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Research & Policy
New Paper: American murder mystery revisited: do housing voucher households cause crime?
October 5, 2012: A new journal article by Furman Center Co-Director Ingrid Gould Ellen and NYU Wagner Professor Katherine O’Regan finds that there is no direct causal relationship between the number of Housing Choice Voucher residents in a neighborhood and increased crime. Critics of the voucher system, which provides rent subsidies to allow low-income residents to live in otherwise unaffordable neighborhoods, have alleged that an increased presence of voucher holders leads to increased crime in some neighborhoods. Systematically and empirically studying the question for the first time, the article finds that while neighborhoods with a higher proportion of voucher holding residents tend to see higher crime rates, there is not a causal relationship. The research reveals that other neighborhood characteristics are much more significant in determining crime. Read the full paper here.
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News & Events
Mark Willis Speaks on Mortgage Crisis Impacts on Renters
October 2, 2012: Furman Center Research Fellow Mark Willis spoke on a panel entitled “Transitioning Into a Rentership Society” as part of the Americatalyst 2012 conference. The panel considered the long-term effects of the mortgage crisis on rental levels and behavior, looking particularly at shifting attitudes toward ownership. More on the conference here.
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News & Events
Moelis Institute Hosts Roundtable on Proposal to Create a Federal Renter’s Tax Credit
October 1, 2012 – The Moelis Institute for Affordable Housing Policy convened a roundtable with leaders in New York City’s affordable housing industry to discuss the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities’ (CBPP) proposal for a new $5 billion federal tax credit for renters. After an overview of the proposal from Barbara Sard, Vice President for Housing Policy at CBPP, participants engaged in a thoughtful exchange about whether or not the credit could work with LIHTC and other financing tools, potential issues with implementing the credit, and challenges small owners would face in claiming the credit. Notes from the roundtable can be found here. This roundtable was an opportunity for New York City affordable housing practitioners to hear about emerging policy ideas in DC. We hope this will be the first of a series of discussions of early-stage federal affordable housing policy proposals.
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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.