Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development says it is making $5.5 million in grants available to Hispanic-serving higher-education institutions for research on housing and community issues.
Driving the news: HUD announced Thursday that the grants will go to schools to establish research centers that will study housing and community development.
Details: The research will take in equity in rental and housing markets, tenant protections, affordable transportation and other areas.
- Nationwide, there are roughly 559 Hispanic-serving institutions, which are defined as higher-ed schools where 25% or more of students are Latino. Most are tw0- and four-year colleges.
- Applications for the new grants are due by May 18.
Between the lines: Hispanics account for more than half of the nation's population growth in the past decade, but the government lacks critical information about their access to housing programs and experiences with renting and buying homes, Solomon Greene, HUD’s principal deputy assistant secretary for policy development & research, told Axios.
- The research these grants will fund "will expand our knowledge and improve our programs" for Latinos, Greene added.
What they're saying: “Hispanic institutions of higher learning often serve as leaders within their communities, driving priorities and economic development,” HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge said in a statement.
- "The funding availability we’ve announced today will strengthen efforts for these institutions to expand opportunities for underserved communities and promote equitable community development.”
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