Research Library

Research & Reports

National reports, city-specific studies, white papers, and policy insights on urban housing stability and city recovery.

Featured Reports

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Annual Report March 2026

Top 25 Cities in Housing Crisis

Annual analysis identifying the cities facing the most severe housing distress, ranked by Urban Recovery Index.

PDF • 48 pages Download →
Annual Report March 2026

Top 25 Cities Rebounding

Cities demonstrating the strongest recovery trajectories and market stability indicators.

PDF • 42 pages Download →
Weekly Alert Ongoing

National Housing Market Alert

Weekly tracking of foreclosure trends, vacancy shifts, and investment activity across all tracked cities.

PDF • Updated Weekly Subscribe →
White Paper Q1 2026

Contractor Capacity Analysis

Assessment of rehabilitation workforce availability relative to distressed property volume by region.

PDF • 28 pages Download →
Policy Brief Q4 2025

Federal Funding Landscape

Overview of federal housing programs and funding opportunities for city-level initiatives.

PDF • 18 pages Download →
City Study 2025

Detroit Recovery Assessment

Deep-dive analysis of Detroit's long-term recovery trajectory and intervention strategies.

PDF • 64 pages Download →

Key National Insights

Ready-to-use findings for media, institutions, and policymakers

  • Most U.S. cities lack a coordinated, national-level recovery framework for addressing housing instability
  • Mid-sized cities are experiencing faster instability growth than major metropolitan areas
  • Fragmentation of resources and coordination continues to slow effective recovery efforts
  • Housing instability continues to rise across multiple U.S. regions, outpacing intervention capacity
  • Contractor workforce gaps remain a critical bottleneck in distressed property rehabilitation
  • Institutional investment in distressed properties is accelerating without corresponding community benefit mechanisms
  • Many cities remain structurally unprepared for the scale of housing recovery required

National Reports

Quarterly Publications
Annual Report • 2026

2026 National City Distress Report

Comprehensive analysis of housing distress across 52 tracked metropolitan areas. Includes Urban Recovery Index rankings, trend analysis, and policy recommendations.

Reviewed by: Research Desk
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This analysis may be referenced by media and institutions with attribution to the National City Rebuild Network.

Index • Q1 2026

National Housing Stability Index

Quarterly composite index measuring housing stability across all tracked cities. Weighted scoring across five dimensions: distress pressure, stability factors, economic indicators, opportunity metrics, and institutional support.

Reviewed by: Research Desk
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This analysis may be referenced by media and institutions with attribution to the National City Rebuild Network.

Special Report • 2026

Contractor Availability Gap Report

Analysis of rehabilitation workforce capacity relative to distressed property volume by region. Identifies critical gaps and opportunity zones for workforce development.

Reviewed by: Research Desk
Download PDF

This analysis may be referenced by media and institutions with attribution to the National City Rebuild Network.

Risk Assessment • 2026

Displacement Risk Report

Tracking factors that indicate elevated risk of resident displacement from communities. Includes neighborhood-level risk scoring and intervention recommendations.

Reviewed by: Research Desk
Download PDF

This analysis may be referenced by media and institutions with attribution to the National City Rebuild Network.

Analysis & Articles

In-Depth Research
Housing Stability 8 min read

Understanding the Foreclosure Pipeline: What the Data Shows

Analysis of current foreclosure trends and their implications for housing stability across tracked metropolitan areas.

National City Rebuild Network Research Desk Read →
City Recovery 6 min read

Mid-Size Cities: The Next Frontier in Urban Recovery

Why recovery strategies that worked in major metros may not translate to secondary markets.

National City Rebuild Network Research Desk Read →
Economic Displacement 10 min read

Gentrification vs. Displacement: Measuring What Actually Happens

A data-driven look at neighborhood change and the true metrics of displacement risk.

National City Rebuild Network Research Desk Read →
Infrastructure Gaps 7 min read

Beyond Housing: Infrastructure Deficits in Distressed Markets

How housing recovery connects to broader infrastructure challenges in recovering cities.

National City Rebuild Network Research Desk Read →
Housing Stability 9 min read

The Rental Crisis: Vacancy Rates Don't Tell the Full Story

Understanding the gap between vacant units and housing security in American cities.

National City Rebuild Network Research Desk Read →
City Recovery 12 min read

Detroit's Long Recovery: Lessons from the Front Lines

Case study analysis of one city's decade-long journey through housing crisis and recovery.

National City Rebuild Network Research Desk Read →
Economic Displacement 6 min read

Remote Work and Housing Markets: The New Geography of Distress

How changing work patterns are reshaping housing stress in unexpected markets.

National City Rebuild Network Research Desk Read →
Infrastructure Gaps 8 min read

Blight as a Public Health Issue: The Research Connection

Evidence linking vacant property density to health outcomes in urban neighborhoods.

National City Rebuild Network Research Desk Read →
Housing Stability 7 min read

The Section 8 Gap: Why Vouchers Don't Solve the Crisis

Analyzing the structural mismatch between housing assistance and housing availability.

National City Rebuild Network Research Desk Read →
Economic Displacement 11 min read

When the Buyout Comes: Community Responses to Large-Scale Acquisition

How communities are organizing around institutional investment in distressed housing.

National City Rebuild Network Research Desk Read →
City Recovery 9 min read

The Flipping Phenomenon: Investment Activity and Neighborhood Change

Tracking how investment patterns influence neighborhood trajectories in recovery markets.

National City Rebuild Network Research Desk Read →
Infrastructure Gaps 8 min read

Tax Liens and Property Decay: The Hidden Connection

How delinquent tax enforcement creates cycles of property deterioration.

National City Rebuild Network Research Desk Read →

National Briefings

Short-Form Analysis (500–900 words)
March 2026 Housing Stability

Housing Instability Trends — Q1 2026 Snapshot

Quick-read analysis of foreclosure filings, eviction filings, and rent increases across tracked metros. Includes data on cities showing accelerated decline and those stabilizing.

Read Briefing →
March 2026 City Recovery

Emerging Gaps in Mid-Sized City Recovery

Analysis of secondary markets showing divergent recovery patterns. Why some mid-sized cities face structural obstacles that major metros don't.

Read Briefing →
February 2026 Infrastructure

Contractor Availability Update: Q4 2025

Quarterly assessment of rehabilitation workforce capacity. Which regions face critical shortages and what it means for recovery timelines.

Read Briefing →
February 2026 Economic Displacement

Displacement Risk Index: February Update

Monthly risk scoring for 52 metros. Cities with the highest month-over-month increase in displacement indicators and why.

Read Briefing →
January 2026 Housing Stability

Year-End Review: 2025 Housing Metrics

Summary of key housing distress metrics for 2025. How the year compared to projections and what it means for 2026 planning.

Read Briefing →
January 2026 City Recovery

Investment Flow Analysis: Q4 2025

Tracking institutional capital flows into distressed property markets. Which neighborhoods are seeing increased investment activity.

Read Briefing →

Insights Archive

Chronological Archive
Mar 2026

2026 National City Distress Report Released

Annual comprehensive analysis now available for download

Report View →
Mar 2026

Housing Instability Trends — Q1 2026 Snapshot

Quarterly briefing on foreclosure and eviction patterns

Briefing View →
Feb 2026

Mid-Sized City Recovery: The Next Frontier

Analysis of secondary market dynamics and structural obstacles

Article View →
Jan 2026

Understanding the Foreclosure Pipeline

In-depth analysis of foreclosure trends and stability implications

Article View →
Dec 2025

Displacement Risk Report: Year-End Update

Annual risk assessment for all tracked metropolitan areas

Report View →

Research & Insights

Updated regularly with national reports, analysis articles, and briefings on housing stability, city recovery, and economic displacement.

4 National Reports 12 Analysis Articles 6 Briefings

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