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HUD Interim Rule Reinstates Aspects of Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Requirements; Does Not Yet Require Specific Fair Housing Planning
Today, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) published an interim final rule and request for comments repealing the Trump Administration’s Preserving Community and Neighborhood Choice regulation and reinstating aspects of the 2015 Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) rule in effect under the Obama Administration. The 2021 AFFH interim final rule reinstates relevant definitions that had been rewritten under PCNC and the certifications that incorporate those definitions, including the requirement that HUD program participants certify “they take meaningful actions that, taken together, address significant disparities in housing needs and in access to opportunity, replacing segregated living patterns with truly integrated and balanced living patterns, transforming racially or ethnically concentrated areas of poverty into areas of opportunity, and fostering and maintaining compliance with civil rights and fair housing laws.” The provisions reinstated by the 2021 AFFH interim final rule include only those HUD believes have previously undergone sufficient notice and comment processes.
LHC Board Approves $2.9 Million of Additional Volume Cap for Multifamily Rental Properties
LHC's Board of Directors approved $2.9 million of additional volume cap to develop 132 affordable rental units in two Louisiana parishes at their monthly board meeting, June 9. The multi-million dollar investment represents a combination of LHC's Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) and Multi-family Revenue Bonds (MRBs).
NJHMFA Celebrates Freedom Village at Town Center South Grand Opening
Mayor Dave Fried, New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (NJHMFA) Executive Director Melanie R. Walter, and Project Freedom Inc. representatives, joined by state and local officials, today celebrated the grand opening of Freedom Village at Town Center South, a new accessible and independent living community serving persons with disabilities and mobility impairments. Project Freedom Inc. (PFI) opened the first Project Freedom neighborhood in Robbinsville in 1991. This project is located on Hutchinson Road in Robbinsville Township and has 30 accessible units. All the tenants in this community are people who have a disability.
RIHousing Supports Creation of 452 Critically-Needed Affordable Homes
RIHousing’s Board of Commissioners approved investments at its May Board meeting that will create 452 affordable homes, significantly improve the neighborhoods where they are located, and support over 500 jobs. Funding awards were approved for five developments located in Exeter, Providence, Tiverton, and Woonsocket. “Affordable housing is a major issue for Rhode Island, which has only been exacerbated by the pandemic,” said Governor Daniel McKee. “Ensuring that all Rhode Islanders have access to a safe and affordable home is critical to the success of Rhode Island families, our communities and our state.
Iowa Finance Authority Announces Record Year for Homebuyers; Launch of New Iowa First-Time Homebuyer Toolkit
The Iowa Finance Authority (IFA) today marked national homeownership month by recognizing Iowa’s strong housing market, record numbers of homebuyers using IFA’s mortgage programs and the launch of a new first-time Iowa homebuyer toolkit that will educate homebuyers on the homebuying process amid a highly-competitive market.“The competitive housing market means that homebuyers need to be informed of the process and ready to act quickly,” said IFA Executive Director Debi Durham.
NCSHA Washington Report | June 4, 2021
Readers of this newsletter know the view here is that affordable housing is, and has to be, a bipartisan policy priority in Washington. We’ve argued affordable housing — the glue that helps...
WHEDA Names Steele Tribal Liaison; Searles Tapped for Community Economic Development Post in NE Wisconsin
Erica Steele will add the role of tribal liaison to her repertoire while she continues to build strategic relationships as a member of the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority’s Community and Economic Development team. Steele succeeds Deby Dehn, a 15-year WHEDA member of the Community and Economic Development team who worked to advance affordable housing and economic development in a territory covering 21 counties in northeastern Wisconsin.
Federal Tax Credits Awarded to Build Affordable Apartments in Five Vermont Towns
The Vermont Housing Finance Agency (VHFA) Board of Commissioners announced last week that its annual allocation of federal housing tax credits will support the construction of 105 permanently affordable apartments in five communities across the state. The sale of the credits is expected to yield over $26 million in funding, which will cover over 60 percent of total development costs. The program is the largest single funding source for affordable housing development in Vermont.
USDA Seeks Applications for Placemaking Grants to Spur Economic Growth and Community Development
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced it is accepting applications for eligible entities to provide planning, training, and technical assistance to rural communities to foster...
WHEDA Issues $156 Million Housing Revenue Bond
The Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA) has issued a $156 million Housing Revenue Bond to finance rental housing developments currently in its loan closing pipeline. The bond issuance is expected to help finance 10 developments that will provide more than 800 units of affordable and workforce rental housing in Fitchburg, Madison, Milwaukee, Oregon, Oshkosh, Sturgeon Bay and Wausau.
White House Announces Proposals to Reduce the Racial Wealth Gap
Earlier today, the Biden-Harris Administration announced a set of proposals designed to help narrow the racial wealth gap and reinvest in distressed communities, focusing on expanding access to homeownership and small business ownership. The administration says it will launch an interagency effort to address inequity in home appraisals and publish next week in the Federal Register a proposed rule on countering housing practices with discriminatory effects (disparate impact) and an interim proposed rule on Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing. The administration plan also includes using the federal government’s purchasing power to grow federal contracting with small disadvantaged businesses by 50 percent.
Florida Housing Finance Corporation Highlights Affordable Housing in Honor of National Homeownership Month
In honor of National Homeownership Month in June, the Florida Housing Finance Corporation (Florida Housing) is highlighting the importance of quality, affordable housing for all. Florida Housing understands that homeownership can significantly impact the lives of families, communities, and the local economy now more than ever. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly 50% of all Floridians lived just one paycheck away from homelessness. As unemployment skyrocketed in 2020 and families experienced unprecedented financial strain, more than 57,300 evictions and 7,400 foreclosure suits were filed between March and December.
