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News & Events
Mark Willis Discusses Role of Federal Financing in Rental Housing
September 27, 2012: Furman Center Research Fellow Mark Willis participated in a roundtable on housing finance for the Housing Commission of the Bipartisan Policy Center. The discussion, “Positioning the Federal Role in the Future U.S. Multifamily Housing Finance System,” considered the role of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Housing Administration in supporting the financing of multifamily rental units. A key topic was the degree to which these sources of financing affect the availability of affordable rental housing. More on Bipartisan Policy Center Housing Commission here.
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News & Events
Mark Willis Discusses Housing Affordability and Access with Bipartisan Policy Center
September 25, 2012 – Furman Center Research Fellow Mark Willis joined a small group which met with the Bipartisan Policy Center Housing Commission to discuss the importance of ensuring that any proposal for reform of the national housing finance system addresses issues of access and affordability. This meeting followed a larger all-day roundtable at the National Council of La Raza with policy makers from across the country on the same topic. More on the Bipartisan Policy Center Housing Commission here.
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News & Events
Mark Willis Moderates Briefing on New York City’s Social Impact Bond Initiative
September 21, 2012: Research Fellow Mark Willis moderated a briefing about an innovative new private funding option for public service projects being applied in New York City. Called social impact bonds, under the program private institutions put up the capital to support new initiatives, alleviating financial pressure on governments. Applied in the US for the first time, the New York City Department of Corrections is using the new financing tool to fund a program aimed at reducing the reincarceration rate among adolescents. Find more information about the briefing series here.
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News & Events
Ingrid Gould Ellen Presents at Johns Hopkins Seminar
September 20, 2012 – Furman Center Co-Director Ingrid Gould Ellen presented on the factors that contribute to city and neighborhood growth for a seminar at Johns Hopkins’ Institute for Policy Studies. The presentation, “What Explains Population Growth in Cities and Neighborhoods?”, evaluates the relationship between population and economic growth and considers the role of urban planning initiatives in creating sustainable growth. View the presentation here.
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News & Events
Furman Center Convenes Experts for Housing Commission of the Bipartisan Policy Center
September 19, 2012: At the request of the Housing Commission, Research Fellow Mark Willis gathered together a special group of experts in housing finance and capital markets to help the Commission members better understand ways to bring more private, credit-risk-taking capital into the housing market. Willis moderated the two sessions at the NYU School of Law. The dialogue covered issues ranging from standardization and model documents to increased transparency for investors to better able to assess their risks both before and after the mortgage-backed securities are sold.
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News & Events
Legal Fellow John Infranca Guest Writer for Land Use Blog
July 26, 2012: Legal Research Fellow John Infranca has been selected to write for the Land Use Prof Blog. When he isn’t at the Furman Center, trying to untangle the regulations getting in the way of micro-units, or getting to the bottom of how transferable development rights are used, Infranca has been blogging about the proposed East Midtown rezoning and use of transferable development rights (TDRs), as well as, the ongoing dispute over the Westchester housing settlement, which requires the county to develop affordable housing units and to affirmatively market such units in surrounding areas with significant non-white populations. During his time as a guest blogger, Infranca also commented on the role of the street in land use planning with a particular focus on New York City’s street grid. A network of land use professors author the blog, which covers national news, issues and commentary related to land use.
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News & Events
Ingrid Gould Ellen Presents at Enterprise “Community Development 2020” Panel
July 25, 2012: Furman Center Co-Director Ingrid Gould Ellen participated in a panel discussion, “Community Development 2020: Creating Opportunity for All,” which sparked thought-provoking conversation on the future of community development among the panelists and more than 100 industry leaders in attendance. The New York panel was co-hosted by Enterprise Community Partners and Bank of America Merrill Lynch. The Enterprise working paper on the “Community Development 2020” initiative is available here.
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News & Events
Mark Willis Presents on the State of the Housing Market at Forum
July 23, 2012: Research Fellow Mark Willis presented on the state of the national housing market at an American Action Forum panel at Ohio State University. Willis discussed drivers and potential deterrents to economic recovery. He also examined the positive impact of government programs, such as the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HAMP), to help distressed borrowers and distressed communities. The forum also explored further ways to stabilize the housing market and to reform the secondary housing finance market. Willis presented alongside Dr. Douglas Holtz-Eakin, former Director of the Congressional Budget Office and former Chief Economic Policy Adviser to U.S. Senator John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign; and Dr. Itzhak Ben-David, faculty member at the Fisher College of Business. Jim Weiker of the Columbus Dispatch moderated the discussion. American Action Forum is an independent and nonpartisan research institution, which engages in discussions on the role of government in national policymaking. Access the video of the full lecture here.
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News & Events
Katherine O’Regan Presents on LIHTC Project at Housing Credit Conference
June 26-29, 2012: Furman Center Affiliated Faculty member Katherine O’Regan presented on the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) Project at the National Council of State Housing Agencies’ 2012 Housing Credit Conference and Marketplace in Denver, Colorado. The study, which examines data from 15 states and represents approximately 30% of LIHTC stock nationally, seeks to shed light on whether or not the LIHTC program reaches tenants with extremely low income (ELI), as well as, the resulting rent burden of such tenants. Katherine O’Regan and Keren Horn’s full working paper, “What Can We Learn about the Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program by Looking at the Tenants?,” is available here.
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News & Events
Ingrid Gould Ellen Moderates Forum on New York City’s Homeless Policy
June 6, 2012: Co-Director Ingrid Gould Ellen moderated New York City Bar forum, “Narrowing Options for the City’s Homeless: Exploring Homeless Policy Under Bloomberg.” Forum participants examined changes to homeless and housing policy over the course of the Bloomberg administration, and as well as provided an overview of the current landscape of housing instability and homelessness in New York City. The discussion also highlighted the advocacy responses to, and implications of, policy changes for the city’s poorest individuals and families, and explored possible solutions to homelessness throughout the city.