Publications

This analysis provides a broad overview of state housing policy with a particular focus on policies that help remediate child poverty, promote family and residential stability for children, and help families access communities of opportunity that offer good schools and other amenities that make them especially good places to raise children.

A guide to policy and practice for veterans permanent supportive housing, highlighting essential elements, funding programs, and examples of developments across the U.S.

This research working paper uses the lifecycle cost methodology to compare the total cost of developing and maintaining multifamily affordable rental housing over a 50-year period using either acquisition-rehab or new construction. Our analysis of a convenience sample of more than 200 properties found that, all else equal, new construction added approximately $40,000 to $71,000 (25 to 45 percent) per-unit to the lifecycle costs.   

This paper is part of a suite of materials exploring lifecycle underwriting, including an online tool and two additional working papers.

View suite of materials

Lifecycle underwriting represents a new way of thinking about the costs of multifamily affordable housing. A policy working paper explores the policy and practical implications of lifecycle underwriting and opens up a debate about the trade-offs of financing properties for a 50-year viability period, rather than the more typical 15-year time frame.

The suite of materials also includes L-Cycle, a free tool that enables users to estimate whether a property is likely to have sufficient funds to meet expected capital needs over a full 50-year lifecycle. 

[view the suite of materials]