News

The fiscal year 2021/2022 Pennsylvania state budget includes funding for the development of affordable rental housing in three main program areas: 

On June 29, the Arizona state legislature passed a State LIHTC in S.B 1124. The state credit available to properties placed in service after June 30, 2022 is equal to at least fifty percent of the federal credit with a $4 million annual cap. Governor Doug Ducey (R) has until July 12 to sign or veto the bill, otherwise it will become law on its own. 

Governor Gavin Newsom (D) recently approved California’s 2021-2022 budget, which includes the following investments in affordable housing:  

A bill recently approved by California legislature and Governor Gavin Newsom (D) extends the state’s eviction moratorium through the end of September and will pay off 100 percent of all past due rent from April 2020 through September 30, 2021 for tenants making less than 80 percent of the area median income. The state will also assist with unpaid utility bills.

The Oregon legislature approved $896 million invested in housing solutions in Oregon Housing and Community Services’ 2021-2023 biennium budget, more than double that of the last biennium:  

In a press release, House Financial Services Committee Chairwoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) announced she secured a commitment from President Joe Biden (D) to include housing in the partisan, reconciliation bill. In a speech on July 7 in Illinois, the president said the following on the reconciliation package, “We need to deal with the shortage of affordable housing in America. Over 10 million renters in this country […]

NH&RA signed a letter to Congress along with 120 organizations supporting federal legislation that would create tax credits for zero-carbon buildings and retrofits. Buildings are the largest single contributor of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, producing approximately 40 percent of global emissions.

On Monday, the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee approved FY 2022 funding for HUD. The bill includes $56.5 billion in HUD funding, a $6.8 billion (12 percent) increase over FY 2021. If enacted in its current form, several programs would see substantial increases over FY 2021 levels.

A new proposed rule from HUD, Reinstatement of HUD’s Discriminatory Effects Standard, would rescind the Department’s 2020 disparate impact rule and restore the 2013 discriminatory effects rule. Comments are due by August 24.  

The Supreme Court of the U.S. (SCOTUS) issued a temporary stay on a lower court ruling seeking to overturn the federal eviction moratorium issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The eviction moratorium will remain in place through July 31, 2021.  

NH&RA sent a letter to the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs supporting the nomination of Julia Gordon as Federal Housing commissioner/assistant secretary for housing at HUD. The committee will consider Gordon’s nomination after they return from the Independence Day recess next week.  

HUD published a notice in the Federal Register extending the period by 180 days for which certain 2019 and 2020 qualified census tracts (QCTs) and difficult development areas (DDAs) are effective for purposes of the LIHTC. The notice, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and presidentially declared emergency, extends the eligibility period from 730 days to 910 days for properties in QCTs and DDAs that are not on subsequent lists of QCTs and DDAs and that submitted applications while the area was a 2019 or 2020 QCT or DDA.