How to Follow Housing Research, Data, and Events from the Joint Center for Housing Studies

The Joint Center for Housing Studies (JCHS) at Harvard University publishes its housing research, data tools, and event listings directly on jchs.harvard.edu. You can follow its output through four main channels: the Latest Research feed, signature reports, the Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity (LIRA) tool, and the events calendar. A mailing list ties these together if you want updates pushed to you rather than checking the site.

Latest Research and Blog Posts

The Latest Research section collects the center's most recent publications and blog entries. Topics visible on the site include:

• Remodeling industry trends — e.g., "Bigger Market, More Players: What 20 Years of Data Reveal About the Remodeling Industry"
• Household growth and demographics — e.g., "Household Growth to Increasingly Feel the Impacts of the Immigration Drop"
• Home improvement spending — e.g., "Home Improvement Spending Has Shifted Away from DIY"
• Housing conditions and health — e.g., "Unmet Repairs Leave Millions Exposed to Extreme Indoor Heat"
• Older adults and housing demand — e.g., "As Baby Boomers Age, Housing Demand Faces a Rising Headwind"

Each item is labeled as a blog post or research piece, and a "View All" link leads to the full archive. This is the fastest way to see what the center has published recently without waiting for a report cycle.

Signature Reports

JCHS maintains a set of recurring, flagship publications. As listed on the site:

These are the center's long-form, data-heavy references. If you need citable figures on national housing conditions, rental markets, remodeling, or older-adult housing, start with the most recent edition of the relevant report rather than individual blog posts.

Data Tools: LIRA and the Housing Map

Two interactive resources are highlighted on the homepage:

• Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity (LIRA) — a tool that tracks and forecasts remodeling activity. Use it if you need a forward-looking read on home improvement spending rather than a retrospective summary.
• The State of the Nation's Housing map — a companion visualization to the flagship report, useful for pulling figures by geography.

Both are entry points for data rather than narrative analysis, so they suit readers who want numbers to work with.

Upcoming Events

Events are listed with date, time, format, and topic. Examples currently posted:

• "Financing Cost-Rental Housing: A Low-Cost-of-Capital Approach to Supporting Below-Market Rents" — October 16, 2026, 12:15–1:15 pm ET, virtual
• "The Full Cost of Homeownership: Maintenance, Replacement, and Housing Affordability" — October 30, 2026, 12:15–1:15 pm ET, virtual

Both are marked virtual, so attendance does not require travel. Check the event listing for registration details, since the site does not state them in the summary view.

Staying Updated via the Mailing List

The site offers a mailing list signup with interest categories:

• News
• Blog
• Events

Selecting a category tells the center what to send you. This is the lowest-effort way to receive new reports, blog posts, and event announcements without revisiting the site. The signup is presented as a general subscription; no pricing or login requirement is stated on the page.

In the Media

A separate section tracks external coverage of JCHS research, with outlets such as NPR and Marketplace cited. This is useful if you want to see how the center's findings are being reported or to find accessible summaries before diving into the underlying reports.

A Practical Way to Use the Site

If you are tracking a specific topic, combine the channels rather than relying on one:

1. Check Latest Research for recent blog posts on your topic.
2. Pull the current signature report for citable figures.
3. Use LIRA or the State of the Nation's Housing map if you need data rather than prose.
4. Join the mailing list with the relevant interest category so new items reach you.
5. Watch Upcoming Events for virtual sessions that often preview forthcoming research.

The site does not state pricing for reports or events, so treat access terms as unconfirmed until you check the individual item.