Due to the financial consequences from the Great Recession, many US communities have been unable to make significant progress in preparing to meet the needs of the country’s rapidly aging population. The Maturing of America—Communities Moving Forward for an Aging Population, a follow-up to an extensive survey conducted in 2005, reveals that at best, communities have managed to maintain the status quo for the past six years due to the decline in the overall economy and local government budgets.

This report presents the findings of an effort undertaken by the Urban Institute to validate a set of candidate indicators for creative placemaking initiatives. Creative placemaking is described as a process or endeavor in which “partners from public, private, non-profit and community sectors strategically shape the physical and social character of a neighborhood, town, city or region around arts and cultural activities.” [Executive Summary p. 2]

The third annual Soul of the Community report prodcued by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and Gallup was conducted over three years in 26 cities across the United States where Knight Foundation is active. It was designed to find out what emotionally attaches people to a community — what makes them want to put down roots and build a life there.

This report aims to bridge a knowledge gap between the affordable housing and healthcare fields that limits their ability to implement health and housing projects and partnerships. These two sectors have begun to realize how much they overlap, but while great work has been done to expose practitioners in both fields to information about their shared interests and common goals, the results to date have been relatively modest. [Executive Summary p. 4]

The report released by the National Low Income Housing Coalition in March 2017 by finds that no state has an adequate supply of affordable rental housing for the lowest income renters.

The report first explores the way in which housing can affect the lives and success of individuals, and how the effect varies for different segments of the population.