New Updates on The Edge

PD&R’s online magazine, The Edge, provides you with a snapshot view of our newly released research, periodicals, publications, news, and commentaries on housing and urban development issues. Stay informed on current topics and check back frequently, as our content is routinely updated.

Message from PD&R Leadership: Individual Giving in the Pandemic

Cynthia Campbell, director of PD&R's International and Philanthropic Affairs Division, discusses recent findings on the outlook for charitable giving during the conronavirus pandemic and economic downturn. While both of those challenges will result in more Americans turning to various social safety net services, those services may be underfunded if the distribution of individual giving shifts and if overall giving contracts.

Featured: Promoting Research-Informed Policy and Practice with Evidence Matters

Since 2011, PD&R has published Evidence Matters, a periodical aimed at policymakers, researchers, and practitioners that focuses on the nexus of housing and community development research and policy. In recent years, Evidence Matters has devoted several issues to housing affordability, from improving building technology to removing regulatory barriers, and to creating opportunities for self-sufficiency. The range of topics covered reflect the evolving discourses and practices related to affordable housing in the United States.

In Practice: The Camino del Mar and Vista del Mar Apartments Complete the New Dana Strand Revitalization Project in Los Angeles, California

Opened in 2018, the Camino del Mar and Vista del Mar affordable housing developments represent the fourth and final phase of the New Dana Strand Revitalization project in the oceanside Wilmington neighborhood of Los Angeles. The 176 new affordable apartment units replace a distressed 50-year-old public housing complex. The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles and nonprofit developers Abode Communities and Mercy Housing California partnered to complete the $71 million project.

Research: HUD Releases 2019 Worst Case Needs Report on Severe Housing Problems

HUD's Worst Case Housing Needs report, issued biennially since 1991, details critical problems facing low-income renting families. The 17th edition was published in June 2020 and finds that worst case housing needs decreased by 7.1 percent between 2015 and 2017. The persistent problem of higher-income households occupying low-rent units, however, continues to contribute to the shortfall in affordable, available housing for those who need it most.

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