Federal / Agency News
Census Publishes 2025 Population & Housing Unit Estimates
The US Census Bureau published the Population and Housing Unit Estimates Tables late last week. The data release was delayed by one month due to the government shutdown in the fall. The population figures determine the amount of 9% LIHTCs and Private Activity Bonds allocated to each state. NH&RA is working to update it’s QAP […]
Floor Vote Expected Next Week for Housing for the 21st Century Act
House leadership is targeting next week for a vote on Housing for the 21st Century Act. In Context: The House Committee on Financial Services passed the bill almost unanimously (50-1) last year. See NH&RA’s write up on the bill and the hearing in our December 24 edition. Dive Deeper: The bill could be considered under […]
FY26 HUD Appropriations Funded by Congress
The Senate and House passed five FY 2026 appropriations bills, including HUD funding, and approved a separate two-week continuing resolution (CR) to temporarily fund the Department of Homeland Security. By the Numbers: The HUD budget totals $77.3 billion — a $7.3 billion increase over the previous fiscal year. You can read a more in-depth summary […]
A Path Home: Rebuilding the American Dream and Restoring Housing Affordability
Senator Gallego (D-AZ) released his housing plan, A Path Home: Rebuilding the American Dream and Restoring Housing Affordability, which includes short- and long-term solutions to address America’s housing affordability crisis. Breaking It Down: Highlights of the 36-page plan include:
HUD Updates Middle-Income Housing Underwriting Standards and Thresholds
On January 22, 2026, HUD issued a mortgagee letter updating the underwriting standards and thresholds for Middle Income Housing under the Federal Housing Administration’s (FHA’s) Office of Multifamily Housing loan programs. The Middle Income Housing initiative aims to stimulate housing production, address current real estate and finance markets, and ensure the continued availability and stability […]
HUD Orders Immediate Citizenship Verification for All Tenants in HUD-Funded Housing Nationwide
HUD announced to all Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) and owners of HUD-funded housing that they have 30 days to respond to a new report in the Enterprise Income Verification System (EIV) regarding verification of immigration status. In Context: HUD sent a letter to PHAs and owners on December 16, 2025 reminding them of their legal […]
HUD Secretary Turner Oversight Briefing
The House Committee on Financial Services held a hearing featuring HUD Secretary Scott Turner on the Oversight of the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Federal Housing Administration. Both parties spoke about tackling the affordable housing crisis and shared their support for the Housing for the 21st Century Act, which passed the committee […]
GRRP Multifamily Housing Notice
HUD published a new Green and Resilient Retrofit Program (GRRP) for Multifamily Housing Notice H 2026-01, which will become effective on March 1, 2026. HUD is offering the following Training Webinars and Office Hours for GRRP Awardees:
From the White House to Davos: Trump’s Housing Policy Signals
President Trump issued an executive order on “Stopping Wall Street from Competing with Main Street Homebuyers,” directing: Go Deeper: Section 3ii(b) directs guidance to exempt the inclusion of build-to-rent properties, eliminating any unintended impact to the Housing Credit. “The guidance issued pursuant to subsection (a)(i) of this section shall include appropriate, narrowly tailored exceptions for build-to-rent […]
House Passes HUD FY26 Appropriations but Government Shutdown Likely
The House passed the remaining six FY 2026 appropriations bills, including funding for HUD and other federal agencies, before leaving for recess. The Senate will vote on the six bills tomorrow as one package, which must pass before January 30 (expiration date of the continuing resolution) to avoid a partial government shutdown. These include: Democratic […]
HUD Opens Comment Period on Proposed Rule to Remove Disparate Impact Standard from Fair Housing Act
On January 14, 2026, HUD issued a proposed rule to remove the Fair Housing Act discriminatory effects regulations and stated it intends to leave interpretations of disparate impact liability up to the courts’ discretion. HUD justified removal by claiming that the rules determining whether a given practice is discriminatory exceed the statutory requirements and impose […]
HUD Citizenship & Immigration Status Verification Letter
HUD’s Office of Multifamily Housing sent a letter reminding multifamily owners and agents of the current required procedures for verifying citizenship and immigration status and for calculating prorated assistance for mixed-status households, which include: Why This Matters: In September 2025, ProPublica leaked a proposed “mixed-status rule,” which would drastically change current policy. You can read […]