TRF completed this study of mortgage foreclosures in New Jersey with the support of the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs and the Ford Foundation. Our singular purpose was to add a measure of systematic and objective data analysis to the mortgage foreclosure problem facing New Jersey. As is often the case, by the time the study is complete, the problem is not what it was when the study began. That is uniquely true in this instance. The overall magnitude of the mortgage foreclosure problem, nationally and in New Jersey, has increased substantially over the last 18 months.

TRF's study of mortgage foreclosure filings in Newark, NJ for the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs. This report distills recent trends in mortgage origination, delinquency and foreclosures in Newark from a variety of data sources. It provides a context of changes in the local real estate market to assist policymakers design an appropriate set of responses to counter the adverse impacts of foreclosures in Newark.

Impacts of Changes in the Home Mortgage Market on Hispanic Homeowners in Pennsylvania and Delaware

Commissioned by the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh (FHLB) and the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency, TRF studied the impact of recent changes in the housing and mortgage markets on Hispanics in Pennsylvania and Delaware. The analysis focuses in Berks, Lancaster, Lehigh, Northampton and Philadelphia counties in Pennsylvania and New Castle County in Delaware. Together these counties are home to more than 60% of the Hispanics in the region.  By identifying the ethnic origin of people facing foreclosure, this study sheds new light on the unique experience of Latino families. Also included in this study was a review of the available housing counseling resources, and counseling specifically available to those persons for whom Spanish is their primarily language. TRF’s research partner on this project is the National Council of La Raza (2009).

TRF's study of mortgage foreclosure filings in Maryland on behalf of the Baltimore Homeownership Preservation Coalition (BHPC). Led by Ira Goldstein, the study provides an in-depth look at the City of Baltimore, Montgomery County and Prince George's County. A detailed executive summary is also available for download. (2008)

Subprime Lending, Mortgage Foreclosures and Race: How far have we come and how far have we to go?

A paper commissioned by Ohio State University’s Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity that explores the civil rights aspect of foreclosures. The paper draws from TRF’s work in Philadelphia and Baltimore, and looks at the role deregulation and the lack of federal law enforcement played in creating the subprime lending and mortgage foreclosure crisis. (2008)

Subprime Mortgage Lending in the District of Columbia: A Study for the Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking

An increase in the delinquency rate for all mortgages in the District of Columbia over the past year have resulted in more home foreclosures. Foreclosures can have a negative imact on neighborhoods and the entire city. This study offers an overview of subprime lending; a look at subprime lending in DC; and recommendations for how DC can help current and future borrowers. (2008)

A detailed local case study of predatory lending that includes the analysis of complete mortgage and sale histories for 15,500 properties in the city of Philadelphia from 2000 to 2003 as well as interviews with a broad range of subject experts. (2007)

Funded by the Goldseker Foundation, this study looks at mortgage foreclosures in Baltimore, Maryland. The study looks at mortgage foreclosures over a five year period, describing causes and patterns that have emerged. (2006)

TRF's study of mortgage foreclosure filings in Delaware for the State Bank Commissioner. The study provides a detailed analysis of trends, with an in-depth look at Kent, New Castle and Sussex counties in particular. (2006)

Mortgage Foreclosure Filings in Pennsylvania

TRF's in-depth study of mortgage foreclosure filings in Pennsylvania. The study was conducted for the Pennsylvania Department of Banking, expanding on TRF’s analysis from 2004 of the foreclosure epidemic in the Poconos’ Monroe County. (2005)

A Study of Mortgage Foreclosure Activity in Monroe County, Pennsylvania 2000-2003

TRF's thorough analysis of foreclosures in Monroe County, PA's second fastest growing county, provides the facts for State action on the crisis. See the core report or the comprehensive study with State action plan. (2004)

Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh: Market Scan

TRF's research brief for the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh (FHLB). It was designed to provide the FHLB with a set of market data descriptive of its market area: the states of Pennsylvania, Delaware, and West Virginia. This brief includes a summary review of data and a concluding discussion of what these data suggest for the FHLB market going forward. (2007)

Understanding the Low African American Homeownership Rate in Southwestern Pennsylvania

TRF's study for Housing Opportunities, Inc., with funding from The Heinz Endowments. This report seeks to answer critical questions regarding the low rates of African American homeownership in Southwestern Pennsylvania. (2004)

Choices in Pennsylvania – Developing a Rational Framework for Housing Investment in Pennsylvania

An in-depth study of Pennsylvania’s housing market. Providing a basis for creating the State’s housing development strategy, the report focuses on the critical issues of community stability and public investment. (2000)

Choices: A Report on the State of the Region’s Housing Market

A course of action for rebuilding the Philadelphia region’s real estate market while seeking more regional activity around housing affordability. (2001)

A study, funded by the William Penn Foundation, that measures school quality in Philadelphia and quantifies its impact on the value of Philadelphia residential real estate. Findings indicate that elementary school test scores play a significant role in the prediction of sales price, even after controlling for neighborhood and individual home conditions. (2009)

Research on inner-city supermarkets indicates that many inner-city areas, especially those that are socioeconomically distressed, lack stores that offer quality fresh foods at competitive prices. With funding from the CDFI Fund, TRF studied whether, and the extent to which, economic explanations exist for the lack of supermarkets in distressed urban areas.

Click here for the full version of the study.

An analysis of the impact of new supermarket development on consumers and their surrounding communities. The study looks at three potential impacts: improved real estate value, new investment and lower prices.

Reinvestment Brief - NRLP: Assessing Impact

A TRF case study that examines the social and economic impacts of rental housing developed in a section of West Philadelphia by Neighborhood Restorations (NRLP), TRF’s largest affordable housing borrower.

Reinvestment Brief - Free Tax Assistance Program

A study of the Free Tax Assistance program TRF offered employees of its portfolio companies. In addition to tax preparation, the program helped low-income wage earners claim the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) they were eligible for. This study examines the effectiveness of the program.

Workforce and Economic Development 2002: An Agenda for Pennsylvania’s Next Governor

This gubernatorial campaign briefing paper outlines six major workforce system reforms designed to align the Commonwealth’s billion-dollar workforce system with its economic development objectives. The paper includes a summary of Pennsylvania’s entire workforce system listing federal and state funding sources, major clients, and selected outcomes for 49 different programs.

Workforce 2002: Measuring What Matters

This report argues that Pennsylvania needs a comprehensive performance management approach to its workforce programs so that they can be effectively evaluated and improved. The report proposes an evaluation framework and a model for an Annual Report on Pennsylvania’s Workforce Investment System.

Workforce 2001: Responding to the Challenge

This report provides quantitative and qualitative data to forecast employer hiring needs in information technology and customer service occupations. It concludes that both these occupations cut across all industries and that the demand for these workers would continue based on favorable economic growth.

Workforce 2000: An Annual Report on the Greater Philadelphia’s Labor Market

This report analyzed the demand for and supply of labor in the Philadelphia region and described the gaps that need to be addressed.

Workforce 2000: Regional Challenges & Strategic Initiatives

This report outlined five major workforce issues in the Philadelphia region and proposed five initiatives to address these issues.

An analysis of Baltimore's commercial real estate markets conducted with the City of Baltimore as part of its efforts to develop a citywide Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS). TRF helped create a method for indexing all of Baltimore’s commercial corridors to provide the public and private sectors an analytic tool to understand the nature and strengths of each. (2009)

CDFI Financing of Supermarkets in Underserved Communities - A Case Study: A Study by The Reinvestment Fund

This study examines whether (or the extent
to which) there are economic reasons for the lack of supermarkets in distressed urban areas, such as location-dependent expense differences between urban and suburban locations. We also explore how various financing strategies help to mitigate those expense differences. Finally, we assess some of the impacts of supermarket development in urban and other underserved places. A full report can be found here. (2008)

Estimating the Percentage of Students Income-Eligible For Free and Reduced Price Lunch: A Study by The Reinvestment Fund for the School District of Philadelphia

This report presents the findings of a study designed to estimate the percent of Philadelphia public school students who are income-qualified for free or reduced price lunches. Eligibility was based on the United States Department of Agriculture’s “Income Eligibility Guidelines.” A summary of the report can be found here. (2008)

TRF Lecture on Economic Markets: TRF Lecture on Economic Markets and Public Purpose featuring Mark Zandi of Moody's Economy.com. Mr. Zandi spoke on the foreclosure crisis and fielded questions on the subject from the audience. Mr. Zandi is on TRF's Policy Advisory Board and Board of Directors. (2008)

Flight (or) Fight: Metropolitan Philadelphia and Its Future

Metropolitan Philadelphia is a place with extraordinary assets. It should be a region of choice, but it's not. Our region has seen minimal population growth and alarmingly low job growth. What's growing most rapidly is sprawl, and it’s hurting our region. It's time to think differently and make some big, positive changes.

The Fight for Metropolitan Philadelphia:
An Agenda

A follow-up to Flight or Fight, this agenda proposes three tangible state policy shifts that would have an immediate and significant impact on the region's growth patterns: reducing Philadelphia's wage tax, encouraging redevelopment of our older communities; and targeting state funding in and around communities with existing infrastructure rather than subsidizing the creation of new infrastructure on rural lands.

Update on Mortgage Lending and Foreclosure: a local and national overview.

A presentation by TRF's Ira Goldstein as part of Picking Up the Pieces: Partnering with Faith-based Organizations to Respond to the Housing Crisis presented to the Homeownership Counseling Association of Delaware Valley, the Philadelphia Association of Community Development Corporation, and the Philadelphia Mayor's Office of Faith-Based Initiatives.

TRF helped DCED develop its NSP plans by devising a data-driven method for prioritizing where funds should be spent within each county to increase the likelihood of market stability. This presentation shows how to use this in-depth analysis as well as the host of GIS data in www.policymap.com to better understand foreclosure and market dynamics. Presented at the 2009 PA Chapter of American Planning Association Annual Conference, "Investing in a Sustainable Future" by Ira Goldstein and Elizabeth Nash. (2009)

A presentation by Ira Goldstein given at the Esperanza 2009 National Hispanic Prayer Breakfast and Conference. (2009)

Reclaiming Vacant Properties: Property Interventions and Restoring Neighborhood Confidence: West Oak Lane

A presentation by Ira Goldstein given at the "Reclaiming Vacant Properties: Building Leadership to Restore Communities" conference in Louisville, Kentucky. The session "Property Interventions and Restoring Neighborhood Confidence" looked at real life examples of neighborhood confidence-building strategies. Dr. Goldstein's presentation focused on the West Oak Lane Neighborhood in Philadelphia. (2009)

The Road Ahead: Rental Housing Needs and Markets; Taking Account of the Local Factors

Ira Goldstein's presentation at the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency's Housing Forum. The session "The Road Ahead: Rental Housing Needs and Markets" looked at rental housing needs, population trends and examines new strategies that communities are implementing to leverage properties as assets. This presentation highlights PA population trends and the housing needs for different income levels. (2009)

Protecting and Restoring Neighborhoods in Today's Changing Environment; Setting the Stage

A presentation shared at the Wachovia Regional Foundation Grantee Conference. The presentation, given by Ira Goldstein, compares today's economic environment to past years, highlighting unemployment rates, personal income, and median home purchase mortgage amounts. (2009)

Vital Neighborhoods: Taking a Closer Look at Why Middle-Income Markets are Critical to Our City’s Future

A presentation by Ira Goldstein given at the “Philadelphia’s Vital Neighborhoods: Taking a Closer Look at Why Middle-Income Markets are Critical to Our City’s Future” convening hosted by Neighborhoods Now.

The presentation offers an approach to understanding how to identify and deploy resources to the city of Philadelphia’s vital, middle-market neighborhoods in an effort to preserve the stability and enhance attractiveness to existing and new Philadelphia residents.

Stablilizing Neighborhoods with Concentrations of Vacant Properties

Ira Goldstein's presentation shared at the Federal Reserve System's Community Affairs Officers Conference held at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis.

The presentation was part of a panel discussion outlining the current challenges in stabilizing neighborhoods impacted by high foreclosure rates.

Saving Homes - Saving Neighborhoods: Philadelphia's Data-Based Approach to Stabilizing Neighborhoods Threatened by Foreclosure

A presentation by Ira Goldstein at the National Governor's Association Center for Best Practices Summit on Foreclosures and Housing Solutions.

The summit offered state policymakers the opportunity to hear from national experts on actions states could take to mitigate the rising number of foreclosures, prevent future foreclosures, and sustain neighborhoods in a weakening economy. Other presentations from the Summit, including those given by Dr. Mark Zandi, Dr. Alice Rivlin and Allan Mallach can be found here. (2008)

Lost Values: A Study of Predatory Lending in Philadlephia

A presentation by Ira Goldstein to East Mt. Airy Neighbors at their Neighborhood Summit on Predatory Lending. The presentation offers highlights from the study and updated information for Philadelphia. (2008)

Update On Mortgage Originations, Delinquency and Foreclosures In Maryland

A presentation of key findings from a study by TRF on behalf of the Baltimore Homeownership Preservation Coalition (BHPC). (2008)

Using Data and Mapping to Identify Public and Private Investment Opportunities in Cities

A presentation by Ira Goldstein about TRF's Market Value Analysis (MVA). The presentation was part of a session at the Federal Reserve Board of Philadelphia's 2008 Conference, "Reinventing Older Communities: How Does Place Matter?" (2008)