Table of Contents

June 2009 - FEATURES

SPECIAL FOCUS >>The Local Effect

Nearly two dozen leading U.S. mayors, including R.T. Rybak of Minneapolis, tell AFFORDABLE HOUSING FINANCE about their housing goals and policies. They all report that the need for affordable housing is surging in the wake of the economic downturn.
(Cover photo by Darrell Eager)

• The View from City Hall
  The nation’s mayors address growing need for affordable housing
• Mining from the Past
  R.T. Rybak mines important lessons out of the old streetcar cities of the past.
• Leading the Way
  Thomas Menino likes a tough job. The longtime mayor of Boston used to work as a Sec. 8 program administrator for the state.
• After the Storms
  In Houston, Mayor Bill White has faced some huge issues since taking office in 2004.
• Phoenix Fights Foreclosures
  As foreclosures spread like a plague, this city stands as one of the hot zones.
• Thinking Big
  At the Nation's Capital, Mayor Adrian M. Fenty has set some ambitious housing goals for his first term.
• Seattle Mayor Pushes Housing Levy
  On three occasions, the voters here agreed to raise their taxes to support affordable housing.
• Calling for More Funds
  Mayor Tom Leppert of Dallas, Texas and seven other big-city mayors in Texas recently joined forces to request $25 million from the state to combat homelessness.
• The Cost of Housing
  Joseph P. Riley Jr. says affordable housing is among the top five priorities in Charleston’s overall agenda.
• Keeping Austin Affordable *Web Extra
  Austin plans to spend $22.6 million on programs for the homeless in 2009.
• Baltimore Eyes New Programs to Boost Housing *Web Extra
  Much of this city’s housing stock is more than 50 years old compared with an average of 30 years or more for the rest of the country.

   Also in this Issue

• New Directions
• More Officials Tapped for HUD
• The Buzz
• POP Quiz *Web Extra
• Grapevine
• Mayors Leading the Charge
• Finance
• What’s Ahead for Enterprise
• Stable Prices, Tough Standards
• Affordable, If You Can Find It
• Asset Management
• Controlling LIHTC Property Taxes *Web Extra
• Market Opportunities
• Supportive Housing Hit Hard *Web Extra
• Deal Strategies
• Tax Credit Attorneys Discuss Strategy for Overcoming Eligibility Issues *Web Extra
• Regional Report: Midwest
• Struggling to Close
• Rehab Brews in Milwaukee
• Model Project on the Brink *Web Extra
• Regional News: Nationwide
• Green Scene
• Disaster Turns a Town Green