General News

A policy paper for the Brookings Institution’s Hamilton Project proposes a set of automatic stabilizers to federal housing programs to help renters and homeowners stay in their homes during economic downturns.

The California Tax Credit Allocation Committee (TCAC) is preparing proposed regulation changes related to federal disaster credits established by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021.

Minnesota Housing is now accepting applications for the Housing Trust Fund (HTF) Rental Assistance Program Request for Proposals (RFP). The HTF Program provides temporary rental assistance, housing related expenses, such as application fees and security deposits, in partnership with supportive services for High Priority Homeless (HPH) families and individuals prioritized for permanent supportive housing by the local Coordinated Entry (CE) system.

The Denver Community Planning and Development team is partnering with the Department of Housing Stability on a citywide effort to promote affordable housing through policy tools and incentives.

On April 16, 2021, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed into law the COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Program of 2021 (the “2021 Act”).  The 2021 Act allocates $2.45 billion in rental relief for New York households, including $2.35 billion in federal funds and $100 million in state funds.  Each state or other jurisdiction receiving federal funds is charged with administering those funds through new or existing rental assistance programs in that state or jurisdiction. This advisory provides a general background on the current need for rental assistance and New York’s previous attempt at rent relief, describes the relevant details of the 2021 Act, and highlights what is next with respect to rental assistance.

The California Department of Housing and Community is updating its California Statewide Housing Plan and seeking public input via this Housing Plan survey by April 23.

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) signed into law legislation creating a state LIHTC. S.B. 1197 creates the Virginia housing opportunity tax credit, which will have a $15 million annual allocation for five years, applying to taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2021. The state credit will match federal four and nine percent LIHTC allocations.

The National Housing Trust (NHT) released a 2020 update to its 2017 State Strategies to Increase Energy and Water Efficiency in Low Income Housing Tax Credit Properties, which reviewed hundreds of state Housing Finance Agency (HFA) documents, including QAPs, LIHTC applications, Design and Construction Guidelines and other documents, to identify the ten most prominent strategies in use by HFAs to advance water and energy efficiency.

In a new brief, Federal Reforms to Strengthen Housing Stability, Affordability and Choice, the authors highlight the following eight frequently proposed federal reforms to existing housing programs and policies, identify their support among relevant housing stakeholders, and discuss evidence of their impact on housing stability, affordability and choice.

HUD updated the fair market rents (FMRs) for the Housing Choice Voucher Program, Moderate Rehabilitation Single Room Occupancy Program and other programs for Fiscal Year 2021 for four areas based on new survey data: Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area (HMFA), Knox County, ME, Lincoln County, ME and Waldo County, ME. Further, HUD responds to comments received on the FY 2021 FMRs.

The 8-to-1 vote will initially make $400,000 available in $25,000 homeownership and improvement grants, as well as in mortgage assistance for Black residents, primarily those can show they are direct descendants of individuals who lived in the city between 1919 and 1969 and suffered from such discrimination.

A bill in the Arkansas House of Representatives (H.B. 1555) would increase the State Historic Tax Credit (HTC) from $4 million to $10 million and extend the sunset date from December 31, 2027, to December 31, 2037.