(Courtesy of National Journal):  Buying often gives families access to safer neighborhoods, better schools, and more services than renting. And, like it or not, home ownership still offers the best way to save money for the majority of Americans by building up equity, especially in this era of dwindling pensions and stagnant wages. "It is a forced saving mechanism, and if you don't have to think about saving, it goes better," says Brett Theodos, a senior research associate at the nonpartisan think tank, the Urban Institute. MORE

(Courtesy of Housing Matters and Shelterforce):  Incorporating the latest energy standards into new housing is one way to ensure that it is "safe and decent," and it does not necessarily come at the expense of affordability, write Casius Pealer of Tulane University and Lisa Hodges of Howard University. "[A]n exclusive focus on reducing cost doesn't address longer term housing needs and can exacerbate many social challenges such as access to community resources, a healthy living environment, and a housing unit that is durable and cost-effective to live in over time," they write.  MORE

RELATED: Many low-income Americans face a disproportionate energy burden and spend 17 to 50 percent of their paycheck on utility costs. 

What is Financial Capability?

(Courtesy of NeighborWorks America):  Whether planning to purchase a home, saving for educational expenses, or starting a small business - good money management is an important first step. Financial capability helps to put individuals and families on the path to a sustainable financial future.  NeighborWorks America promotes and supports an approach that combines financial education (to share basic skills and knowledge), financial counseling (to resolve specific issues and challenges in the short term) and financial coaching (to encourage behavior change and achieve positive and sustainable long-term outcomes).  MORE
 

HOPE Now's series of 12 military podcast videos illuminates and addresses real service member housing issues, offering insightful tips and direct steps for service members to take to keep their families out of foreclosure.  Topics include:  "Exploring ways the VA can provide assistance with your mortgage challenges;" "Avoiding Scams;" and "Home Donations for Disabled Vets."  MORE
 

(Courtesy of NHC and Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco):  Interview with the Chief Medical Officer of the Volunteers of America (VOA) featured in recent publication by the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco touches on the unique housing challenges facing veterans.  "Housing is another major area of concern, because a lack of support, inadequate access to resources, and isolation all make it very hard for some veterans to maintain stable housing. Like suicide, homelessness is often a final result of these problems once veterans overstay their welcome with friends and relatives and end up isolated on the streets. Substance abuse also makes it hard for veterans to reintegrate, and leads to problems with the legal system. When veterans get weighed down with legal problems, it's also hard to get job, housing and health services."  MORE
 

(Courtesy of NHC and Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco):  Although mental illness and substance abuse are often cited as root causes of veteran homelessness and certainly warrant continued attention and intervention, a sometimes overlooked factor in veteran homelessness is difficulty with financial literacy. It is clear that attaining financial stability through proper money management can be the key to ensuring that veterans are able to maintain stable housing as well. MORE

(Courtesy of Housing Matters):  The sale of $16.7 billion in nonperforming loans by the U.S. Housing and Urban Development Department helped the owners of about 16,700 homes avoid foreclosure, the agency said.HUD started auctioning groups of delinquent mortgages in 2010 as increasing foreclosures led to losses in the Federal Housing Administration's (FHA) mortgage-insurance fund. The sales, aimed at reducing taxpayer losses, have garnered interest from Wall Street firms competing to buy housing debt after a rebound in real estate prices.The HUD report leaves important questions unanswered about the auction program's impact on communities and the performance of investors who purchased most of the debt, said Julia Gordon, with the Center for American Progress. MORE

(Courtesy of Brookings Institution):  Atlanta led the country with the highest ratio of income inequality for the second consecutive year according to an updated report by the Brookings Institution.  Atlanta and San Francisco, the cities with the highest inequality ratios in 2013, exhibited the largest increases in their ratios from 2007 to 2013.  Brookings notes that the data lends support to the concern that rising incomes at the top of the distribution are not-at least in the short term-lifting earnings near the bottom, even in local markets. MORE

The Promise of Atlanta's Pittsburgh Neighborhood

At the Piece by Piece Underwater Atlanta Symposium, the final panel session addressed the need to lift property values in underwater neighborhoods.  A key component of this effort is strategic marketing and branding of neighborhoods.  This video promoting homeownership in the historic Pittsburgh community is a great example. MORE