Group of people posing with housing materials

About Us

The Center for Housing and Community Research works to identify and address housing challenges in Georgia’s communities through our research, programs, and student engagement.

We accomplish this by:

  • Serving as a housing and community development research hub. Our faculty and graduate students are generating ground-breaking research in rural housing, civic engagement, and issues related to housing instability, poverty, and neighborhood development.
  • Providing leadership for the Georgia Initiative for Community Housing (GICH). GICH has supported over 80 communities in Georgia to improve their quality of life and economic vitality through the development of locally-driven housing and revitalization strategies.
  • Engaging UGA students in vital housing research and community development projects. In the last 5 years, we have provided real-life learning experiences to over 200 students through projects with communities across Georgia

We collaborate with people and organizations with a passion for figuring out how to provide housing that meets the needs of Georgia’s families and communities. Our ultimate goal is to improve the quality of life in Georgia.

History

The Center for Housing and Community Research (formerly the Housing and Demographic Research Center) was formally established in 1996 and was one of the founding members of The National Consortium of Housing Research Centers, along with the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Research Center.

The mission of the Consortium was to advance housing research in the U.S., and a vision to be recognized as a leading source of information on this research. The Consortium recognized that housing is a product and a process that produces a bundle of attributes for individuals, families, and communities.

The Center at UGA grew out of a long-standing and informal working collaboration among faculty members and was led by Professors Carol B. Meeks, Roger Swagler, and Anne L. Sweaney. In 1996, The Housing and Demographics Research Center (HDRC) added a Board of Advisors in 2004, which included a group of statewide representatives from all aspects of the housing industry.

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