In an effort to improve its focus on issues of housing and of local government, the Kennedy School of Government has established one new research center and reorganized another.

The old Harvard-M.I.T. Joint Center for Urban Studies, which has over the last few years devoted increasing time to researching housing construction and finance, became the Joint Center for Housing Studies earlier this month. The change "reflects the reality" of the center's work in the last few years, said K-School spokesman David M. Irons.

New Government Center

Non-housing issues which used to be studied at the center will be transferred to the K-School's new State, Local, and Intergovernmental Center. The new center, one of six such programs at the school, will also coordinate research at the school in a wide array of city-related issues, including transportation, city financing, policy-making and relations with the federal government.

In addition, the new government center--located in the Housing Studies offices at 29 Church St.--will sponsor seminars, panel discussions, and grant programs for graduate students. The center's research staff of K-School professors will develop material for the school's courses in municipal government administration.

H. James Brown, director of the City and Regional Planning Program, will both chair the new center and continue as director of the renamed Housing Studies center.

Collaboration

The Joint Center has in the past collaborated extensively with government agencies on such projects as two seminars for newly elected mayors, workshops for members of Boston city agencies, and long-term planning sessions involving Boston business and community representatives.

The K-School also operates four other research centers, covering health policy, energy and the environment, science and energy, and business and government. Generally, about five professors--some from other Harvard graduate schools--are affiliated with and organize research under the aegis of each center.