Federal / Agency News

Last week, the House Committee on Financial Services held a hearing on “Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs): Their Unique Role and Challenges Serving Lower-Income, Under-served and Minority Communities.”

Representatives of the Council for Energy Friendly Affordable Housing (CEFAH), a council within NH&RA, will be meeting with the staff of U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) to discuss the senator’s recently introduced energy efficiency legislation and to express support for it.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has announced that he will push jobs legislation that will not include several tax credit extenders included in a draft bill previously circulated by Senators Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and Charles Grassley (R-Neb.), Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee have released a draft Jobs Bill.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is requesting comments on a proposed information collection project under which state housing credit agencies will gather data and information regarding the race, ethnicity, family composition, age, income, rental assistance, disability status, and monthly rental payments of households living in federal low-income housing tax credit projects.

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan has announced the selection of Richard Walega as HUD’s new Regional Director for New England, which comprises Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont.

The United States Senate voted, 70-28, today (Wednesday, 2/24)to pass Senator Harry Reid’s (D-Nev.) Jobs Bill. The $85 billion bipartisan jobs proposal was negotiated by the Finance Committee chairman, Max Baucus, D-Mont., and the committee’s top Republican, Charles E. Grassley of Iowa.

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a new report in late January on the New Markets Tax Credit Program entitled, “Credit Helps Fund a Variety of Projects in Low-Income Communities, but Could Be Simplified.” In the report, GAO describes where and how community development entities (CDE) are using NMTCs to finance development in low-income communities and describes options for simplifying the NMTC program.

Senators Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and Charles Grassley (R-Neb.), Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee have released a draft Jobs Bill. The $85 billion “˜”˜Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment Act” has not been assigned a bill number yet.

You can now purchase individual audio recordings of select panel sessions offered throughout 2009. Mix and match sessions from any 2009 event on one convenient CD-ROM!

U.S. Representative Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) recently introduced the Renewable Energy Expansion Act (H.R. 4599), a bill that would allow taxpayers to receive a tax credit that functions as a direct payment for investing in or producing renewable energy.

HUD has issued a notice announcing its intention to offer funding through a competition made available as a Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) under its Sustainable Communities Planning Grant Program (Program). HUD is also seeking comments on the Program through this Advance Notice. The goal of the Program is to support multi-jurisdictional regional planning efforts that integrate housing, economic development, and transportation decision-making in a manner that empowers jurisdictions to consider the interdependent challenges of economic growth, social equity and environmental impact simultaneously.

Snowed in? Washington, DC got over two feet of snow last weekend and we are looking at as much as another 10 inches of snow tomorrow – so much for living in the South! But just because we can’t dig our cars out doesn’t mean you can’t plan your trip for an upcoming NH&RA event in a much WARMER climate!