Reprinted from HUD.gov. See the original blog by Secretary Donovan here.
Protecting the American Dream
Here at HUD, we recognize that a home is where American families build and shape their lives. It is the foundation on which parents raise their children and plan for the future. It is the foundation from which rural and urban neighborhoods are built and communities are formed. A home is where the American Dream begins.
On June 16, HUD released its 2009 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress (AHAR), a yearly study designed to measure the scope of homelessness across the country. According to the report, the total number of homeless persons in America slightly decreased from 2008 to 2009, while long-term or chronic homelessness is estimated to have decreased by 30 percent since 2006.
On June 16, the Senate defeated a procedural motion to advance the substitute amendment offered by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) to the House-passed tax extenders and jobs bil
On June 9, representatives from several local housing organizations and two Members of Congress met in Washington to discuss green and sustainable housing in rural areas at the Housing Assistance Council's symposium, "Building Green in Rural America." NCSHA staff attended the symposium.
On June 14, Standard and Poor’s released a report stating that loan delinquencies among S&P-rated HFA single-family programs have increased through the end of 2009.
On June 9, the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs held a hearing on the Livable Communities Act of 2009, S. 1619, introduced by Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd (D-CT).
On June 10, the House passed the FHA Reform Act of 2010, H.R. 5072, which authorizes HUD to increase FHA's annual single-family mortgage insurance premium and expands FHA’s enforcement authority.
On June 8, Standard and Poor's (S&P) released a report entitled "The US Treasury's New Issue Bond Program Offers Housing Finance Agencies Possible Increased Market Access" which outlines the results of the New Issue Bond Program (NIBP) and how S&P believes HFAs will handle the conclusion of the NIBP at the end of the year.
