Resources

Links

CDFI Fund
Link: www.cdfifund.gov
Federally created fund that provides grants and technical assistance to community development financial institutions. Also offers incentives to traditional lending institutions seeking to expand activity in distressed areas.

Center for Housing and New Community Economics
Link: alliance.unh.edu
Home page of the University of New Hampshire’s “Home of Your Own Alliance,” with a link to a comprehensive section on the Section 8 home ownership rule.

Center for Inclusive Design and Environmental Access (IDEA)
Link: www.ap.buffalo.edu/idea
Located at the State University of New York at Buffalo, the center offers many resources including "Bright Ideas," a gallery of useful products.

Center for Universal Design
Link: www.design.ncsu.edu/cud
An affliate of the North Carolina State University in Raleigh, CUD is a national research, information and technical assistance center that evaluates, develops and promotes universal design in housing, public and commercial facilites, and related products. Site offers many publications and numerous links.

Consumer and Economic Development Research and Information Center
Link: www.chicagofed.org/cedric
Part of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago site. A comprehensive repository of information on housing development, economic development, public policy and more. Includes financial information for consumers.

Corporation for Enterprise Development
Link: www.cfed.org
CFED promotes asset-building and economic-opportunity strategies. Site includes information on Individual Development Accounts (IDAs), often used to help first-time buyers save for home purchase.

Fannie Mae
Link: www.fanniemae.com
Site includes information on multifamily and single-family housing production, as well as information for home ownership counselors and prospective home buyers.

Fannie Mae Foundation
Link: www.fanniemaefoundation.org
The Fannie Mae foundation has ceased substantially all of its day-to-day operations. Fannie Mae, the foundation's funder, is consolidating its philanthropic initiatives into the Office of Community and Charitable Giving. Consult the foundation's website for more information.

Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago
Link: www.fhlbc.com
Assists member financial institutions through its community investment and affordable housing programs. Offers opportunities for nonprofits to team with member banks to secure financing for affordable housing projects. Lists member lenders.

Freddie Mac
Link: www.freddiemac.com
Site includes information on multifamily and single-family housing production, as well as information for home ownership counselors and prospective home buyers.

Habitat for Humanity
Link: www.habitat.org
Information about Habitat's work and how to get involved.

Home Path - Fannie Mae Mortgages
Link: www.fanniemae.com/homebuyers/homepath/index.jhtml?p=Homepath
One of the family of Fannie Mae websites, this one is aimed at prospective and existing home owners. Includes information on home purchase, financing, etc.

HUD Home Page
Link: www.hud.gov
HUD's national-level web site offers information about HOME, CDBG, tax credits and other federal programs. Also includes links to other housing-related sites.

HUD Housing Counseling Clearinghouse
Link: www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/sfh/hcc/hcc_home.cfm
Consumers can use this site to locate a HUD-approved counseling agency. Site also includes resources for counselors.

HUD Milwaukee Office
Link: www.hud.gov/local/mil
Community Planning and Development Wisconsin page provides dropdown menu of audience groups leading to resources for nonprofits, home buyers, people with disabilities, elected officials and more.

HUD's Online Library
Link: www.hud.gov/library
Directs visitor to "bookshelf 1" (the most-frequently used HUD pages); also gives links to housing publications.

Knowledge Plex
Link: www.knowledgeplex.org
Gathers information from a wide variety of sources on topics related to housing and community development. Timely information on "hot topics" in the field. Also includes a toolkit for overcoming community resistance to affordable housing.

Local Initiatives Support Corporation
Link: www.lisc.org
A good general-purpose site for housing and community development information.

Movin' Out, Inc.
Link: www.movin-out.org
Movin' Out serves Wisconsin households having a member with a permanent disability. Services include information, comprehensive housing counseling, and gap financing.

National Center for Healthy Housing
Link: www.centerforhealthyhousing.org
National organization dedicated to reducing childhood lead poisoning. Offers information for developers and home owners on current regulations, plus resources for lead hazard control and prevention.

Office of the Wisconsin Commissioner of Insurance
Link: oci.wi.gov
Publications section contains information on home owner's insurance, including a consumer's guide in Spanish.

Opportunity Finance Network
Link: www.opportunityfinance.net
Formerly the National Community Capital Association, the Opportunity Finance Network is a membership organization of Community Development Finance Institutions (CDFIs). Focus is on creating and financing opportunities for American people, communities, and markets that are outside the economic mainstream.

State and Local Government on the Net
Link: www.statelocalgov.net
Provides an index of state, county and local government websites.

U.S. Census Bureau
Link: www.census.gov
Offers statistical data from the 2000 census, plus ongoing data updates.

University of Wisconsin Applied Population Laboratory
Link: www.wisstat.wisc.edu
This site offers a new way to access Bureau of Census data on housing. Users can create housing profiles by county, city or township; profiles include comparison to 1990 data. Family demographics also available. To begin, click on "analysis tools."

WHEDA
Link: www.wheda.com
Site of the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority, which allocates federal Low Income Housing Tax Credits in Wisconsin and makes lower-interest loans for home purchase, rental housing development and housing rehabilitation. Also includes resources for prospective home buyers.

Wisconsin Community Action Program Association
Link: www.wiscap.org
Site provides information on the programs offered by Wisconsin's CAP agencies. Resources include contact information for regional CAPs.

Wisconsin Division of Housing & Community Development Housing Programs
Link: www.commerce.state.wi.us/housing
Located in the Department of Commerce. Provides information on using the HOME program in Wisconsin, plus information on home ownership assistance programs including CDBG (Community Development Block Grant), HCRI (Housing Cost Reduction Initiative), HOPWA (Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS) and LHOG (Local Housing Organization Grants).

Wisconsin Division of Intergovernmental Relations
Link: www.doa.state.wi.us/dir
Division includes the Comprehensive Planning Office, which offers information on the Smart Growth planning process, planning elements and planning grants.

Wisconsin Housing Alliance
Link: www.housingalliance.us
Offers a buyer's guide to manufactured housing, with links to manufacturers.

Wisconsin Rural Development
Link: www.rurdev.usda.gov/wi
Offers information about grants and loans available to nonprofits and developers working in rural areas, and to individual home owners.