Tag Archives: Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University

Don Layton, the current Senior Industry Fellow at the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University—and former CEO of Freddie Mac—released a new column on the policymaking implications of record-high mortgage origination profits during the pandemic he authored after the ...

The conforming loan limit reached $971,000 last year for high-priced areas, leading to concerns the government may be subsidizing loans for wealthy families unnecessarily. Former Freddie Mac CEO Don Layton takes a deeper dive into this issue.

While the national market now has enough momentum to be an engine of economic growth, the lingering pressures on homeownership, the eroding affordability of rental housing, and the growing concentration of poverty are very much in the way.

The U.S. is not prepared to accommodate its aging population where housing needs are concerned, according to a report released by Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies and AARP Foundation released on September 2.

After reviewing research on perceptions of homeownership, Harvard University's Joint Center for Housing Studies found the housing crisis does not appear to have had any major long-term effects on Americans' perceptions of homeownership. ""Our review of early research on the impacts of the housing crisis on attitudes toward homeownership suggest that no extraordinary efforts will be needed to attract American households back into the housing market,"" the Center said in its paper, Reexamining the Social Benefits of Homeownership After the Crisis.

Demand for rental housing is on the rise, but the federal government is reducing its role in the sector, according to a new report from Harvard University's Joint Center for Housing Studies (JCHS). Rental households now make up 35 percent of all households in the United States, according to JCHS. Researchers at the Center are concerned that as the federal government decreases its activity in the multifamily market, affordable housing may become scarce.

Nonprofits such as Rebuilding Together, Habitat for Humanity, NeighborWorks America and others play a critical role in the home improvement and repair industry, according to a study from the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies. The report found that while the private sector spends about $300 billion a year to improve and repair homes, nonprofits support the home remodeling industry by fulfilling a need unmet by the private sector. By maintaining and improving homes for vulnerable populations, nonprofits help groups such as the elderly and disabled by creating a safer residence for those who may not be able to undertake crucial home repair projects.

Dr. Christopher Herbert, research director at the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University, has been named to the board of directors of the Homeownership Preservation Foundation (HPF). Herbert spent the last two decades conducting research related to housing policy, housing markets, housing finance, and urban development. He also promotes and maintains homeownership for low-income and minority families.