Emerging and Evolving Data Trends Since COVID-19 Began

The authors of these contributions work for different federal agencies focused on consumer protections, housing markets, secondary mortgage lending, and regulatory oversight. In the first article, "Characteristics of Mortgage Borrowers During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence from the National Mortgage Database," Greta Li, David Low, and Judith Ricks (2022) present evidence about who took advantage of forbearance, which gave homeowners a temporary pause on mortgage payments. The number, though, has become increasingly censored as vaccines and therapies have reduced side effects, at-home testing has expanded and reduced reporting to public authorities, and data collection has become less frequent and less detailed.

Reimagining and Transforming Long-Term Care

This article highlights the racial/ethnic disparities predating COVID-19 in long-term care (LTC) settings that contributed to the disproportionate impacts of the pandemic on older adults of color, shares insights on the potential consequences of failing to address these inequities as we rebuild and address the insufficiencies in the LTC delivery system, and offers a seven-point blueprint with key tools to ensure that equity is at the center of rebuilding and modernizing the delivery of LTC. This will enable all older adults the opportunity to receive high-quality care and live a full life of dignity and independence as they age.

Panelization: A Step Toward Increased Efficiency in Homebuilding

This paper examines the current use of panelized components in homebuilding in the Oklahoma City (OKC) and Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) areas. Panelization is a type of prefabrication in which certain framing components are built off site and then transported to the site for assembly. This technique has been reported to make homebuilding more efficient and affordable. Further, panelization may be one strategy to cope with the growing labor shortage. However, adoption in the United States varies and is relatively limited. To better understand the benefits and challenges of panelization, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 production homebuilders from the OKC and DFW metropolitan areas. Although most of the benefits (faster, more consistent, and less waste) and challenges (cost, logistics, and labor issues) were consistent with previous research, new benefits related to warranties and new challenges relating to transportation and delivery were identified. In addition, the study concludes that national and regional production builders differ in their priorities and perceptions of panelization: national builders are trying to increase their use of panelization, whereas regional builders are moving away from it.

The Current State of the Finnish Cottage Phenomenon: Perspectives of Experts

To date, studies that provide a comprehensive understanding of the current state of the cottage in Finland are lacking in the literature. This paper explored this phenomenon, which has great cultural and economic importance for Finland, through interviews from the perspective of experts. Key findings based on main themes including cottage buyers, characteristics of the dream cottage, diversified cottages, the regulation of cottages in municipalities, and challenges in the regulation of cottages, highlighted that: (1) cottage buyers were reported to be mostly in their 50s and wealthy;(2) buyers were in high demand for easy solutions and cottages with a similar level of equipment to a primary home;(3) environmental issues were considered interesting, but buyers primarily paid attention to the cleanliness of the nature and especially the body of water surrounding their cottage;(4) distance to the cottage and closest services were deciding factors, and there was greater demand for waterfront cottages;(5) popular cottage sizes varied widely, and the diversification was among the highlights;(6) while changes in use were possible under certain circumstances, sewage and wastewater regulation, and sizing of beach construction were considered challenging. It is believed that this paper will contribute to the balanced territorial development of cottages in Finland and the vitality of cottage-rich municipalities.

Housing Considerations for Women in Retirement

Last year, COVID-19 forced us all to experience what living at home when retired might be like. Items that were easily ignored when you weren't home that much no longer were. No wonder home improvement, and furniture and appliance sales, have gone through the roof! Many homeowners were motivated to move to larger homes in the suburbs or to more remote vacation locations. One wonders if this trend is a permanent or a transitory one. In any case, we all have a better idea of what life in retirement might be like when we will be spending more time at home. One of the major issues clients need to consider as they plan for retirement is the cost of continuing to live in their current location. For someone living alone, which often is a woman, sharing her home with another person on a temporary or permanent basis might be a good idea.

Considering equity in wildfire protection.

Climate change, drought, forest pest infestations, and pathogens, and high fuel loadings all factor into the expansion of territory in the United States deemed high-risk for high-intensity wildfire. Risks also mount as a decades-long demographic shift plays out, with individuals and families relocating from urban centers to more sparsely populated, vegetated areas on the margins of cities and towns-a trend that accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic. As some insurance carriers cease underwriting homeowners insurance in wildfire-prone areas, property owners can be expected to shoulder more costs for home hardening. The equity implications of who pays to fireproof homes and neighborhoods will intensify as wildfire risks multiply in areas beyond the comparatively wealthier wildland-urban interfaces (WUI) of the Pacific coastal states. Systems of polycentric governance, consisting of problem-solving actors who collaborate across jurisdictional and geographical boundaries, can help make wildfire mitigation more equitable. Polycentric governance institutions already help communities adapt to destructive wildfire in the United States. Lessons learned from these institutions must be tailored to poor and marginalized communities in harm's way-with a sense of urgency.