States Internet Research Repository

The State Internet Research Repository (SIRR) is a new NLIHC initiative aimed at advancing the research needs of our state partners and disseminating their findings to a wider audience. We hope that, in time, SIRR becomes a complete library of housing research conducted by or for our state coalition partners and includes a wide variety of document types: research reports, case studies, conference papers and presentations, fact sheets, briefs, etc. We hope that this resource will help housing advocates stay current not just on other states' findings but also on the research questions and methodologies being pursued at the state and local levels across the country.

Foreclosure

Dimensions of Ohio’s Foreclosure Crisis
STATE: Ohio
TYPE: Slideshow
DATE: December 2008
AUTHOR: Bill Faith, Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio
DESCRIPTION: This presentation outlines the foreclosure crisis in Ohio and the role that subprime lending has played in the crisis.
Foreclosures: Economic, Legal & Social Impact
STATE: Nevada
TYPE: Slideshow
DATE: February 2008
AUTHOR: Gail Burks, Nevada Fair Housing Center, Inc.
DESCRIPTION: This presentation provides an overview of the economic, legal and social impacts of foreclosures and highlights some local data from Nevada and approaches that work in preventing foreclosures.

Findings from the HB 4050 Predatory Lending Database Pilot Program
STATE: Illinois
TYPE: Research Report
DATE: April 2007
AUTHOR: Housing Action Illinois
DESCRIPTION: Eleven HUD-certified Counseling Agencies participated in the HB 4050 Predatory Lending Database Pilot Program and this report is the result of the data they collected during the program.

Moving Out, Rhode Island: An Analysis of 2008 Foreclosure Related Evictions
STATE: Rhode Island
TYPE: Research Report
DATE: June 2009
AUTHOR: Steve Fischbach, Rhode Island Legal Services
DESCRIPTION: Tables, charts, and maps that show the distribution, cause and occurrence rate of foreclosures associated with the national economic crisis in Rhode Island.


Investing in Home Production to Stimulate California's Economy
STATE: California
TYPE: Research Report
DATE: April, 2009
AUTHOR: Housing California
DESCRIPTION: This report focuses on the cases and solutions to California’s struggling housing market. Suggested solutions include “shovel-ready” projects and removing pressure from the rental market by creating more affordable rental homes.

Homelessness/Permanent Supportive Housing

Cost of Homelessness: Cost Analysis of Permanent supportive Housing
STATE: Maine
TYPE: Research Report
DATE: September 2007
AUTHOR: Shalom House, Inc., ABG Consulting and the University of New England
DESCRIPTION: This report examines the cost-effectiveness of providing permanent supportive housing to people with long histories of homelessness coupled with disabilities. It is the first such study to be completed in a rural state using actual dollars spent on services, and concludes that the average annual cost of care savings produced by the first year of living in permanent supportive housing was $944 per person.

STATE: Vermont
TYPE: Research Report
DATE: May 2008
AUTHOR: Vermont Housing Finance Agency and Vermont Housing & Conservation Board
DESCRIPTION: This report reviews the literature on the costs and benefits of permanent supportive housing and incorporates state data to discusses the implications for Vermont.

Family Homelessness in Vermont
STATE: Vermont
TYPE: Research Report
DATE: June 2008
AUTHOR: Vermont Housing Finance Agency
DESCRIPTION: This report looks at the trends, causes, and effects of family homelessness in the state and recommends various policy solutions to tackle the issue.

Connecticut Counts 2008: Point-in-Time Homeless Count
STATE: Connecticut
TYPE: Research Report
DATE: July 2008
AUTHOR: CT Coalition to End Homelessness, Corporation for Supportive Housing, and Reaching Home Campaign - Partnership for Strong Communities
DESCRIPTION: Based on point-in-time data collected in January, this report describes the number and nature of homelessness in Connecticut. The report includes sections on methodology, data analysis, and conclusions. Appendices provide statewide and town-level data in Connecticut.


Reducing Parolee Recidivism Through Supportive Homes: Successful Programs by State
STATE: written in California, about Ohio, New York, New Jersey, and Illinois
TYPE: List Report
DATE: February 20th, 2009
AUTHOR: Sharon Sprowls and Karen C. Naungayan of Housing California
DESCRIPTION: A comprehensive list of “supportive housing” resources in four states that show the humanitarian and fiscal reasons for programs that help mentally ill parolees re-enter society. The importance of a stable home for recovery and rehabilitation is stressed in order to end long term homelessness.


State of the Homeless 2009: A Proven Way to Reduce Family Homelessness During the Economic Recession
STATE: New York
TYPE: Research PowerPoint Presentation
DATE: April, 2009
AUTHOR: Coalition for the Homeless
DESCRIPTION: In a report that focuses on the worsening homelessness problems of New York City, many studies are cited as evidence to promote federal assistance, including Section Eight Voucher assistance, as the best solution.

Homelessness in Rhode Island- Gains and Challenges
STATE: Rhode Island
TYPE: Research Report
DATE: April, 2009
AUTHOR: Housing Works RI
DESCRIPTION: In this ‘Issue Brief’, HousingWorks RI describes the current demographics involving homelessness, and then describes proven solutions for those effected.

Housing Affordability


2009 Housing Colorado Facts Book
STATE: Colorado
TYPE: Fact Book
DATE: November 2008
AUTHOR: Housing Colorado
DESCRIPTION: This report evaluates several indicators of housing affordability and production in Colorado and also addresses the foreclosure crisis in the state. The report concludes with several regional analyses and a section on new opportunities for producing affordable housing.

Status of Affordable Housing in Milwaukee
STATE: Wisconsin (Milwaukee)
TYPE: Research Report
DATE: February 2008
AUTHOR: Milwaukee Housing Trust Fund Coalition
DESCRIPTION: This report weaves data from a variety of sources into a narrative on the unaffordability of rental housing in Milwaukee. Data are also provided on public housing and foreclosure trends in the city.

2008 Affordable Housing Briefing Book
STATE: Illinois
TYPE: Briefing Book
DATE: February 2008
AUTHOR: Illinois Housing Roundtable
DESCRIPTION: This Briefing Book provides state legislators with background information on affordable housing issues and recommendations for 13 state initiatives that can effectively address the affordable housing crisis.

Workforce Housing in Dekalb County
STATE: Illinois
TYPE: Research Report
DATE: November 2007
AUTHOR: Dekalb County Housing Action Coalition
DESCRIPTION: The goal of this research report is to determine if working families in Dekalb County are able to find quality housing while paying no more than 30% of their income. The report concludes that this is becoming more and more difficult.

Who Can Afford to Live in Delaware?
STATE: Delaware
TYPE: Research Report
DATE: June 2008
AUTHOR: Delaware Housing Coalition
DESCRIPTION: This report gathers relevant data and analysis regarding the affordability of housing for renters and homeowners and provides recommendations for policies to address the housing needs of the state.

Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Housing and Wages in Vermont
STATE: Vermont
TYPE: Report
DATE: March 2008
AUTHOR: Vermont Housing Council and the Vermont Housing Awareness Campaign
DESCRIPTION: This report tracks housing costs and wages in Vermont in order to understand the affordability of housing in the state.

STATE: Utah
TYPE: Fact Sheets
DATE: 2008
AUTHOR: Utah Housing Coalition
DESCRIPTION: These county-by-county fact sheets present the number of units built using the state loan fund and show the need for additional resources by describing the unaffordability of both rental and homeowner housing in the state. Sources include Out of Reach, a point-in-time homeless survey, home sales prices from a multiple listings service, and wage data from the state's workforce department, to name a few.


Housing Affordability for Households of Color in Massachusetts
STATE: Massachusetts
TYPE: Research Report
DATE: December 2006
AUTHOR: Michael E. Stone, PhD, University of Massachusetts Boston
DESCRIPTION: The author uses the "shelter poverty" approach to show how housing affordability varies by race/ethnicity for renters and owners in Massachusetts.

Minnesota Housing Trends
STATE: Minnesota
TYPE: Research Report
DATE: January 2009
AUTHOR: Minnesota Housing Partnership
DESCRIPTION: Charts and graphs illustrate how the American Community Survey and other data can be used to discuss housing affordability trends. Data are available for Minnesota and four metropolitan areas.
 
Housing Affordability in Maine: Taking Stock
STATE: Maine
TYPE: Research Report
DATE: March 2009
AUTHOR: MIT Center for Real Estate, for the Maine Affordable Housing Coalition
DESCRIPTION: This comprehensive report evaluates the affordable housing stock and affordability trends at the state and sub-state level.

Beyond the Foreclosure Crisis: Reconstituting the Rental Housing Market in Pennsylvania
STATE: Pennsylvania
TYPE: Research Report
DATE: April 2009
AUTHOR: John Kromer, Penn State Fels Institute of Government
DESCRIPTION: With great support from the Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania, the Fels Institute of Government produced a report outlining successful strategies to reshape the housing market in the wake of the economic crisis with mindfulness to the needs of individuals at all incomes. Case studies and summaries of creative strategies such as own-to-rent, conservatorship, community land trusts, and tax abatement.

Housing Needs

Locating Affordable and Accessible Housing for People with Disabilities in Illinois
STATE: Illinois
TYPE: Research Report
DATE: May 2007
AUTHOR: Natalie P. Voorhees Center for Neighborhood and Community Improvement, Housing Action Illinois, and Latinos United
DESCRIPTION: This report looks at all subsidized housing in Illinois in order to identify what affordable and accessible housing for people with disabilities exists in Illinois, where it is located and to whom it is available.

Insecure in Your Own Home: What it Means to Rent in Illinois
STATE: Illinois
TYPE: Research Report
DATE: January 2006
AUTHOR: Douglas Schenkelberg, Tammie Grossman, and Katherine Walz
DESCRIPTION: This report discusses the findings from the Illinois Renters Survey which had the goal of understanding the experiences of renters in Illinois and how best to improve the quality of life for them. The authors make a number of recommendations based on their findings.


Housing Needs of Extremely Low Income Households
STATE: Delaware
TYPE: Research Report
DATE: November 2007
AUTHOR: Center for Community Research and Service, University of Delaware
DESCRIPTION: This is a study of the housing needs of extremely low income households in Delaware conducted for the Delaware Housing Coalition so that they can create a strategic plan and make recommendations for appropriate public policies.

Investing to Meet Delaware’s Affordable Housing Needs: An Economic Impact Analysis
STATE: Delaware
TYPE: Research Report
DATE: November 2004
AUTHOR: William Latham
DESCRIPTION: The goal of this study is to assist policy makers and housing advocates understand the economic and social impacts of investment in various housing programs that are designed to assist low income residents of Delaware.
The Economic Cost of Substandard Housing Conditions Among North Carolina Children
STATE: North Carolina
TYPE: Research Report
DATE: May 2007
AUTHOR: David Chenoweth, Chenoweth & Associates, Inc.
DESCRIPTION: Making the link between housing conditions and the health of children, this report analyzes the direct and indirect costs of treating medical conditions associated with living in substandard housing.

New Jersey and Its Cities: An Agenda for Urban Transformation
STATE: New Jersey
TYPE: Research Report
DATE: May 2008
AUTHOR: Alan Mallach and Diane Sterner
DESCRIPTION: In this report, the authors propose state and local strategies aimed at improving housing, the economy, land-use, neighborhood redevelopment, and governance in New Jersey's cities.

Cities in Transition: New Jersey's Urban Paradox
STATE: New Jersey
TYPE: Research Report
DATE: September 2006
AUTHOR: Alan Mallach, Amanda Frazier, and Diane Sterner
DESCRIPTION: This report looks at housing, economic, and social trends in New Jersey's cities and presents policy recommendations to foster equitable growth in the state's urban centers

STATE: Vermont
TYPE: Research Report
DATE: September 2007
AUTHOR: Vermont Housing Finance Agency
DESCRIPTION: This report looks ahead to 2030 and makes policy recommendations for providing suitable housing for the state's projected elderly population.

STATE: Vermont
TYPE: Research Report
DATE: January 2007
AUTHOR: Vermont Housing Finance Agency
DESCRIPTION: This report uses demographic data to discuss the implications of new housing construction on local school enrollment. It also suggests that communities wishing to increase school enrollment need to consider the size and cost of housing appropriate for families with school-age children.

The 2009 UMass Donahue Institute/CHAPA Housing Poll
STATE: Massachusetts
TYPE: Housing Opinion Poll
DATE: April, 2009
AUTHOR: UMass Donahue Institute/CHAPA
DESCRIPTION: Residents of Massachusetts were polled about their concern for the housing market, and anxiety levels on related problems.

Housing Production/Community Development
Vibrant Michigan Communities in Action
STATE: Michigan
TYPE: Research Report
DATE: 2008
AUTHOR: Community Economic Development Association of Michigan (CEDAM)
DESCRIPTION: Based on survey responses from members, this publication is a comprehensive report on Community Development Corporations in Michigan and their activities. Survey results and case studies discuss the work of CDCs in creating rental and for-sale housing opportunities, as well as their contributions to economic development, sustainable communities, asset building, homeless services, and many other program areas.

The Economic Impact of Minnesota Housing's Investments
STATE: Minnesota
TYPE: Research Report
DATE: 2009
AUTHOR: Minnesota Housing Finance Agency
DESCRIPTION: This report analyzes the direct and indirect effects of Minnesota Housing's spending on employment and tax revenue in the state. The report demonstrates that the agency's spending on housing leverages private investment, and together they generate significant economic benefits.

Housing as a Lever for Economic Recovery
STATE: Minnesota
TYPE: Literature Review
DATE: February 2009
AUTHOR: Donjek, Inc., for the Minnesota Housing Partnership
DESCRIPTION: This report reviews the existing literature on the impact of housing construction on the broader economy. It focuses on the ways in which public support for housing can leverage private capital, create jobs, and increase tax revenue.

An Analysis of the Economic Impacts of a Proposed Affordable Housing Program for Maine
STATE: Maine
TYPE: Research Report
DATE: December 2008
AUTHOR: Charles S. Colgan, Ph.D., for the Maine Affordable Housing Coalition
DESCRIPTION: This report estimates the impact of a proposed housing bond issue on job creation, household income, and tax revenue in Maine.

Strengthening Democracy, Increasing Opportunities: Impacts of Advocacy, Organizing and Civic Engagement in NC
STATE: North Carolina
TYPE: Research Report
DATE: May, 2009
AUTHOR: National Committee for Responsible Philanthropy
DESCRIPTION: In an effort to assess the effectiveness of North Carolina’s nonprofits, NCRP surveyed thirteen organizations that work with underrepresented constituencies, one of which was state partner NC Housing Coalition. The study revealed that for every dollar invested in these strategies, the sample groups garnered $89 in benefits, and that organizations need sustained resources to respond effectively to future challenges.

Rebuilding Pennsylvania’s Housing Market: “Potential and Fiscal Impacts of a Pennsylvania Housing Trust Fund”
STATE: Pennsylvania
TYPE: Research Report
DATE: May, 2009
AUTHOR: Econsult Corporation, commissioned by the Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania
DESCRIPTION: This study recommends creating a Housing Trust Fund in Pennsylvania as a tool to reinvest in homes that would be available to working families in an effort to promote a fiscally enduring and stable community.

Evaluation of First Round Awards Under California’s Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Housing and Infill Infrastructure Grant (IIG) Programs
STATE: California
TYPE: Research Report
DATE: August, 2009
AUTHOR: Housing California
DESCRIPTION: This report evaluates the effectiveness of bonds used to fund housing related programs created in 2006. There is emphasis on how funds were allocated, the level of housing affordability achieved with the aid of the programs, and issues that have arisen with TOD and IIG. The report also includes a comprehensive list of all projects that received funding.

 
Manufactured Housing
Manufactured Housing in Minnesota: Overview and Policy Challenges
STATE: Minnesota
TYPE: Research Report
DATE: May 2008
AUTHOR: Minnesota Housing Partnership
DESCRIPTION: This report describes the important role that manufactured housing plays in the state's affordable housing stock. It analyzes the demographics of manufactures housing residents, compares the stock to site-built homes, and makes a broad range of policy recommendations, including the reclassification of manufactured homes from personal to real property.

 

Property Taxes

 

Is Property Tax Relief or Tax Restructuring the Solution?
STATE: Indiana
TYPE: Research Report
DATE: January 2008
AUTHOR: Indiana Association for Community Economic Development (IACED)
DESCRIPTION: This report explores the property tax crisis in Indiana and whether property tax relief or tax restructuring is the solution to the property tax increases. The authors seek to learn from the past to avoid future crises and provide relief to homeowners who have experienced large increases in their property taxes.

Subsidized Housing

The Housing Choice Voucher Program: Providing Local Relief to Maine with Federal low-Income Housing Reform
STATE: Maine
TYPE: Research Report
DATE: May 2008
AUTHOR: Maine Center for Economic Policy
DESCRIPTION: This report details the results of a survey of 100% of Maine’s Section 8 voucher administrators, provides an overview of the Section 8 program in the state, and makes policy recommendations for improving the program and its impact on low-income Mainers. It focuses significantly on the Section Eight Voucher Reform Act (SEVRA).

Investment at Risk: Public Housing in Minnesota
STATE: Minnesota
TYPE: Research Report
DATE: May 2008
AUTHOR: Leigh Rosenberg, M.S.S.W.
DESCRIPTION: A survey of state public housing authorities and analysis of HUD data suggest that the state's public housing stock will continue to experience loss and deterioration unless recent federal funding cuts are reversed.

Survey of Applicants to the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority Section 8 Waiting List
STATE: Minnesota
TYPE: Research Report
DATE: November 2008
AUTHOR: Leigh Rosenberg, Minnesota Housing Partnership
DESCRIPTION: This report is based on interviews with 161 applicants for the Housing Choice Voucher program in Minneapolis. Among the findings are that roughly one-fourth of applicants were homeless and 7% had been displaced by foreclosure

 

Tenant Rights

Tenant Council Election Manual: A Guide to Building a Duly Elected Resident Body
STATE: Delaware
TYPE: Best Practices
DATE: Unknown
AUTHOR: League of Women Voters of Delaware and Delaware Housing Coalition
DESCRIPTION: This manual is intended to guide tenant councils through the process of the election of officers to ensure a democratic and legitimate election that provides a voice to all tenants.
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