HUD Awards $10.5M for Hispanic Housing Research
Four universities in Arizona and Texas will share funds to help assure “affordable, fair, and safe housing and homeownership opportunities” for Hispanic Americans.
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) will grant $10.5 million to four Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs). The HSIs will then create research Centers of Excellence (COEs) to conduct housing and community development research.
“It is fitting that we are making this announcement as we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month,” said HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge. “HUD is committed to working with our partners in Hispanic communities to ensure access to affordable, fair, and safe housing and homeownership opportunities. These grants assist Hispanic Serving Institutions in achieving this goal.”
This funding helps awardees conduct research focused on housing, economic development and the environment in underserved communities.
“Each of these universities serves as opportunity accelerators for students,” says Solomon Greene, principal deputy assistant secretary of HUD’s Office of Policy Development and Research. “These grants will help them build their capacity to do rigorous and timely research that addresses some of the most pressing housing and community development issues in their community. At HUD, we look forward to learning alongside them and sharing the research and evidence-based insights they develop so all communities can benefit.”
HUD announced the HSIs at the University of Arizona in Tucson, which is partnering with Arizona State University to launch the Arizona Research Center for Housing Equity and Sustainability (ARCHES). The other three universities are in Texas. Arizona State University (ASU) received $3,000,000.
Texas Tech University was awarded $3,207,839 for its Center of Excellence in Climate Resilient and Equitable Housing (CECREH), which will address disparities in disaster-stricken communities, especially among low-income and minority groups.
The University of Texas at Austin received $2,459,527 for the UT Austin Equitable Technologies for Housing Innovation Center (ETHIC), which will research spatial patterns affecting housing inequity, develop an industrialized construction system for more affordable housing and jobs, and apply sustainable methods to tackle climate change’s impact.
Texas A&M University secured $1,832,634 to create the Center of Excellence in Hispanic Housing Studies (CoHHS). CoHHS aims to enhance environmental health and economic well-being for Hispanic households and communities.
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