Supporting low-income homeowners: lessons from a program to coordinate weatherization and rehabilitation services

Homeownership is the primary way most families build wealth in this country. Low-income homeowners are less likely to get that benefit because they are more likely to own older houses that are more costly to operate and need more essential maintenance. Rapidly escalating home energy costs are straining the budgets of many low-income homeowners, increasing the likelihood of under maintenance and mortgage default. This paper presents an evaluation of a demonstration program designed to coordinate weatherization and rehabilitation programs in order to assist low-income households, decrease energy costs, and to improve the condition and value of their homes. The experience of 11 local non-profit organizations, funded to develop programs to coordinate weatherization and housing rehabilitation services, were studied over a five-year period. The results of the evaluation indicate that there are many obstacles to coordinating weatherization and rehabilitation programs, but that it can be accomplished under the right conditions. Major gaps exist between program eligibility thresholds and in the types of assistance available to low-income homeowners. Policy recommendations for facilitating coordination are presented.     

住房保障建设应把握的几个问题

由于对市场化住房制度和住房保障制度、住房保障的性质和原则、保障对象和保障水平、救济性住房保障和救助性住房保障等,这些与住房保障密切相关的基本问题缺乏全面认识和准确的把握,不仅导致了理论上的颇多争议,也带来了实践中的诸多困惑。为了明辨我国住房保障建设的思路和方向,本文从理论与实践层面对这些问题进行了探索和阐释。     

国际金融危机背景下俄罗斯低收入群体的生活水平

国际金融危机背景下,俄罗斯居民购买力下降,需求受到一定程度的抑制。低收入群体的生活水平低下,他们中多数人饮食质量变差、生活耐用品占有相对缺乏、基本的医疗救助不足、社会心理沉重。其生活水平是可被民众接受的最低标准。加强社会保障和就业安置并加大对社会低收入阶层等弱势群体的扶助力度,不断完善社会福利与救济制度,是俄政府当前面临的最大任务之一,同时也给我们一定的借鉴和启发。     

Housing Affordability and Child Well-Being

We test three hypotheses about the role of housing affordability in child cognitive achievement, behavior, and health. Using longitudinal data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, we apply both propensity-score matching and instrumental-variable modeling as identification strategies and test the sensitivity of results to omitted variable bias. The analysis reveals an inverted-U-shaped relation between the fraction of income devoted to housing and cognitive achievement. The inflection point at approximately 30% supports the long-standing rule-of-thumb definition of affordable housing. There is no evidence of affordability effects on behavior or health.