General News
Steve Walker Named New Executive Director of the Washington State Housing Finance Commission
The Washington State Housing Finance Commission named Steve Walker as its new executive director after a nationwide search. Walker returns to the Commission, where he was director of Multifamily Housing and Community Facilities until 2013, after most recently leading the City of Seattle Office of Housing.
Perceptions of Affordable Housing Investment: 2019 Study Key Findings
Kingsley Associates released an executive summary of findings from confidential interviews with 31 large institutional investors and investment advisors on the topic of affordable housing investment. They found three main reasons these investors chose not to invest in affordable housing:
The Federal Government’s “onerous rules and regulations.”
The miseducation (or under-education) of the investment community.
Investing in affordable housing solely to meet a mandate.
NCSHA, EIG Publish Three Case Studies on Affordable Housing in Opportunity Zones
The National Council of State Housing Agencies (NCSHA) and the Economic Innovation Group (EIG) published three case studies of developments that incorporate Opportunity Zone investment to create new affordable homes and support community revitalization efforts in Ohio, Maryland and Florida. These are the first in a new series of Opportunity Zone Development Profiles that detail project financing, community socioeconomic data and projected economic impact. The profiles demonstrate how Opportunity Zone investments are being utilized to develop affordable homes for very-low- to moderate-income households, and how that investment is furthering community revitalization efforts and enhancing positive community impact.
Florida Governor Recommends Full Funding for Affordable Housing Programs in Budget
Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) announced full funding for affordable and workforce housing programs. Unveiled in his Bolder, Brighter, Better Future Budget, the Governor recommends providing $387 million to the affordable housing trust funds – $119.8 million for the State Apartment Incentive Loan (SAIL) program and $267.2 million for the State Housing Initiative Partnership (SHIP) program.
Louisville, Kentucky: Family Scholar House Helps Residents Achieve Economic Independence through Academic Success
HUD User published a case study on the Riverport Family Scholar House, one part of a larger multi-generational housing development. Riverport provides affordable housing and a network of support services to single parents and foster care alumni who are pursuing post-secondary education in Louisville, KY. Residents receive access to free or heavily subsidized child care, […]
Mayor Buttigeg Releases Housing Plan
Democratic presidential hopeful Mayor Pete Buttigieg (South Bend, IN) released An Economic Agenda for American Families which includes spending $430 billion on affordable housing measures. “He will enable more than 2 million more units of affordable housing to be built or restored where it is needed most, using billions of dollars of investments in the Housing Trust Fund, Capital Magnet Fund, HOME and CDBG funds, and the Low Income Housing Tax Credit.”
Voters Approve Housing Ballot Measures
Voters in multiple jurisdictions across the country approved housing- and mitigation-related ballot measures. Voters in Durham, NC approved a $95 million affordable housing bond by a 76 to 24 percent margin. The measure will be paired with $65 million in federal and local funding over the next five years to support affordable housing development and […]
JCHS: State and Federal Governments Support Needed to Tackle Housing Affordability
Daniel McCue with the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies argues in a new blog post that even the largest cities will need help tackling housing affordability.
Apple Commits $2.5 Billion to Combat Housing Crisis in California
Apple recently announced a $2.5 billion plan to help address the housing availability and affordability crisis in California. The funding commitment to California is expected to take approximately two years to be fully utilized depending on the availability of projects. Capital returned to Apple will be reinvested in future projects over the next five years.
Facebook Commits $1 Billion to Address California Housing Affordability
Facebook announced a $1 billion commitment over the next decade to help address the affordable housing crisis in California, which will go toward creating up to 20,000 new housing units to help essential workers such as teachers, nurses and first responders live closer to the communities that rely on them.
Former FHA Commissioner Starts at MIT GCFP Executive Director
The MIT Sloan School of Management recently announced the appointment of Edward L. Golding as executive director and senior lecturer at the MIT Golub Center for Finance and Policy (GCFP). Golding, a former head of the Federal Housing Administration, will help lead the GCFP in its mission to support governments in their role as financial […]
HUD Releases RAD Evaluation
HUD released an evaluation of its Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD), which finds significant evidence that RAD is stimulating billions of dollars in capital investment, improving living conditions for low-income residents and enhancing the financial health of these critical affordable housing resources. The report says that the 956 RAD conversions studied leveraged $9.66 for every dollar provided through HUD’s public housing programs, that all rehabilitation projects covered their rehabilitation needs, that there is an 87 percent post-conversion decrease in unscheduled capital needs for completed RAD properties and that tenants were pleased with the improvement.