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News & Events
Vicki Been Speaks at the Municipal Art Society Summit for New York City
Oct. 13, 2011: Furman Center Faculty Director Vicki Been spoke at the second annual Municipal Art Society Summit for New York City. The panel, “A New Zoning Resolution for 21-Century New York,” explored critical questions about New York City’s zoning resolution, which turns 50-years-old this year, including how zoning can address some of New York City’s most pressing problems. More information.
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Research & Policy
Furman Center Releases New Report on Federal Loan Limit Reductions
Oct. 11, 2011: A new paper by the Furman Center, A Canary in the Mortgage Market? Why the Recent FHA and GSE Loan Limit Reductions Deserve Attention, explores the potential implications of recent reductions in the maximum loan size that can be guaranteed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (Government-Sponsored Enterprises or GSEs), or insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) in many parts of the country. The changes, which went into effect on Oct. 1, 2011, represent the first step in a long-term policy goal to reduce the federal government’s current role in the mortgage system. The reductions will also be a significant test of the private mortgage finance system. View Factsheet.
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News & Events
Ingrid Gould Ellen Presents at HUD’s Quarterly Housing Market and Research Update Panel
Sept.19, 2011: Furman Center faculty co-director Ingrid Gould Ellen presented at the Quarterly Housing Market and Research Update briefing hosted by HUD Assistant Secretary Raphael Bostic. The panel discussed findings from American Murder Mystery Revisited: Do Housing Voucher Households Cause Crime? , which examines neighborhood crime and voucher utilization data from 10 large cities and finds that voucher holders do not increase neighborhood crime. The discussion of these findings begins to dispel prior claims regarding the relationship between HVC program participants and neighborhood crime.
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News & Events
Mark Willis Participates in the 2011 Donald I. Terner Memorial Roundtable Discussion Panel
Sept. 9, 2011: Furman Center Resident Research Fellow Mark Willis joined the panel “Innovative Directions in Housing Development, Finance & Policy” at the University of California, Berkeley. The I. Donald Terner Memorial Housing Roundtable provides an opportunity to engage both leading academic researchers in the field of urban housing, along with key practitioners from private, public and non-profit sectors around a series of pressing questions.
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Research & Policy
Furman Center Launches Subsidized Housing Information Project
Sept. 8, 2011: The Furman Center released the Subsidized Housing Information Project (SHIP), a database containing financial and physical information on nearly 235,000 units of privately-owned, subsidized rental housing in New York City developed with major government programs. The data is accessible through a user-friendly, interactive data search tool available here. The Furman Center’s Institute for Affordable Housing Policy simultaneously released the State of New York City’s Subsidized Housing report, which provides a comprehensive analysis of the properties in the SHIP database, and identifies opportunities to preserve affordable housing in the coming years. Additionally, the Institute released an online Directory of New York City Affordable Housing Programs, a reference tool explaining nearly 200 unique housing programs that have been employed in New York City. View the press release.
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Research & Policy
Furman Center Releases New York City Quarterly Housing Report
August 18, 2011: In an analysis of second quarter housing indicators, the Furman Center finds that home sales volume declined 20 percent from the first to the second quarter of 2011, although home prices citywide held steady. The report also finds that new construction is slowly starting to return. The Quarterly Housing Update is unique among New York City housing reports because it incorporates sales data, new construction indicators, and foreclosures. It also presents a repeat sales index for each borough to capture price appreciation while controlling for housing quality. View the press release.
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Research & Policy
Furman Center Releases New Report on Mortgage Lending to Vulnerable Communities
August 10, 2011: New research released by the Furman Center finds that across the U.S., the number of home purchase mortgages issued to low- and moderate-income borrowers jumped by 26 percent in 2009, even as overall home purchase lending declined. The new data brief, Mortgage Lending to Vulnerable Communities: A Closer Look at HMDA 2009, finds that lending to low- and moderate-income homebuyers increased nationwide in 2009, despite a reduction in the number of home purchase mortgages issued to higher income borrowers. Lending in low- and moderate-income neighborhoods, on the other hand, did not see a similar increase. View the press release.
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News & Events
Claudia Sharygin Participates in Discussion at Western Economic Association International Conference
July, 2011: Research Fellow Claudia Ayanna Sharygin joined the discussion of the paper “Who Receives a Mortgage Modification? Race and Income Differentials in Loan Workouts” at the Western Economic Association International Annual Conference in San Diego, Calif. The discussion explored the factors that determine whether a borrower loses a home to foreclosure, and the outcomes of mortgage modification.
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News & Events
Vicki Been and Ingrid Gould Ellen Guest Edit HUD’s Research Journal
July 2011: Furman Center faculty directors Vicki Been and Ingrid Gould Ellen guest edited a volume of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s policy development and research journal, Cityscape. The issue focuses on the importance of rental housing for the stability of the housing market, and brings together seven innovative proposals from leading housing experts calling for changes in government policies to benefit renters and their communities.
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News & Events
Mark Willis Speaks at Standard & Poor’s Housing Summit
June 9, 2011: Furman Center Resident Research Fellow Mark Willis joined the panel “Financing Affordable Housing: Options in Challenging Market Times” to discuss how housing finance reform may affect state and local housing finance agencies and the markets they serve, particularly underserved communities of first-time, low- and moderate-income, and minority homebuyers. The panel was part of Standard & Poor’s Housing Summit 2011: Boom, Bust, and Beyond.