HUD awards ASU $3M grant for Arizona Research Center for Housing Equity and Sustainability

PHOENIX — The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded one of its first Hispanic Serving Institutions Center of Excellence grants to create the Arizona Research Center for Housing Equity and Sustainability (ARCHES).

Arizona State University’s new $3 million center will address the interconnected issues of housing security, climate and health in Hispanic and underserved communities.

ARCHES will be co-located at ASU Morrison Institute for Public Policy and the University of Arizona Drachman Institute. It will have support from 19 key personnel at ASU, UA, Northern Arizona University and the University of New Mexico.

What will the Arizona Research Center for Housing Equity and Sustainability study?

ASU said the center’s research on housing security will inform equitable housing growth and production to support Hispanic and underserved households. Topics include factors affecting housing security in Hispanic communities, access to homeownership and evaluating share equity homeownership. In addition, home affordability mandates, home-based businesses and public education campaigns to mitigate housing insecurity will be researched.

With climate, ARCHES researchers will identify housing innovations for resilience in the Southwest region. The research will include how building codes and housing finance regulations affect the quality and climate resilience of housing stock. Also, recommendations and solutions to improve housing conditions, increase climate resilience and expand housing access for Hispanic and other underserved communities.

Lastly, researchers will study the linkages between housing and health. Studies will include how to create healthy homes and support aging communities. Scholars will uncover connections between housing quality and health outcomes, with attention to demographic and ecological contexts.

“ARCHES will seed new research infrastructure to develop evidence-based and community-partnered solutions to housing issues in Arizona’s Hispanic and other underserved communities,” Deidre Pfeiffer, ARCHES principal investigator, said in the press release.

Part of a bigger commitment

The $3 million ARCHES funds were part of a $10.5 million HUD grant for four HSIs to establish research centers of excellence on campus.

Texas Tech University, the University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University received funding.

“HUD’s Policy Development & Research is leading in the policy intersection between climate change and housing equity, particularly for communities of color,” Jason Pu, Region IX administrator said in a press release. “All of the universities receiving these funds are Hispanic-serving institutions, and HUD is proud to provide these truly innovative grants in conjunction with Hispanic Heritage Month.”