General News

HUD has released the final fiscal year 2012 fair market rents (FMRs) to become effective October 1, 2011. The primary uses of FMRs are to determine payment standards for the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program, to determine renewal rents for expiring project based Section 8 contracts, to determine initial rents for housing assistance payment contracts in the Moderate Rehabilitation Single Room Occupancy program, and to serve as rent ceilings in the HOME program.

The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA) has provided clarification on utility allowances for 2012 Multifamily Housing Program applicants. The notice does not change the application, rather provides further guidance on acceptable utility allowance submissions.

On August 5, 2011, Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber signed into law the Oregon Low Income Community Jobs Initiative, which created a matching state tax credit to the federal New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC).

The Housing Assistance Council, in partnership with The Atlantic Philanthropies announced a new grant program, the Rural Senior Housing (RSH) Fund. Eligible affordable housing organizations are invited to apply for RSH grants to support activities that will build, preserve, or advocate for housing for low-income older adults living in rural areas.

Environmental Data Resources Inc. has launched a new online mapping tool called the Environmental Issues Report (EIR) that shows “environmental issues” within a one-mile radius of an address.

HUD’s Economic and Market Analysis Division has prepared Comprehensive Housing Market Analyses for the Burlington-South Burlington, Vermont and Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, Florida market areas.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Office of Policy Development and Research (PD&R), in partnership with the Office of Native American Programs (ONAP), has just launched a new effort to support and increase sustainable construction in Native communities.

The California Supreme Court recent denied the California Redevelopment Association’s (CRA) request for a modified stay that would have allowed redevelopment agencies that agreed to make remittance payments under the alternative redevelopment program to initiate new activities or obligations.

HUD has published its quarterly notice of all regulatory waivers that the Department has approved for the Office of Community Planning and Development, the Office of Housing, and the Office of Public and Indian Housing. The notice contains all regulatory waivers granted during the period of April 1, 2011 through June 30, 2011.

The Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) released the draft 2012 Qualified Allocation Plan (QAP) that details changes made to the previous year’s plan.

The New York State Homes & Community Renewal (HCR) agency announced 35 award recipients for the State’s competitive Unified Funding (UF) awards program that leverages $78 million in low-interest loans and tax credits to build and preserve over 2,200 units of affordable housing. This unique State program combines the funding rounds of three major development programs that aim to increase the availability of quality affordable housing.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund) released public comments submitted in response to its Request for Public Comment regarding the CDFI Bond Guarantee Program (BGP). The BGP was enacted through the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 on September 27, 2010 and is authorized through fiscal year 2014