Community Development

Can Housing Be Green and Affordable?

Green building and affordable housing are natural partners with the common goals of ensuring long-term housing affordability, creating neighborhoods of choice and limiting urban sprawl. Although many assume green building is not cost effective in affordable housing, growing evidence suggests that it’s often economically justifiable.

Soaring Insurance Costs Make Housing Less Affordable

Housing affordability is being challenged in many hurricane- and flood-prone areas by the mounting expense of insurance brought on by recent shocks to the industry.

CRA Revisions: Flexibility and New Choices

Effective September 2005, the Community Reinvestment Act underwent changes that expand the definition of community development and create a new category of financial institution.

Reverse Mortgages Provide Answers for Some (but Not All) Seniors

Homeowners who are 62 or older are opting to tap into their equity to cover long-term care expenses and home repairs that will allow them to live independently longer.

Recruiting Retirees Calls for Careful Planning

Aging baby boomers will swell the retiree ranks with significant disposable income in the coming decades. Many rural communities have made attracting retirees a key component of their overall economic development strategy.