This report was prepared by ICF International under a contract with USDA to analyze the Rural Development Multi-family Housing Program, identify problems, and provide recommendations for changes to address such problems. This assessment included 333 detailed field inspections and 32 market studies, and this report provides detailed findings and implications for rural development across the country.

This presentation was given by researchers at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill and the Center for Social Development at the Eleventh Annual Welfare Research and Evaluation Conference that is sponsored through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation. The research questions included: 1. Does IDA program participation affect clearing old debts as preparation for applying for a home loan? and 2. Does IDA program participation affect rates of homeownership among those who enter the program as renters? Among the findings, IDAs appear to be effective in helping low-income families save for a home.

This bibliography was prepared for the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, as part of a 12-month assessment that looks at the feasibility of studying the consequences of Hurricane Katrina for the ACF service populations. Authored by the Urban Institute, this piece offers a list of resources that address the human, social, and economic dimensions of the storm.

The LA HOPE project is designed to support clients in permanent supportive housing transition into gainful employment. The project provides a safety net to address barriers to self-sufficiency, which includes long-term substance abuse barriers. This resource is an evaluation of the program that was conducted by the Urban Institute.

This resource is from the What Works Clearinghouse, which is through the U.S. Department of Education, and provides information on the Job Corps program. The Job Corps program is a federally-funded education and job training program for economically disadvantaged youth that offers remedial education, GED preparation, vocational training, job placement assistance, and other supportive services.

From the Urban Institute, this paper is an evaluation of the Special Homeless Initiative (HI) of the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health. The Homeless Initiative was designed to prevent and end homelessness among the most vulnerable clients and clients with serious mental illness. This is the third report in the evaluation series and provides data on client outcomes from the Initiative.

This report is from the Brookings Institution and reviews income inequality and new housing construction in 215 metropolitan areas. Findings show that between 1970 and 2000, distressed and non-distressed metropolitan areas with rapidly growing income inequality also had rapidly growing segregation by income. Researchers suggest that policies to reduce income inequality can help reduce overbuilding and income segregation in distressed areas.

From the Urban Institute, this paper reviews lessons learned on utilizing child care and housing vouchers to support families. Authors focus on strategies for implementing voucher programs to improve outcomes for children and families. For example, the development of evidence-based criteria to identify high-quality child care and opportunity-rich neighborhoods can often improve voucher programs.

The Urban Institute authored this report on findings from the Opportunity and Ownership Project. Information in this report is provided on housing reforms necessary to support low-income families. Researchers argue that shifting public funds from programs that subsidize rental housing projects to a revised voucher program would increase homeownership among low-income households.

This report from the Urban Institute offers an update on affordable rental housing in Louisiana after the devastation caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005. It was estimated that 36 percent of homeowner stock and 56 percent of rental stock was damaged or destroyed. Authors offer information on rental housing policy and promising practices for addressing the challenges facing low-income renters returning to their communities.