Revitalization efforts in the Trumbull Village neighborhood get a boost when Extreme Makeover: Home Edition visits town.
Housing/Land Use – Local Housing Authorities
Naples Weathers a Woeful Housing Market, Fears an Infrastructure Overload
Sluggish real estate market in Naples, Florida coincides with controversy over plans to expand I-75, the area’s major thoroughfare.
Maxwell Awards Recognize Affordable Housing Projects
Tierra del Sol, an affordable housing complex that includes a charter school, was recently awarded the Maxwell Award for exemplary affordable housing projects. Other award winning projects are located in Chicago, New Bedford and Lawrence Massachusetts.
GulfGov Study Finds “Hurricane Economies” Among the Effects of Katrina and Rita – One Year Later
The Rockefeller Institute has published a comprehensive report on the fiscal impact of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita – one year after the storms hit the Gulf Coast.
Chicago Housing Authority Leads Nation in Voucher Purchases
HUD has released a new study on housing voucher programs around the country … Chicago’s cutting-edge program has helped over 130 new homeowners with the purchase of a home, more than any other housing agency in the nation.
Government Watchdog Groups Weigh New Orleans Options for Municipal Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy should be considered one possble option – to be evaluated along with other alternatives – for the City of New Orleans and other Louisiana communities facing fiscal distress, according to a study released by two local public policy organizations.
Proposed Universal Preschool Program in California Sparks Cost? Benefit Debate Among Public Policy Think Tanks
California voters will be asked to approve a $2.4 billion universal preschool initiative on the ballot this June. The Reason Foundation, a non-profit think tank group, recently published a policy brief contending that the per-pupil cost of this proposal is too high, and that the state would be better off redistributing funds already designates for preschool programs.
Two Mississippi Cities Consider Historic Merger
In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, two Mississippi cities – Bay St. Louis and Waveland – are considering the consolidation of local government serivces. This merger would be the first in the state, which currently carries a law that prohibits this type of union.
New Georgia City Contracts with Private Firm to Provide Bulk of Municipal Services
Serving as an example of how some communities are privatizing municipal services, Sandy Springs, Georgia has contracted with outside firm CH2M HILL-OMI to provide many of its public works and administrative functions.
Municipalities Caught in the Middle as Wal-Mart Faces Mounting Criticism
The growing debate over whether Wal-Mart’s expansion helps or hinders local communities impacts municipalities across the country.