About the Shimberg Center
The Shimberg Center for Housing Studies was established at the University of Florida, in the M.E. Sr. Rinker School of Building Construction in 1988 by the Florida legislature (Section 240.5111, Florida Statutes). The mission of the Shimberg Center is:
To facilitate the provision of safe, decent, and affordable housing and related community development throughout the state of Florida, and thereby to establish Florida as the national and international model for successful affordable housing delivery.
The Center conducts research relating to the problems and solutions associated with the availability of affordable housing in the state.The Florida Housing Data Clearinghouse, located within the Shimberg Center, provides public access to data on Florida's housing needs and supply, and household demographics.
Examples of research areas include:
- Preservation of Assisted Rental Housing.
With support from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Shimberg Center is tracking Florida's stock of privately owned, publicly subsidized multifamily housing. This key source of affordable rental housing faces two risks: conversion to market-rate rents and loss due to deterioration and default. The Florida Data Clearinghouse tracks this stock through the online Assisted Housing Inventory. Shimberg researchers have developed assessment methods to identify at-risk properties. Current research includes a retrospective look at properties that have left the assisted housing inventory, understanding the characteristics of tenant households, collecting data on affordable market-rate units, and understanding the effects of employment and transportation on preservation sites.
- Statewide Market Conditions.
The Shimberg Center produces the annual State of Florida's Housing report, which examines the characteristics of Florida's housing stock, the location of affordable housing in the state, trends in home sale prices and volume, and the economic impact of new residential construction. The Center also produces a triennial Rental Market Study for the Florida Housing Finance Corporation.
- Neighborhood Housing Markets.
A new area of research for the Shimberg Center is the analysis of housing conditions and markets in Florida neighborhoods. With support from Bank of America, the Center will build a database of parcel-and small-area data on home values and sales, assisted rental housing locations, and related data on demographics, schools, crime, and transportation.