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: Philanthropic Efforts in Racial Equity

In the leadership message, director of PD&R’s International and Philanthropic Affairs Division Cynthia Campbell discusses the work that several philanthropic and community foundations have been doing to advance racial equity in the United States. Campbell provides information about major foundations' commitments towards grantmaking projects, fellowship programs, and trust funds, and highlights three community foundations.

Featured: 2021 Innovation in Affordable Housing Student Design and Planning Competition Site Visit: Fresno Housing Authority, City of Firebaugh, California

This March, the four final teams in the Innovation in Affordable Housing Student Design and Planning Competition conducted a virtual site visit to help them prepare their designs. For the 2021 competition, the teams will compete to redesign a property with more than 210 units of workforce housing on 5 bordering lots in the largely agricultural town of Firebaugh, California. In addition to designs for this site, the student teams must devise an affordable housing plan for Firebaugh.

In Practice: Revitalization Effort in Historic District Supports Rehabilitation of Old Wooden Mill

Big Chair Lofts is a 139-unit affordable apartment building near downtown Thomasville, North Carolina. The $22 million development was built from what was once Building L of Thomasville Furniture Industries, a historic wooden mill structure. In addition to a covered play area, two-story community room, and outdoor activity center, Big Chair Lofts’ amenities include a media room, fitness room, and a study hall.

Trending: Centering Equity and Efficiency in Coronavirus Housing Responses

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, as businesses closed and unemployment rose, local governments feared that widespread loss of income among low-wage renters would result in mass evictions. King County, Washington, responded to this crisis by launching its Eviction Prevention and Rental Assistance Program in August 2020. The $41 million program used federal, state, and local funds to pay owed rent of applicants facing eviction, prioritizing those most at risk and implementing measures to promote equity amongst applicants.

Spotlight on PD&R Research: A Balanced Housing Market and Strong Automotive Industry in the Greenville HMA

The most recent article in a series focusing on HUD’s Comprehensive Housing Market Analyses examines the Greenville Housing Market Area (HMA) in upstate South Carolina. This HMA, which is coterminous with the Greenville Metropolitan Statistical Area, includes 4 counties and has an estimated population of 936,100. The HMA experienced job losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic, though certain sectors, such as automotive manufacturing, are expected to expand over the next 3 years. The housing sales market is balanced.

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