Articles Archives

The Big “What If?”

7 min read

Imagine a world without tax credits. No Low Income Housing Tax Credit. No New Markets Tax Credit.

Talking Heads Milton Pratt Jr., The Michaels Development Co.

11 min read

Founded in 1973 by Michael J. Levitt, The Michaels Organization, Marlton, NJ, ranks among the nation’s largest private-sector developers and owners of affordable housing.

Local Preservation Tools

13 min read

There is no argument that affordable and subsidized housing is under strain and in many areas, finding land and launching new building projects is increasingly problematic.

Housing USA, Detroit

6 min read

Detroit, MI—This struggling city has a land mass of 138 square miles. And about dead-on 7.2 miles of it is certifiably “back.”

Housing in the Face of Disaster

6 min read

Those who follow housing policy already understand that there is a nationwide housing crisis. Various demographics in the U.S., faced with low wages and government regulations that make the commodity more expensive, cannot buy or rent the units they need.

Game Changers: Miracle on 42nd St.

6 min read

As a young comedian in 1970s New York City, Larry David worked the Times Square comedy clubs at night and would stumble home feigning belligerency to blend with the iniquitous nightlife that was the West Side.

Cost Containment Strategies: Katerra

8 min read

A little over a century after the assembly line and vertical integration came to the automobile industry and transformed the nation, the same concepts and efficiencies are slowly making their way into the construction business.

New Developments, Year in Review, Year Ahead

5 min read

2017 has been a year to remember for community development and affordable housing professionals.

Untraditional Lending

7 min read

Community development financial institutions are small but nimble providers of housing and economic development funding for a very wide array of purposes often not filled by traditional lenders. They are often useful to help make Low Income Housing Tax Credit deals work by providing things, like LIHTC equity bridge financing and capital for general and limited partnership acquisitions.

Talking Heads, Robert Davenport, National Development Council

10 min read

Inspired by the assassinations of Dr. Martin Luther King and Senator Robert Kennedy in 1968, Robert Davenport has spent most of his life examining the root causes of racism and poverty in America and advocating for policies that encourage positive change in America’s most distressed cities and neighborhoods.

RetrofitNY

8 min read

As energy conservation grows in importance from both a financial and environmental standpoint, and as the task of preserving affordable housing intensifies, New York state is launching a bold initiative to confront both challenges. RetrofitNY, pronounced “Retrofit New York” and administered by NYSERDA – the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority – has the goal, in the agency’s own words, “to spearhead the creation of standardized, scalable solutions and processes that will improve the aesthetic and comfort of residential buildings while dramatically improving their energy performance.

Housing USA: Chicago

6 min read

Public housing has long been one of America’s top examples of government failure. From urban renewal, through the construction of high-rise ghettos, to demolition and rebuilding, the story has been about optimism and good intentions, followed by mismanagement and delay.

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