Housing Finance and Foreclosures Crisis: Local Impacts and Responses
Cities and towns across the country are facing mounting fiscal challenges as a result of the home mortgage crisis. In fact, one-third of city officials (33%) say that their city revenues and/or revenue estimates have decreased some (27%) or a lot (6%) over the past year. This research brief, based on a survey of over 200 local elected officials, presents how the housing crisis is impacting cities, as well as the specific actions cities are taking in response.

City Fiscal Conditions in 2007
City finance officers report that the fiscal condition of the nation’s cities improved in the past year. However, as they prepare to close the books on 2007, finance officers are less optimistic, predicting a slowdown in revenues and increased spending pressures.  Changes in the economy and housing markets may result in difficult choices for city officials in the coming years. While city finance officers are more optimistic today about their cities’ fiscal futures compared with just a few years ago, the purchasing power of projected revenues may not be keeping up with inflationary forces that continue to push up the cost of doing the public’s business in cities.

Local Housing Conditions and Contexts: A Framework for Policy Making
This report, based on a recent State of America’s Cities survey of municipal housing directors, presents survey responses and provides a framework for local policy makers to use when considering housing policy choices. 

State of America's Cities Survey on Local Governance
An NLC survey of nearly 500 local elected officials finds that America's city officials are generally dissatisfied with the citizen-government relationship, but remain confident that this relationship is improving.

Guide to Successful Local Government Collaboration in America's Regions
This guide offers a range of collaboration options for communities across the country, plus lessons learned from those who are using these options today to improve services, lower costs, and increase regional equity. The guide also provides a step-by-step approach to help local elected officials and regional partners meet current and future challenges and ensure that the public is engaged in the process.

State of America's Cities Survey on Municipal Housing: Critical Needs
An NLC survey of over 400 municipal housing officials reveals that most cities are struggling to meet the housing needs of low-income working families and that federal and state governments are not doing enough to support local efforts to ensure housing opportunities in their community. This research brief is the first in a series reporting on the results from the 2006 State of America's Cities Survey on Municipal Housing. 

Past Research Reports and Briefs

The State of America's Cities: The Annual Opinion Survey of Municipal Officials 
2006  >> Research Brief
2005  >> Full Report  >> Research Brief
2004  >> Full Report  >> Research Brief
2003-1993 Hardcopy

City Fiscal Conditions 
2006  > > Research Brief
2005   >> Research Brief
2004   >> Full Report  >> Research Brief
2003   >> Full report   >> Research Brief  >> Interim Report 
2002   >> Full report   >> Research Brief 
2001   >> Full report
2000-1993 Hard copy

Lessons Learned: How Communities are Addressing Racial Inequities

Taxing Problems: Municipalities and America's Flawed System of Public Finance

From Meltingpot Cities to Boomtowns: Redefining How We Talk about Americas Cities

A Portrait of Rural America- Challenges and Opportunities 

Local Budget and Tax Policy in the U.S.: Perceptions of City Officials
>> Full Report
>> Research Brief

Are State and Local Revenue Systems Becoming Obsolete? 

Trends, Policies and Economic Conditions Affecting Poverty in America's Cities and Towns

Land Use and Development Challenges in America's Cities  

The American Dream in 2004: A Survey of the American People  

Strengthening Families in America's Cities Series
>> A Survey on Municipal Conditions, Policies and Resources for Children and Families (Compilation Report) 
>> Youth Conditions and Participation 
>> Family Economic Security 
>> Municipal Finance for Child and Family Services
>> Early Childhood Development 
>> Afterschool Programs

Two Decades of Continuity and Change in American City Councils  

The Faces of America's City Councils: America's City Councils in Profile (Part I) 

Serving on City Councils: America's City Councils in Profile (Part II) 

Demographic Change in Small Cities, 1990-2000 

Is the Federal-State-Local Partnership Being Dismantled?: Roundtable Proceedings  

The Impact of Fiscal Policy on State and Local Fiscal Crises: Roundtable Proceedings  

Local Elected Officials and the Internet 

Homeland Security and America's Cities  

Toward a System of Public Finance for the 21st Century  

Major Factors Affecting America's Cities  

Research Reports available in hardcopy 
To order, please contact Publications Sales at National League of Cities at (202) 626-3000.

Collaborating to Reduce Poverty: City Halls and Community-Based Organizations Working Together to Revitalize Neighborhoods

Perspectives on Privatization by Municipal Governments

American Cities in the Global Economy: A Survey of Municipalities on Activities and Attitudes

Critical Needs, Critical Choices: A 1995 Survey of City Halls Regarding Children and Families

Rural Workforce Development

The Impacts of Welfare Reform in America's Cities and Towns

School Violence in America's Cities

Local Economies: The U.S. Common Market of Economic Regions

Estimating Mandate Costs: Processes and Outcomes

All in it Together: Cities, Suburbs and Local Economic Regions

City Distress, Metropolitan Disparities and Economic Growth

State Mandates: Fiscal Notes, Reimbursement, and Anti-Mandate Strategies

A Survey of America's City Councils: Continuity and Change

Our Future and Our Only Hope: A Survey of City Halls Regarding Children and Families

Issues and Opportunity for University Communities: A Survey of Cities

For more information about research at NLC, contact:

Christiana McFarland
Research Manager
National League of Cities
(202) 626-3036
(202) 626-3043 fax
mcfarland@nlc.org