Federal / Agency News
USDA Launches Partnership with EPA to Provide Wastewater Sanitation to Underserved Communities
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the Closing America’s Wastewater Access Gap Community Initiative.
Senate Appropriations Committee Releases FY 2023 Spending Bills
Last week the Senate Appropriations Committee released all 12 of its FY2023 appropriations bills.
Marion Mollegen McFadden Joins HUD as PDAS for CPD
Marion Mollegen McFadden joined the Biden-Harris administration as principal deputy assistant secretary for community planning and development at HUD.
New Treasury Guidance Adds Flexibility for Unobligated ERA 2 Dollars
The U.S. Department of the Treasury recently updated its Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) guidance for the Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) program to provide additional flexibilities under the American Rescue Plan Act for ERA 2 dollars that are unobligated as of Oct. 1, 2022.
Treasury Releases Guidance Updates, How-to Guide to Increase Investments in Affordable Housing Using ARP Funds
The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced new guidance to increase the ability of state, local and tribal governments to use American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds to boost the supply of affordable housing in their communities.
Report Finds Nation’s Housing Deficit Has More Than Doubled Since 2012
A new report from Up for Growth, Housing Underproduction in the U.S., found that housing underproduction in the U.S. reached 3.8 million homes in 2019, up from 1.6 million in 2012.
Senate Finance Committee Hearing on LIHTC
Last week the Senate Finance Committee held a hearing on The Role of Tax Incentives in Affordable Housing.
House Passes HUD, Rural Housing Funding Bills
Last week, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 8249, a “minibus” appropriations package that contains six FY 2023 appropriations bills, including the FY 2023 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD) and FY 2023 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies spending bills.
Affordability Gaps Widened for Renters in the First Year of the Pandemic
In a new blog post for the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University, Whitney Airgood-Obrycki and Alexander Hermann demonstrate that the share of renter households with cost burdens rose nearly three percentage points from 2019 to 2020.
CDFI Fund Pauses Acceptance of New CDFI Certification Applications, Target Market Modifications
The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund) will pause acceptance of new CDFI Certification Applications and requests for Target Market modifications for a period of six months beginning on Oct. 1, 2022.
HUD Hosts Fair Housing Planning Office Hours
Registration is open for HUD’s bi-monthly Fair Housing series of virtual office hours.
ASHRAE’s New Advanced Energy Design Guide for Multifamily Buildings
The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) recently published an Advanced Energy Design Guide (AEDG) for Multifamily Buildings.