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Research Theme: Housing & Homelessness

Includes social and real-estate implications of homelessness, housing affordability and livability in the built environment

Jeff McCann

Jeff McCann has a breadth of experience in construction management, real estate sales, and development. He is the founder and owner of Outdoor Perspectives LLC, a land-use consulting company that helps clients navigate the complexities of land acquisition, feasibility and entitlement issues. Jeff has assisted clients in the development of over a thousand acres of land in the Puget Sound region and helped facilitate other major development projects across the state. He has also been a licensed real estate broker for more than 25-years.

Before pivoting into development, Jeff spent many years in construction management. As a third-generation dirt contractor, his family originally started out with two horses and a flatbed wagon hauling dirt in the Kent valley. Jeff is a lifelong Husky having earned three degrees from the UW. He holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Building Construction (BCON) (1994), a Master’s of Science in Construction Management (2000), and a Master’s of Science in Real Estate (2021).

Matthew Disston

With extensive background in real estate project management, marketing research and economic consulting for a broad spectrum of national and international clients, Matthew Disston brings to DMG important project management and analytical skills in both public and private sector work.  His experience includes market feasibility studies, fiscal and financial analysis, entitlement and development processing, consumer research and economic analysis. Disston’s professional experience includes projects throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and South America.

Prior to forming DMG, Disston served as vice president for Valeo Companies’ west coast regional office.  As part of the Valeo team, Disston was responsible for the development, product planning, market and financial analysis, architectural review, entitlement and jurisdictional approval for both single-family detached and attached homes in Santa Cruz, Fullerton, Rancho Cucamonga, Perris and Blythe California.  Additionally, Disston served as a project manager for transient lodging, recreational commercial, event facilities and high-density residential components for mixed-use projects located in central Sonoma County, and Fullerton California.

Disston’s resume includes transient lodging, light industrial, office, single-family detached and multi-family residential feasibility analysis throughout California, Arizona and Nevada, traditional and entertainment retail feasibility in Mexico and Brazil, and consumer research throughout the United States.  Disston was also responsible for the feasibility evaluation and market analysis for long-range planning of office, retail, hotel and industrial projects proposed on the 75,000-acre Irvine Ranch.

Disston graduated from the University of California, Berkeley where he earned a bachelor’s degree in urban economics.  He is a past member of the International Council of Shopping Centers, and a past member of the Association of California Water Agencies and he served for twenty years as a Director of the Trabuco Canyon Water District, and five years as the president of the board of directors for the Southern Orange County Wastewater Authority (SOCWA) Additionally, he has a 32-year association with the University of California, Irvine, where he teaches classes. Recently Disston served in an advisory role for the development of the Market Analytics classes extension at the University of Washington and has taught in the Runstad Real Estate Department since 2017.

CBE Research Restart Funding: Progress and Updates

The College of Built Environments awarded Research Restart funding to multiple project teams in 2022. Below are descriptions of their progress and project status to-date. July 2022 Cohort: Arthur Acolin received funding for their project entitled “Accessory Dwelling Units as Potential Source of Affordable Housing Across Generations.” A no-cost extension was approved in May 2023 due to delays in implementing the survey for the project. In July 2023, design of the survey instrument and postcards was completed, and next steps…

Publication of the Largest National Study on Community Land Trusts and Nonprofits with Shared Equity Homeownership Programs

The Largest National Study on Community Land Trusts and Nonprofits with Shared Equity Homeownership Programs was recently completed. In partnership with the University of Toronto, Grounded Solutions Network has completed the largest and most comprehensive national census on community land trusts (CLTs) and nonprofits with shared equity homeownership programs (SEH) to date. The report was made possible through the support of Freddie Mac, and which was developed in partnership with and published by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. The…

Urban Design & Planning student selected for 2023 applied research fellow cohort

The Population Health Initiative announced the summer 2023 cohort of applied research fellows. Among the group of 5 students (3 graduate and 2 undergraduate) is Pamela Lim from the College of Built Environments Urban Design & Planning department. These students will spend 10 weeks over the summer working collaboratively with King County’s demographer and Public Health – Seattle & King County’s Assessment, Policy Development and Evaluation Unit with the support of the Population Health Applied Research Fellowship. The team will…

College of Built Environments Announces 2023 Inspire Fund Awards

In 2021, the College of Built Environments launched the CBE Inspire Fund to “inspire” CBE research activities that are often underfunded, but for which a relatively small amount of support can be transformative. The Inspire Fund aims to support research where arts and humanities disciplines are centered, and community partners are engaged in substantive ways. Inspire Fund is also meant to support ‘seed’ projects, where a small investment in early research efforts may serve as a powerful lever for future…

Acolin Awarded NIH R21 Grant to Study Gentrification, Mobility, and Health

Arthur Acolin, Associate Professor and Bob Filley Endowed Chair in the Runstad Department of Real Estate, was recently awarded an NIH R21 grant for his project entitled ‘Gentrification, Mobility, and Exposure to Contextual Determinants of Health.’ The project will examine how gentrification affects mobility patterns at the neighborhood levels and changes exposure to contextual determinants of health that have been shown to contribute to social and race/ethnic inequalities in health. The proposed research leverages consumer trace data from Data Axle…

Factors Influencing Teleworking Productivity – a Natural Experiment during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Shi, Xiao; Moudon, Anne Vernez; Lee, Brian H. Y.; Shen, Qing; Ban, Xuegang (Jeff). (2020). Factors Influencing Teleworking Productivity – a Natural Experiment during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Findings.

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Abstract

Of 2174 surveyed adults who were teleworking following the implementation of a Covid-19 work-from-home policy, 23.8% reported an increase in productivity, 37.6% no change, and 38.6% a decrease in productivity compared to working at their prior workplace. After controlling for feelings of depression and anxiety likely caused by pandemic-related circumstances, the socioeconomic characteristics associated with no change or an increase in productivity after shifting to teleworking included being older; not employed in higher education; having lower education attainment; and not living with children. Respondents with longer commute trips in single-occupancy vehicles prior to teleworking were more likely to be more productive but those with longer commute by walking were not. Lifestyle changes associated with increased productivity included better sleep quality, spending less time on social media, but more time on personal hobbies.