Previous Events

Node Date

The Role of Public Housing in a New Social Housing System

Date: Friday, October 18, 2024
Public housing is the oldest and largest supplier of permanently affordable housing in the US, but it has often been left out of the conversation about a new “social housing” system in which public and nonprofit entities would develop, own, and manage housing for low-income Americans.

Creating Effective, Comprehensive, and Accessible Home Repair Programs

Date: Friday, October 11, 2024
The deterioration of America's aging housing stock threatens the health, safety, and financial well-being of millions of low-income households. While a growing number of public- and civil-sector programs are making repairs more affordable for some homeowners and landlords, the cost of investments far exceeds the available resources

Legalizing Mid-Rise Single-Stair Housing in Massachusetts

Date: Thursday, October 10, 2024
Building code requires that residential buildings between three and six stories must include two staircases. By exploring the potential for allowing single-staircase designs, particularly in smaller, urban parcels, a new report examines how we could unlock new possibilities for more affordable, space-efficient housing.

When We Walk By: Forgotten Humanity, Broken Systems, and the Role We Can Each Play in Ending Homelessness in America

Date: Tuesday, October 1, 2024
What do we lose—in ourselves and as a society—when we choose to walk past and ignore people who are unhoused? In this talk, Kevin F. Adler, founder of Miracle Messages, a nonprofit that helps people experiencing homelessness, will discuss When We Walk By, a book he co-authored that recasts chronic homelessness as a byproduct of twin crises: the failure of both our social services systems and our humanity.

Hack-a-House 2024

Date: Friday, September 27, 2024 to Saturday, September 28, 2024
Graduate and undergraduate students from Harvard and other schools are invited to participate in Hack-A-House, a 24-hour virtual hackathon for students to formulate and pitch innovative ideas to improve housing affordability.

Can Housing Policy Create Connections and Build Community?

Date: Tuesday, September 24, 2024
From reforming zoning to creating new forms of social housing, some recent policy initiatives are trying to create diverse mixed-income neighborhoods, but residents may not connect across differences in class, age, race, ethnicity, or family structure.

Open House for Harvard Students

Date: Friday, September 20, 2024
Students from GSD, HKS, and other schools at Harvard are invited to learn about the Center and the support we provide students via teaching, fellowships, research grants, and other offerings.

Helping Middle-Income Renters: Trade-offs and Costs

Date: Friday, September 20, 2024
Many states and communities have adopted policies and programs to assist cost-burdened middle-income renters. However, advocates fear that these initiatives will redirect resources away from lower-income households.