Community / Economic Development

HUD Announces $2 Billion in Grant Funding for Local Homeless Programs
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is renewing program support for thousands of local programs that offer support and assistance to the homeless.

Portland Throwing its Pioneering Neighborhood System Under the Bus
A muddled agenda of inclusion seems to be a rationale to eviscerate one of the Oregon city's most lauded civic assets.

Gentrification in Chinatown Harms Social Cohesion, Food Security
A new report focuses on the consequences of gentrification in Vancouver's Chinatown neighborhood.

Denver's Building Boom: Self-Storage Facilities
Self-storage facilities have been popping up around Denver long before Marie Kondo's show streamed on Netflix.

Easing the Tax Burden of Commercial Renters in Manhattan
Some renters of commercial renters in Manhattan will get the equivalent of a month's rent back if the city approves a change to the commercial rent tax.

First 'Creative District' Designated in Washington
A new creative district program in the state of Washington is modeled on the program in Colorado, among others.

Behind the Community-Building Mission of the Orton Family Foundation
The work of the Orton Family Foundation provides a leading example of community-driven revitalization at work in small towns all over the country, according to this feature in the Christian Science Monitor.

Property Tax Relief on the Table for Pittsburgh's Developing Neighborhoods
Pittsburgh is considering a gentrification and displacement prevention measure for longtime residents of rapidly changing neighborhoods in the city of Pittsburgh.

Lincoln Park and the Complicated History of Gentrification in Chicago
The following excerpt, written by Daniel Kay Hertz in the introduction to The Battle of Lincoln Park, challenges assumptions about the forces of gentrification in Chicago, with lessons for communities around the country.

The 'Latino Homeless Paradox'
The city of Philadelphia provides a case study of the so-called "Latino Homeless Paradox." There are many more low-income and homeless Latinos than reflected in the numbers of those using supportive services in the city.

An Illustrated Exploration of Portland's Homeless Community
An illustrated comic strip introduces the community of support found at Right 2 Dream Too, a homeless community of tents and tiny homes built by and for homeless people.

Food Insecurity a Growing Problem in Louisville
Supermarket closings have turned parts of the city into food deserts. As a result, residents lack access to fresh food and suffer health and economic consequences.

Dense Cities Have Less to Offer Low-Skilled Workers Than They Once Did
A study from economist David Autor finds that the higher wages once offered workers without college degrees or special skills are mostly gone. Workers in cities often earn what they would in rural areas.

Understanding the 'Dark Store Theory' Costing Local Governments Millions in Property Tax
The New York Times takes a deep dive into the "dark store theory" costing local municipalities millions, and potentially more, in property tax revenues all over the country.

Rising Homelessness, Erroneous Data: Rethinking Utah's 'Housing First' Policy
An annual reports finds a growing number of homelessness in Utah. That information, coupled with mistakes in earlier reports, casts doubt on the state's record of success in housing vulnerable populations.

Vermont to Pay People to Relocate
To encourage people to move to Vermont, new program will help remote workers with the costs of relocating.
Tolls, Not Gas and Sales Taxes, Will Fund I-81 Improvements in Virginia
Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam announced he is backing Republican legislation to toll all lanes of Interstate 81 to fund $2.2 billion in improvements along the 325-mile corridor, heavily used by trucks, from West Virginia to Tennessee.
On Demand Shuttle Operator to Cease Operations in Nine Cities
San Francisco-based shuttle operator Chariot, acquired by Ford Motor Company in 2016, will end its operations by March in the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Seattle, Austin, New York, Columbus, Detroit, Denver, and London.

U.S. Carbon Emissions Increased Last Year After a Three-Year Decline
The sobering news comes from the Rhodium Group, a research firm that tracks CO2 emissions. The preliminary estimate is the third in two months to show an increase in 2018, attributing it to an improved economy and Trump's regulation rollbacks.

Tax Deal Paves Way for Atlanta's Gulch Mega-Project
The city of Atlanta approved its largest development project since the 1960s back in November, but still needed the school district to sign off on a funding plan to help for the $1.9 billion in public subsidies that will support the project.
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Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service