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: Community Gardens Can Help Increase Food Security

In the leadership message, director of PD&R’s International and Philanthropic Affairs Division Cynthia Campbell discusses the role that community gardens can play in combating food insecurity, a problem that is on the rise during the COVID-19 pandemic. In her discussion, Campbell highlights several innovative food access programs involving community and home gardens, distribution of or collection from fruit trees, and other direct-production methods of generating fresh food.

Featured: The State of the Nation’s Housing in 2020

In November 2020, the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University held a virtual symposium to mark the release of its annual State of the Nation’s Housing report. After a presentation on the report, a panel of four housing and policy professionals discussed the report’s findings. The report notes a lack of progress in addressing housing affordability, one of many problems that the speakers fear will be worsened by the pandemic.

In Practice: The Watson’s Mixed-Income Approach Provides Workforce Housing in Quincy, Massachusetts

Opened in 2019, the Watson is a 140-unit, $44 million apartment building serving tenants with a mixed range of incomes in Quincy, Massachusetts. The four-story project, which offers market-rate, low-income, and moderate-income workforce units, was developed in partnership by WinnCompanies and NeighborWorks Housing Solutions with funding from a range of sources, including the state’s Workforce Housing Initiative. The Watson features ample outdoor space and is located close to an MBTA red line station.

Trending: COVID-19 Risk Factors Among HUD-Assisted Renters

In the trending article, Janet Li of PD&R’s Public Finance and Regulatory Analysis Division discusses HUD-assisted tenants and this population’s risk of contracting or becoming seriously ill from COVID-19. Using data from HUD’s Picture of Subsidized Households and the American Housing Survey, Li examines how HUD-assisted renters compare to the general population in terms of the prevalence of health risk factors such as advanced age. Li concludes that HUD-assisted tenants, and those eligible for but not receiving assistance, are especially vulnerable to COVID-19 risks.

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