2014 Summary: Community Development and Policy Studies Update
In Community Development and Policy Studies (CDPS) field work throughout the Seventh District, CDPS contacts – in varying contexts – have voiced concerns about conditions impacting low- and moderate-income (LMI) populations and communities. CDPS conducts regular surveys of people representing organizations that serve LMI communities in varying ways. Our survey respondents represent organizations in the fields of: real estate development; finance; financial counseling; economic development; banking; consumer advocacy; small business development; philanthropy; law; higher education; agriculture; manufacturing; and human services. This blog is a summary of responses from the 2014 CDPS surveys based on the three charts below.
As indicated by the graph below, respondents over the course of 2014 believe that many issues are impacting the single family housing market. Over 50 percent of respondents each time we asked felt that the oversupply of vacant homes and the inability of buyers to get mortgages were the two biggest issues affecting the LMI communities in 2014.
1. Biggest issues impacting single family housing market in 2014
As indicated by the graph below, respondents over the course of 2014 differed to some degree on the primary sources of community development financing in their areas. The three sources noted the most each time we asked the question in 2014 were government, community development financial institutions (CDFIs), and banks.
2. Primary sources of community development financing in 2014
As indicated by the graph below, respondents over the course of 2014 believe that many institutions are involved in community development efforts in their region. The four leading types of organizations (over 50 percent each time we asked the question in 2014) were nonprofits, government, community based organizations, and developers.
3. Institutions involved in leading community development efforts in 2014
In addition to hearing from respondents about what is happening in community development on a periodic basis, the survey also supplemented research in CDPS and respondents comments’ were summarized in a ProfitWise News and Views in 2014, “From Classroom to Career: An Overview of Current Workforce Development Trends, Issues and Initiatives,”in addition to numerous blogs.
