Previous Events

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Post-Katrina Housing Resilience in Greater New Orleans

Date: Friday, April 19, 2024
Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath exposed stark socioeconomic inequities in greater New Orleans. It also spurred historic public spending for post-disaster aid and protective infrastructure. But little is known about whether this spending improved the ability of households to withstand and recover from future natural disasters.

Can New Suburban Housing Make Urban Areas More Affordable?

Date: Friday, April 12, 2024
In this talk, Meyer Fellow and PhD candidate Valentine Gilbert will discuss research he conducted with Robert French that asks whether continued suburban expansion can alleviate rising housing costs in urban areas, or whether urban centers will have to grow denser to become more affordable.

The Toxic Problem of Poverty + Housing Costs: Lessons from New Landmark Research About Homelessness

Date: Thursday, March 21, 2024
For over three decades, Dr. Margot Kushel has both cared for people who experience homelessness and studied the causes, consequences, and solutions to homelessness particularly in California, which is home to 30 percent of the people experiencing homelessness in the US. Kushel, who recently led the largest representative study of homelessness in the United States since the mid-1990s, will discuss insights that have emerged from her work as a physician and researcher.

Meeting Our Housing Needs: Scaling the Impact of Community Land Trusts and Shared Equity Models

Date: Wednesday, March 20, 2024
Community Land Trusts (CLTs), Shared Equity Homeownership programs, and other innovative approaches to affordable housing that grew out of the Civil Rights movement can help sustain changing communities and allow them to thrive for generations to come. In this talk, Tony Pickett, CEO of Grounded Solutions Network, will draw on efforts from across the United States.

Homelessness in the US: Insights from the Annual Homeless Assessment Report

Date: Thursday, February 22, 2024
The 2023 Annual Homeless Assessment Report found that 650,000 people were experiencing homelessness on a single night in January 2023, a 12 percent increase from 2022. Jeff Olivet, from the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, will discuss the report, which provides a snapshot of the number of individuals in shelters, temporary housing, and in unsheltered settings.

India Conference at Harvard 2024

Date: Saturday, February 17, 2024 to Sunday, February 18, 2024
The India Conference at Harvard is an annual student-led initiative that delves into the diverse tapestry of India, highlighting the country’s emergence as a leading international player. For the past 21 years, students from across Harvard have come together to bring experts from various sectors including business, economy and culture, to help you build an informed narrative and develop insight on India’s current landscape and promising future.

The Potential and Challenges of Using Manufactured Housing to Expand Homeownership Opportunities

Date: Friday, February 16, 2024
Manufactured housing has the potential to reduce the cost of building good quality, entry-level homes. However, it can be hard to site these homes, particularly in cities and suburbs where restrictive regulations and a poor reputation pose significant barriers. Chris Herbert will discuss a series of papers that assess the costs, obstacles, and potential of manufactured homes to support affordable entry-level homeownership.