“National Summary – This report was prepared at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York based on information collected on or before February 17, 2017. This document summarizes comments received from contacts outside the Federal Reserve System and is not a commentary on the views of Federal Reserve officials. Overall Economic Activity – Reports from… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: Housing
Lodging, Office and Commercial Construction Grew in 2016
“Today, the U.S. Census Bureau released monthly construction spending for January 2017 as well as revised estimates for 2016. Total construction spending in 2016 was estimated at $1,164 billion. This represents a 4.7 percent increase from 2015. Sectors that showed the largest percentage increases were: Lodging (25.4 percent). Office (25.1 percent). Commercial (11.3 percent). Private… Continue Reading
New Housing Vacancy Survey Annual Statistics
“The U.S. Census Bureau released annual statistics for the 2016 vacancy rates, homeownership rates and characteristics of units available for occupancy for the United States, regions, states and the 75 largest metropolitan statistical areas. Data for all geographies are from the Current Population Survey and are available both quarterly and annually. Homeownership rates are also… Continue Reading
Report – A Close Look at the Decline of Homeownership
Federal Reserve Bank of New York – Liberty Street Economics – Andrew Haughwout, Richard Peach, and Joseph Tracy, February 17, 2017 “The homeownership rate—the percentage of households that own rather than rent the homes that they live in—has fallen sharply since mid-2005. In fact, in the second quarter of 2016 the homeownership rate fell to… Continue Reading
GAO – HUD Needs to Address Significant Weaknesses in Its Cost Estimating Practice
“The cost estimates that the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) developed for the four selected information technology (IT) investments were unreliable and, thus, lacked a sound basis for informing the department’s investment and budgetary decisions. GAO’s Cost Estimating and Assessment Guide (Cost Guide) defines best practices that are associated with four characteristics of… Continue Reading
Research – Basic Facts about Low-Income Children in America
National Center for Children in Poverty Report January 2017 – “Among all children under 18 years in the U.S., 43 percent live in low-income families and 21 percent—approximately one in five—lives in a poor family. This means that children are overrepresented among our nation’s poor; they represent 23 percent of the population but comprise 33… Continue Reading
New OECD Affordable Housing Database
“Access to good-quality affordable housing is a fundamental need and key to achieving a number of social policy objectives, including reducing poverty and enhancing equality of opportunity, social inclusion and mobility. Housing needs are frequently unmet, and today a significant number of people across the OECD are homeless and too many households live in low-quality… Continue Reading
President Donald J. Trump Announces His Cabinet
White House prress release, February 8, 2017 reflects a cabinet with designees still awaiting confirmation: President Donald J. Trump today formally announced the 24 people who will be serving with him on his Cabinet. Unfilled positions – Agriculture, Commerce, Energy, EPA, HUD, Interior, Labor, Small Business, Veterans Affairs, OMB, Director of National Intelligence and the… Continue Reading
Turning Homeowners into Outlaws: How Anti-Home-Sharing Regulations Chip Away at the Foundation of an American Dream
Sandefur, Christina, Turning Homeowners into Outlaws: How Anti-Home-Sharing Regulations Chip Away at the Foundation of an American Dream (January 30, 2017). University of Hawaii Law Review, Forthcoming. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2908248 ““Home-sharing” may sound like a modern invention, part of the cutting-edge, high-tech “sharing economy.” In fact, home-sharing is a centuries-old American tradition. For generations,… Continue Reading
Beige Book Summary of Commentary on Current Economic Conditions By Federal Reserve District January 2017
Overall Economic Activity – “Reports from the twelve Federal Reserve Districts indicated that the economy continued to expand at a modest pace across most regions from late November through the end of the year. Manufacturers in most Districts reported increased sales with several citing a turnaround versus earlier in 2016. Growth in the energy industry… Continue Reading
The Online Atlas of Urban Expansion
“The Atlas of Urban Expansion, an open-source online resource with maps, satellite images, and data on spatial changes in cities around the world, has been revised and updated. The new database is a partnership of the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, UN-Habitat, and New York University, The Atlas of Urban Expansion now features a global… Continue Reading
2015 American Housing Survey Statistics for Selected Metropolitan Areas
“This release of statistics from the 2015 American Housing Survey includes summary tables for the 15 largest metropolitan areas and 10 additional metropolitan areas. The 2015 American Housing Survey examined many characteristics, including: Housing costs for owners and renters. Remodeling and repair frequency. Reasons for moving. Additionally, the latest survey data provide statistics about: Food… Continue Reading
