Deadline: 25-Feb-22
The Housing Solutions Lab at NYU Furman Center is inviting applications for the Housing Solutions Lab Peer Cities Network (Network), an opportunity for leaders from small and midsize cities to engage with their peers, policy experts, and housing researchers to address pressing local housing policy challenges.
With support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Lab will bring together housing leaders from 6-8 small and midsize cities for peer learning, networking, and planning activities to develop innovative, equitable local housing solutions.
The cohort will support city leaders as they continue to respond to the housing crises posed by the COVID-19 pandemic while navigating evolving local and federal funding landscapes. The Network will also help participants address longstanding housing challenges that predate the pandemic, with a focus on leveraging housing policy as a platform to advance racial and health equity in cities.
Participants will have access to an ongoing national community of support, timely and practical data and policy resources, and information from housing experts to help them pursue equitable, evidence-based housing policies.
This opportunity is available to teams of housing policy decision makers and stakeholders from small and midsize cities with populations of 50,000 to 500,000 residents.
During the 10-month program, city teams will attend monthly virtual sessions of 60 to 90 minutes. Sessions will typically include brief presentations from housing policy experts followed by facilitated discussions among Network participants to exchange questions, reflect on local strategies and challenges, and share lessons learned from local innovations.
Participants are expected to actively participate in monthly virtual discussions with the full group of Network participants. Additionally, each city team will participate in quarterly one-on-one calls with Housing Solutions Lab staff over the course of the 10-month program. This will include an orientation call to establish goals for each team’s participation in the Network and three follow up meetings. Quarterly calls will focus on identifying opportunities for the Lab to provide tailored technical assistance and/or research support to each city team.
Benefits
The Network will provide local leaders with timely information to support local policy analysis and decisions. This includes:
- Peer networking and support: Network participants will join a national community of peers in small and midsize cities, and an ongoing forum for shared learning, support, and policy innovation.
- Timely policy resources: Participants will receive timely, actionable policy updates and access to case studies, research, and other resources to inform small and midsize city leaders’ housing-related efforts.
- Local housing data: Participants will have access to data describing local housing conditions, trends, and challenges.
- Access to Housing Solutions Lab technical assistance and research support: Participants will have access to technical assistance and research expertise to help design, implement, and evaluate local housing policy strategies and solutions.
Eligibility Criteria
- The Peer Cities Network is designed for teams of 3 to 4 decision makers and stakeholders from small and midsize cities who are working to develop housing policy solutions that promote more equitable outcomes in housing, health, and related domains.
- City teams must include a minimum of two officials from relevant local government agencies focused on housing (e.g. housing or planning departments, housing authorities) and may also include officials from other relevant government sectors, such as departments of health or education.
- Network participants may also include elected and appointed local officials or their senior staff, or representatives from nonprofit and community-based organizations, such as homelessness or health care service providers.
- For example, a city team could include a representative from:
- the local planning department;
- the local Public Housing Authority;
- the local Department of Public Health;
- a homeless service organization.
- This is only one example. Cities may identify the most appropriate representatives for their team.
- Each team must identify one team leader to serve as the primary point of contact for the Network and for the purpose of this application.
- All participants should be prepared to actively engage in monthly group discussions and have an enthusiasm for shared learning, problem solving, and networking with colleagues from across the country.
For more information, visit https://localhousingsolutions.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/HSL-Call-for-Applications_Final.pdf