HUD Assistant Secretary Mercedes Márquez Speaks at NCSHA’s HOME Conference

On January 13, HUD Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development Mercedes Márquez addressed HOME Conference attendees at NCSHA’s 2010 HFA Institute. Márquez told the audience that “the HOME program is an unrivaled success in this nation.” She said HUD will work to make it as strong as possible in the future.

Márquez said she intends to propose HOME program regulatory improvements soon, but her office is also responsible for producing regulations for the National Housing Trust Fund. She said HUD wants to harmonize HOME and the Trust Fund, as well as making both programs work simply with homeless assistance, so when HUD issues the Trust Fund regulations it should not look like an entirely new program. Márquez stated that HUD will be ready to issue Trust Fund regulations almost immediately after funds are available.

HUD is also taking a new look at the Consolidated Plan grantees must submit to qualify for HUD funding. Márquez said HUD would like it to be a more integrated document that provides a full picture of a community’s overall housing and community development strategy. Márquez said HUD plans to keep any streamlining of the Consolidated Plan that has worked.

Speaking more broadly about HUD’s future, Márquez said HUD’s new Transformation Initiative will allow it to use a small percentage of funding from many different programs to address a variety of operational and performance issues. Márquez highlighted technology deficiencies and research and evaluation needs as areas of HUD focus.

HUD is also taking a look at the way they fund technical assistance. Instead of technical assistance being assigned to individual programs, all of the funds will be combined and then HUD will decide how much each department needs based on department requests. They will focus on building up skill sets, cross-cutting issues, and training for HUD staff. Márquez mentioned that HUD is aware that underwriting is a particular skill set that HUD needs to improve.

HOME Conference materials are available here.