August 14, 2006
Clark University Student from Lexington uses Anton Fellowship
to study affordable housing in San Francisco
Worcester, Mass. - Courtney J. Croteau of Lexington, Mass., is one of 10 Clark University undergraduates who is pursuing independent scholarly and creative activities this summer and during the upcoming academic year with support from the Anton and Steinbrecher Fellowship Program.
An Anton Fellowship enabled Croteau to spend her summer in San Francisco interning at Asian Neighborhood Design, a non-profit organization with programs in architecture, community planning, employment training, and family and youth resources. She has been assisting with projects in community planning, including an Affordable Housing and Mapping Project, using geographic information system (GIS) technology to show where all of the affordable housing built in the city over the past 30 years is located. The project is intended to provide information about the current gap in the supply of affordable housing for low-income households to enable policy makers to identify areas where more housing is needed and where existing affordable housing needs to be preserved.
Courtney is also conducting independent research on issues concerning housing affordability in San Francisco. She has focused her research on the Mission District; its historic role as a working class neighborhood and the current pipeline developments that continue to bring market rate condos to the area causing further gentrification. Croteau said the idea for her project originated after she took a studio class trip to San Francisco as part of one of her courses at Clark nearly a year ago.
"San Francisco has one of the most expensive housing markets in the U.S. Planning and development are important and contentious issues because they dictate how the limited developable land will be used," said Croteau. "Maintaining affordability in the city, especially in housing, is key because it is the only way to maintain the socio-economic diversity of the city."
Understanding the importance of affordability in housing for all people in San Francisco can give insight to the effects that housing development can have on people in urban areas in the United States and internationally."
Croteau spent her spring semester in Namibia, studying at the Center for Global Education. She is returning to campus this fall, where she is active in Clark TREK, intramural soccer, and serves on the Scarlet Key Advisory Board. She is also a member of Fiat Lux, a Clark honor society that recognizes academic excellence, leadership and sustained commitment to community service; and the Gryphon and Pleiades honor society.
Croteau is a member of the Class of 2007, majoring in International Development. She is the daughter of Gerry Croteau of Lexington, and graduated from Lexington High School in 2003.
The Anton Fellowship Program was established six years ago by a gift from Clark alumni Barbara '56 and Thomas '56 Anton. The Steinbrecher Fellowship Program was created earlier this year by Phyllis and Stephen '55 Steinbrecher in memory of their son David C. Steinbrecher '81. Both Fellowships are designed to spark students' excitement about the pursuit of intellectual ideas and public service and to stimulate discussions within the Clark community. The Anton and Steinbrecher Fellowship Program is directed by Professor Sharon Krefetz, a faculty member in the Government Department and former Dean of the College at Clark.