NCSHA Blogs
Congress Adopts 2018 Budget Resolution; Paves the Way for Tax Reform
Earlier today, by a margin of 216 to 212, the House of Representatives approved the Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 Budget Resolution, as passed by the Senate on October 19. By adopting the Senate’s Budget Resolution, the House avoided the need for a conference committee to work out differences between the House- and Senate-passed versions of the Budget Resolution.
Mortgage Industry Representatives Urge Lawmakers to Retain Federal Role in Housing Finance
Maintaining a federal role in the housing finance system is vital to ensure access to credit for all borrowers, mortgage industry representatives told the House Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance during a hearing held yesterday to consider private sector perspectives on housing finance reform.
Carson Hearing Focuses on FHA, HUD’s Budget, Hurricane Relief Efforts
At a recent House Financial Services Committee oversight hearing, HUD Secretary Ben Carson outlined his new “FORWARD” Initiative; responded to a series of questions about the Federal Housing Administration, HUD’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 Budget, and the agency’s disaster relief efforts; and repeated statements he has made in the past supporting the Housing Credit.
Secretary Carson Signals Intent to Pare Back Penalties for FHA Lending Errors
HUD Secretary Ben Carson yesterday said that his agency is working with the Department of Justice (DOJ) to clarify rules regarding penalties for lenders making Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans.
Volume Caps for the Housing Credit and Private Activity Bonds Increase in 2018
This week, IRS published Revenue Procedure 2017-58, which sets out 2018 inflation adjustments for various tax provisions, including the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (Housing Credit) volume cap and the private-activity tax-exempt bond volume cap. In 2018, each state’s Housing Credit authority will be $2.40 per capita or $2,765,000 for the small state minimum. This is an increase over 2017, during which each state received $2.35 per capita or the small state minimum of $2,710,000.
Administration Proposes Reforms and Debt Relief for Flood Insurance Program
The Trump Administration yesterday called on Congress to forgive a portion of the National Flood Insurance Program’s (NFIP) debt. The Administration also proposed that Congress enact several reforms to NFIP to improve its solvency and encourage private participation in the flood insurance market.
House Passes Legislation to Classify Muni Bonds as High-Quality Liquid Assets
The U.S. House of Representatives yesterday passed via voice vote legislation (H.R. 1624) that would allow large banks to count some of their municipal bond investments as high-quality liquid assets (HQLAs) under federal bank liquidity standards. The legislation, which NCSHA supports, was introduced by Representatives Luke Messer (R-IN) and Carolyn Maloney (D-NY).
Financial Services Committee Questions Watt on GSE Activities
Members of the House Financial Services Committee questioned Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Mel Watt on a variety issues related to oversight of the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac during a hearing held yesterday. Committee members also asked for Watt’s thoughts on how a future housing finance system should be structured.
IRS Proposes Changes to PAB Public Notice Requirements; Special Standards for MRBs
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) earlier today published in the Federal Register a proposed rule that would simplify the public approval requirements that apply to tax-exempt Housing Bonds and other private activity bonds (PABs). The proposal also includes an NCSHA-supported special exemption from certain public approval requirements for single-family mortgage revenue bonds (MRBs).
