News
2018 Elections: Housing Ballot Measure Highlights
Housing was on the ballot in many communities last week. Below are links to some notable highlights from around the country: San Francisco voters approved a tax on big business to fund permanent housing, emergency shelters and mental health services for the city’s homeless people. Economists said it would raise $250 million to $300 million. Portland-area […]
Harvard Joint Center Publishes New Report on Housing Older Americans
More than half of the nation’s households are now headed by someone at least 50 years of age. These 65 million older households are highly diverse in their living situations, financial resources, health and functional abilities, and life stages, and thus require different types of housing to meet their needs and preferences. Affordable, accessible housing […]
Rep. Brady Announces Draft Tax Measure; Text to be Circulated Soon
House Ways & Means Chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX) has announced he has completed a draft tax measure to fix the “retail glitch” in the new tax law and address many tax extenders. The draft measure is expected to be circulated in the next few days. It is unclear at time of press whether any affordable […]
2019 Qualified Census Tracts and Difficult Development Areas
HUD has released the 2019 lists of designated Difficult Development Areas (DDAs) and Qualified Census Tracts (QCTs). The designations, effective January 1, 2019, are made annually and are used for the purposes of the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program. An affordable housing project located in a DDA or a QCT and financed with […]
UPDATE: Mid-Term Elections & Its Impact on Affordable Housing
Like many of you, I was up late watching the returns from yesterday’s mid-term elections. As I write this we are still waiting for final results on several races, but a few things are becoming clear. The following are some of my first impressions on what the elections could mean for affordable housing and tax credit […]
GAO Issues Report on HUD Enforcement Efforts
The United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) has issued a new report titled, “Department of Housing and Urban Development: Better Guidance and Performance Measures Would Help Strengthen Enforcement Efforts.” The GAO found that the three program offices of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) that GAO examined have a process in place for […]
Tidwell Publishes Article On Income Averaging
The Tidwell Group has published a new article “Income Averaging: Handling a Double-edged Sword.” The article explores the mechanics of income averaging, potential strategic opportunities, cautionary compliance notes and more…
NCSHA Publishes Opportunity Zone Fund Directory
The National Council of State Housing Agencies has published an online “Opportunity Zone Fund Directory,” which is a compilation of Opportunity Zone funding opportunities. This resource provides descriptions and contact information for publicly-announced funds that have been formed for the purpose of attracting investment in Opportunity Zones. NCSHA is tracking only multi-project opportunity funds. NCSHA […]
NHLP to Host Webinar on Proposed Public Charge Rule’s Affordable Housing Implications
On October 10th, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a proposed rule that would make it more likely for certain immigrants to be denied admission to the U.S. or denied green cards because they receive or would receive lifeline benefits, including Public Housing, Housing Choice Vouchers, and Project-Based Section 8 housing subsidies. The National […]
Representatives Circulate NMTC Dear Colleague Letter
Representative Steve Stivers (R-OH) and Representative Jose Serrano (D-NY) are circulating a “Dear Colleague Letter” request support for a permanent NMTC extension before the end of 2018. The letter is addressed to Ways and Means Chair Kevin Brady (R-TX) and is intended for members who are not on the Ways and Means Committee. The deadline to sign […]
HUD Re-Examining REAC Inspections; Publishes New Notice on Physical Conditions Standards
As part of HUD’s continuing effort to support “decent, safe and sanitary housing,” Secretary Carson is leading a wholesale re-examination of how the Department conducts inspections to ensure private owners are meeting this standard. As HUD continues its internal review of these inspection protocols, the Department is exploring immediate improvements and those refinements over the […]
Harvard JCHS Publishes New Analysis of Rental Markets; Low Income Renters Competing for Shrinking Supply
In a new blog post Daniel McCue, a Senior Research Associate at the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies reports on new analysis of rental markets which compares changes in the rental supply at various rent levels with changes in the number of renter households at various income levels. McCue finds that that a growing number of low-income […]