Newsroom
HUD Seeks to Amend ConPlan Regulations to Address the Digital Divide and Climate Change
On May 18, HUD published a proposed rule, Modernizing HUD’s Consolidated Planning Process to Narrow the Digital Divide and Increase Resilience to Natural Hazards, that would require jurisdictions to consider broadband access and resilience to natural hazard risks, including hazards that may result from climate change, in their Consolidated Plans (ConPlan).
HUD Housing Counseling Advisory Committee Includes HFA Representative
HUD announced earlier this week the members of its inaugural Housing Counseling Federal Advisory Committee (HCFAC). The Committee, which was authorized under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act, will advise HUD about how it can best utilize its resources to provide more borrowers with HUD-approved counseling services.
NCSHA President Tom Gleason Makes the Case for Housing Bonds at House and Senate Briefings
MassHousing Executive Director Emeritus and NCSHA President Tom Gleason on June 2 participated as NCSHA’s representative in two panel briefing sessions on Capitol Hill—one for House staff and the other for Senate staff—on the importance of tax-exempt municipal bonds. The Municipal Bonds for America (MBFA) coalition, in which NCSHA participates, sponsored the briefings to educate congressional staff about how bonds work, the many uses of bonds, and why they are critical to state and local governments.
Representatives Urge Regulators to Reassess Fannie and Freddie Capital Standards
Thirty-two congressional Democrats sent a letter earlier today to Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Mel Watt and U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew expressing concerns about a current policy that requires Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to reduce the amount of capital they hold. The letter, which was drafted by House Financial Services Committee member Michael Capuano (D-MA), asks the regulators to reassess this policy.
HFAs to Receive Over $10 Million for Foreclosure Prevention Counseling
NeighborWorks® America announced yesterday that it has awarded nearly $40 million in funding to support counseling for struggling homeowners to help them avoid foreclosure through the National Foreclosure Mitigation Counseling (NFMC) program. The recipients include twenty-one HFAs that combined will receive almost $10.8 million. Funding will also be distributed to 19 HUD Counseling Intermediaries and 60 local NeighborWorks affiliates. A list of all the grants awarded is available here.
Representative McCarthy Introduces Moving to Work Expansion Bill
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) introduced April 29 The Moving to Work Reformation and Expansion Act of 2016, H.R. 5137, which would remove the cap on the number of public housing agencies (PHAs) that can participate in Moving to Work (MTW) and change the status of MTW from a demonstration to a program. H.R. 5137 also would authorize HUD to provide technical assistance to PHAs participating in MTW and evaluate housing reforms undertaken by MTW participants to identify replicable program models.
HUD Affirms HFAs’ Ability to Provide Down Payment Assistance with FHA Loans
Yesterday afternoon, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Housing and Head of the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) Ed Golding issued a statement reaffirming that loans that include HFA down payment assistance (DPA) are eligible for FHA insurance. The statement also says that HFA DPA programs are legal and consistent with federal housing law.
USDA Allows State RD Offices to Reallocate Unused Rental Assistance
The USDA Rural Development (RD) office on May 24 published an "Unnumbered Letter" allowing state RD offices to reallocate unused rental assistance (RA) within their states without approval from the national office, reversing a policy in place since 2013 requiring state offices to return unused RA to the national office to be recaptured.
House Appropriations Committee Approves FY 2017 HUD Funding Bill
The House Appropriations Committee approved its Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) funding bill by voice vote yesterday afternoon. The full Committee did not modify HUD program funding levels from those reported by the THUD Subcommittee on May 18.
Bipartisan Policy Center Releases Report Highlighting Housing and Health Care Troubles Facing American Seniors
Earlier this week, the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) published a report about America’s expanding senior population and the challenges it will bring to the country’s existing health care and housing networks.
Senate Passes FY 2017 Housing Appropriations Bill
Yesterday, the Senate voted 89 to 8 in favor of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD) funding bill, H.R. 2577. Despite an overall allocation that is $827 million below last year’s funding level, the Senate THUD bill provides nearly $1.5 billion more for HUD’s affordable housing and community development programs than Congress appropriated for them in FY 2016.
Senators Cantwell and Hatch Introduce Housing Credit Cap Increase Legislation
On May 19, Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-UT) introduced S. 2962, the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act of 2016, which would enact several of NCSHA’s Housing Credit-related legislative priorities. The bill would address the severe shortage of affordable rental housing by increasing Housing Credit authority by 50 percent over five years beginning in 2017 and providing states additional flexibility in their program administration.
