General News

The Ohio Housing Finance Agency (OHFA) has released a new Frequently Asked Questions document regarding the Application Review Process for the 2012 Housing Credit Program.

The Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) has issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for market study report services. Selected market study providers will be placed on a list of qualified firms authorized to provide market study services to applicants for DCA’s affordable housing programs.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Housing Service (RHS) has announced a series of teleconferences and/or web conference meetings regarding the USDA Multifamily Housing Program.

President Obama will release his administration’s FY-2013 budget proposal on Monday, February 13. In addition to proposing funding levels for critical affordable housing programs like Section 8 and HOME, the budget typically provides insight into administration policy proposals for the upcoming year.

The House Financial Services Committee has released an updated draft of voucher reform legislation, the Affordable Housing and Improved Self Sufficiency Act of 2011 (AHISSA) which is the new iteration of the Section Eight Savings Act (SESA) and the Section Eight Voucher Reform Act (SEVRA).

The White House’s Rural Council is conducting a series of business roundtables with business leaders across the country to gain perspective on opportunities to improve housing & economic conditions, as well as create jobs in rural America.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently released the 2012 HOME rent and income limits, effective February 9, 2012.

The call for entries for the 2012 HUD Secretary’s Award for Excellence in Historic Preservation is now available. The HUD Secretary’s Awards are presented annually to honor projects that exemplify excellence in four categories: community planning, historic preservation, affordable housing design, and cooperative public/private efforts.

As part of the process to rewrite the 2013 Qualified Allocation Plan (QAP), the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) is soliciting alternative language ideas for any portion of the QAP from stakeholders.

The Alabama Housing Finance Authority (AHFA) has announced that applications for Low-Income Housing Tax Credits and HOME program funds will be accepted beginning March 13, 2012, at 9:00 am CST until 5:00 pm on March 15, 2012.

In response to the feedback the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee (CTCAC) received regarding the proposed changes to the 2012 Tax Credit program, the agency has released a finalized list of recommendations. A few of the major additions/revisions to CTCAC’s market study guidelines were a direct result of comments that the National Council of Affordable Housing Market Analysts (NCAHMA) submitted.

The Massachusetts Department of Housing & Community Development (DHCD) has released the draft version of its 2012 Qualified Allocation Plan (QAP). DHCD anticipates total available funding of $14,662,185 for 2012.