FieldWorks shares practical information on noteworthy programs and useful resources in brief, readable articles that encapsulate the latest thinking on the toughest housing problems. The FieldWorks "beat" covers the gamut of community building issues, including affordable housing development, housing financing, community and economic development, and supportive services. The result is a distillation of the hands-on experience of some of the best practitioners in the field.
The first issue of FieldWorks focuses on affordable homeownership -- describing successful examples of counseling programs, financing models, and development strategies that can bring homeownership within the grasp of lower income households.
Articles focus on successful community-based initiatives, including a Twin Cities mortgage foreclosure prevention program that uses timely counseling and short-term financial assistance to help families weather financial crises and keep their homes at a cost of less than 5 percent of the expenses associated with foreclosure -- if average expenses to owners, lenders, neighbors, local government, and other stakeholders are taken into consideration.
Other articles feature a well-known housing counseling program in the Pittsburgh area, a consortium of community land trusts in Vermont, a comprehensive rehab/resale program in Chicago, a credit union developing new mortgage products for lower income Vermonters, and information on sweat equity programs and resources.
FieldWorks is another example of HUD's commitment to gathering and sharing practical information that will help local governments, nonprofit groups, and business organizations create opportunities in their communities.
FieldWorks is $15 for a 1-year subscription (6 issues), or $2.50 for a single issue. Please contact HUD USER to obtain copies.