News

This New York Times article debates the merits of Opportunity Zones arguing “billions of untaxed investment profits are beginning to pour into high-end apartment buildings and hotels, storage facilities that employ only a handful of workers, and student housing in bustling college towns, among other projects.” The article explores how developments in New Orleans, Miami, […]

In a new paper, Michael Stegman with the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studiers (JCHS) argues that “eliminating exclusionary land use regulations should be the civil rights issue of our time.” Stegman looks back at five presidential commissions and federal initiatives to eliminate local barriers to housing development, put in motion by both Democratic and Republican administrations, arguing that each was based on the proposition that unnecessary land use regulations drive up production costs and drive down housing supply.

HUD published the Notice of Demonstration to Assess the National Standards for the Physical Inspection of Real Estate (NSPIRE) and Associated Protocols in the Federal Register. Comments are due on October 21, 2019.

The San Antonio Housing Authority (SAHA) board approved a $486 million funding package that will support a range of projects, including a 326-unit apartment building with half the units reserved for renters earning up to 50 percent of the area median income (AMI), a 252-unit complex entirely reserved for residents earning up to 50 percent […]

The San Jose City Council is set to adopt a new Housing Payment Equity Ordinance that prohibits the discrimination of income sources. The ordinance will cover all rentals—including single-family homes, duplexes, multifamily units, co-living spaces, accessory dwelling units, guest houses and mobile homes—with one exception: rooms in single-family homes where the landlord lives in the house, too.

Last week the House Financial Service Committee (HFSC) held a field hearing titled “Examining the Homelessness Crisis in Los Angeles.” In her opening remarks, Chairwoman Maxine Waters called for a  bold and comprehensive response at the federal, state and local levels to address the homelessness crisis.

HUD published its Implementation of the Fair Housing Act’s Disparate Impact Standard proposed rule in the Federal Register. If implemented, the proposed rule would raise the burden of proof to bring a disparate impact claim, making it harder to pursue housing discrimination cases. Comments are due by October 18, 2019.

HUD has released the first set of NSPIRE standards with standards for chimneys, exit signs, sinks, smoke detectors and trash chutes. HUD is seeking feedback about the clarity of the deficiencies, the accuracy of the rationales and the overall usability of the standards. Please review the instructions on how to submit your feedback.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released its Inadmissibility on Public Charge Grounds Final Rule. The rule denies visas to persons the government deems to be a ‘public charge’, through their income and potential use of federal programs like Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers, Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance, and Public Housing programs, as well as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicaid and parts of Medicare. The final rule significantly expands the list of federal programs that can be used to determine if someone is deemed a public charge and is scheduled to take effect on Oct. 15, 2019.

HUD announced that the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) will insure mortgages on mixed-use development in opportunity zones under the agency’s Section 220 program. Historically, Section 220 has provided mortgage insurance for rental housing in downtown urban areas that have been targeted for overall revitalization. Now, all 8,764 Opportunity Zones, including those located in rural area, […]

The Our Homes Our Votes 2020 campaign is circulating an organizational sign-on letter urging ABC, Univison and the next debate moderators to ask candidates about housing solutions in the September Democratic presidential primary debates. The letter specifically calls on the debate moderators to ask each presidential candidate how they would address the nation’s housing and […]

This How Housing Matters article explains how energy efficiency upgrades can boost low-income multifamily properties’ net operating incomes, save low-income households money on energy bills and improve environmental outcomes—making investments in these upgrades a triple win. This evidence roundup highlights why policymakers and funders should continue to push housing providers, utility companies and intermediary organizations to bolster their efforts to bring energy efficiency upgrades to both subsidized and unsubsidized multifamily rental housing.