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Derby homes, one of the eight Arms length management organizations (Almo) is making an all out effort to meet the governmentEs decent homes standard by 2010. It aims at improving 5000 prewar houses, some lacking indoor toilets. Its 3 star rating may allow It to borrow in the same way as housing associations do.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development's Section 8 housing policy is condemned for destabilizing Philadelphia-area neighborhoods. As particularly noted, this financial assistance program does not promote affordable housing, restoration or revitalization of substandard properties in mixed-income neighborhoods.

Testing for the presence of housing market externalities on an N-chotomous probit model indicates that neighborhood effects have an influence on household utility, that neighborhood retail activity is also influential, and that certain types of multifamily dwellings have an influence on the utility of households living in nearby single-family units. Condition of the neighborhood properties is another determinant of neighborhood utility index. Perceived condition of nearby properties was one of the strongest predictors of the neighborhood utility index. Zoning ordinances seeking to minimize externalities by regulating the location of new retail activity or multifamily housing within central cities is unjustified. The externalities rationale for housing improvement policies is confirmed .

The Audit Commission for Local Authorities in England and Wales is promoting efforts to reduce the costs of housing benefits by attempting to eliminate the incidence of fraud. The audit commission is preparing a checklist that will help local auditors check and report fraudulent claims. An investigation reveals that between 900 million pounds sterling and 2 billion pounds sterling are lost annually due to fraud.

The article presents a role model for the redevelopment of abandoned properties, using a project in Takoma Park, Maryland as an example. An abandoned building was refurbished and turned into transitional family housing, made possible by the partnership forged between a coalition of churches and a state housing grant agency.

The article presents key elements common to successful Family Self-Sufficiency programs for local housing authorities. These include staff familiarity with program goals, appropriate training and background for program coordinators, conducting in-depth interviews to assess participant needs, and establishing links with other service providers.

There is a housing crisis in this country. This is a truism that is almost pointless writing, but what is curious is the varying characteristics of the crisis. Because, at [...]

Residents of a Lambeth housing estate are leading a campaign to stop the borough selling off their homes. Campaigners on the Ethelred estate claim that Lambeth's new unitary development plan [...]

The revelation that planning policies for affordable housing may be achieving far fewer homes than government figures suggest is a cause for concern. A Joseph Rowntree Foundation-supported study has revealed [...]

E-Maps, created by combining databases of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Dept of Housing and Urban Development, provide detailed information on how projects will impact communities, such as air and drinking water quality. E-maps will also list and describe underutilized commercial and industrial facilities, clean-up activities and regulatory compliance.