analysis of Short-Term Trends
The NYU Furman Center analyzed several housing indicators to gain deeper insight into the initial impacts of the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act (HSTPA). We examined measures that have been commonly discussed in the public debate on HSTPA, including a comparison of multifamily sale prices, alteration job filings, housing quality complaints, code violations, and eviction filings before and after the passage of HSTPA.
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Research & Policy
Do Lawyers Matter? Early Evidence on Eviction Patterns After the Rollout of Universal Access to Counsel in New York City
In a special issue of Housing Policy Debate on evictions, Ingrid Gould Ellen, Katherine O’Regan, Sophie House, and Ryan Brenner analyze early findings from the NYC Universal Access to Counsel program (UAC). Considering the multitude of difficulties associated with appearing in court without a lawyer, providing low-income tenants with access to free legal services is thought to decrease the likelihood of eviction and possible homelessness.
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Data Updates
Data Driven Insights to Kickstart Local Housing Strategy Planning
Before a policymaker, practitioner, or community leader can start building a housing strategy, it is imperative to understand local housing needs. That is why Local Housing Solutions developed the Housing Needs Assessment in partnership with PolicyMap. The tool compiles and visually displays publicly available national data sources, such as the US Census, American Community Survey (ACS), and the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
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Housing Solutions Lab Launch: Housing and Opportunity in Small and Midsize Cities
On June 15, the NYU Furman Center launched the Housing Solutions Lab. The launch event, titled Housing and Opportunity in Small and Midsize Cities, featured a panel about the housing policy opportunities and challenges facing small and midsize cities.
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Research & Policy
Challenges and Opportunities for Hotel-to-Housing Conversions in NYC
In a new white paper, the NYU Furman Center’s Noah Kazis details essential background information on the matter of hotel-to-housing conversions. He highlights the regulatory constraints on conversions, what types of properties would be more feasible to convert, and how new state interventions could impact the effort.
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News & Events
By the Numbers: Renters and Recovery
Each year, the NYU Furman Center publishes The State of New York City’s Housing and Neighborhoods report, a compilation of data and analyses looking at trends in housing development, homeownership, the rental market, and dozens of other indicators illustrating how New York and its neighborhoods changed over the past year. On May 26th, we hosted a virtual event to celebrate the launch of the 20th edition of the report. By the Numbers: Focus on Renters and Recovery, focused on an original dataset showing rent payment rates in a large sample primarily consisting of units in New York City’s affordable housing portfolio. Because most of the units in the sample require means-testing, this data provides a snapshot of the economic health facing low-income renters during the COVID-19 pandemic.
