Is Smart Growth Smart for Low-Income Households: A Study of the Impact of Four Smart Growth Principles on the Supply of Affordable Housing

This research tests the relationship between each of four smart growth principles and the supply of affordable housing for low-income households. The four principles are higher residential density, a variety of housing options, mixed land use, and the preservation of open space. The relationships are tested at the neighborhood level in two different types of metropolitan regions, those with an urban containment policy to combat sprawl and those without. Four regions were chosen to represent two pairs. Each pair consisted of two regions which had similar urban containment policies at one point in time and different policies at a second point. By comparing regression analyses from these two points in time, the research design can detect the influence of urban containment on the relationships among the specific smart growth principles and the supply of affordable units. The first pair of regions is of Portland and Seattle. Urban growth boundaries were present in the Portland region in 1990, but not in the Seattle region. Such boundaries were present in both regions in 2000. The second pair consists of the regions of Baltimore and Philadelphia. Neither region had urban containment in 1990, but priority funding areas were established throughout the Baltimore region by 2000.The research provides evidence for the following conclusions. First, a variety of housing options, specifically the availability of multi-unit structures, is associated with a greater supply of affordable rental units. Second, greater residential density in general is typically associated with a greater supply of affordable rental units. Third, a variety of housing options better explains the variation in the supply of affordable units than a general measure of density. Fourth, urban containment policies do not influence the relationships between the smart growth principles and the supply of affordable housing. A policy implication of these conclusions is that growth management mandates to increase residential density should also specify the type of housing developed if growth management is to have positive consequences for the supply of affordable units

Advancing Racial Equity in Emergency Rental Assistance Programs

The NYU Furman Center, together with the Housing Initiative at Penn and the National Low Income Housing Coalition, recently co-authored a report describing these "first-generation" COVID rental assistance programs, based on a survey of 220 programs across the country. This brief draws upon the analysis from that survey, along with additional document review and interviews with selected program administrators. Based on these sources, the brief highlights several lessons about strategies states and localities can use to design and implement more equitable emergency rental assistance programs

Guiding Ethical Principles in Engineering Biology Research

Engineering biology is being applied toward solving or mitigating some of the greatest challenges facing society. As with many other rapidly advancing technologies, the development of these powerful tools must be considered in the context of ethical uses for personal, societal, and/or environmental advancement. Researchers have a responsibility to consider the diverse outcomes that may result from the knowledge and innovation they contribute to the field. Together, we developed a Statement of Ethics in Engineering Biology Research to guide researchers as they incorporate the consideration of long-term ethical implications of their work into every phase of the research lifecycle. Herein, we present and contextualize this Statement of Ethics and its six guiding principles. Our goal is to facilitate ongoing reflection and collaboration among technical researchers, social scientists, policy makers, and other stakeholders to support best outcomes in engineering biology innovation and development

Density, Housing Types and Mixed Land Use: Smart Tools for Affordable Housing?

Smart growth proponents suggest that the housing needs of low-income households can be better met by neighbourhoods of greater density, a greater variety of housing types and mixed land use than by neighbourhoods dominated by low-density, single-family homes. This research tests these relationships in two regions: one with and one without urban containment policies. The research provides evidence that neighbourhoods with a greater variety of housing types and residential density have a greater quantity of units affordable to very low-income renters and, at the same time, a greater quantity of units that are not affordable. An implication of the findings is that planners and growth management advocates should specify goals of housing types, in addition to density targets, when creating or updating comprehensive plans for future growth.

Out of Reach 2021: The High Cost of Housing

Out of Reach documents the significant gap between renters' wages and the cost of rental housing across the United States. The report's central statistic, the Housing Wage, is an estimate of the hourly wage a full-time worker must earn to afford a modest rental home at HUD's fair market rent (FMR) without spending more than 30% of his or her income on housing costs, the accepted standard of affordability. The FMR is an estimate of what a family moving today can expect to pay for a modestly priced rental home in a given area

Applying IEC 62132-2 to the real world: Immunity of an analogue to digital converter

The susceptibility of an analogue to digital (A/D) converter was measured according to IEC 62132-2 (TEM cell). The chip on its own had a high immunity as the lead-frame presents a small loop area and picks up little energy from an interfering source. With a small (15mm) track added the immunity was greatly reduced and showed a number that the interference had least effect at harmonics of the A/D converter clock frequency