News
House Financial Services Committee Holds Markup on FY13 Budget Document; Republicans Express Negative Views About HUD and Many Housing Programs
On March 6, 2012, the House Financial Services Committee held a markup on its Views and Estimates of President Obama’s fiscal year 2013 budget.
Senators Introduce Bill to Extend Renewable Energy Tax Credits
Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), along with a bi-partisan group of U.S. Senators, introduced the American Energy and Job Promotion Act (S. 2201) which would amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend the wind energy production tax credit (PTC) for two years.
Ohio Launches Study to Examine Impact of Reduced Physical Inspections
The Ohio Housing Finance Agency’s (OHFA) recently announced the launch of a collaborative study with USDA RD, HUD and The Ohio State University’s College of Public Health to examine the impact of a proposed policy change to reduce the frequency of physical inspections for affordable housing units receiving multiple funding sources.
New Hampshire Schedules Hearing on 2013 QAP
A public hearing will be held at 1:30 pm on Thursday, March 29, 2012, at the New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority (NHHFA), 32 Constitution Drive, Bedford NH, in order to receive comments on the draft 2013 Qualified Allocation Plan (QAP) for the Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program (LIHTC) and the HOME Rental Housing Production Program Rules.
Minnesota Releases Proposed Changes to 2013 QAP
The Minnesota Housing Finance Agency (MHFA) has begun its formal review and revision process for the 2013 Qualified Allocation Plan, and recently released a summary of proposed changes. MHFA’s Board will review the final QAP and procedural manual revisions at its March 22 meeting.
IRS Issues Notice of Public Hearing Regarding Passive Loss Rules
The IRS issued a notice in the Federal Register that it will hold a hearing on a proposed rule regarding the definition of an “interest in a limited partnership as a limited partner” for purposes of determining whether a taxpayer materially participates in an activity under Section 469 of the Internal Revenue Code.
Senate Rejects NMTC and Renewable Energy Amendments to Transportation Bill
On March 13, the United States Senate voted on several remaining amendments to the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century, or the MAP-21 Act (S. 1813).
HUD Releases Update to Indian Housing Needs Study
HUD’s Office of Policy Development and Research is conducting a comprehensive study of the housing needs of Native Americans, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians, and recently announced the latest updates to the study.
HUD Publishes Quarterly Regulatory Waiver Request
HUD has published its quarterly notice of all regulatory waivers that the Department has approved for the Office of Community Planning and Development, the Office of Housing ““ Federal Housing Administration (FHA), and the Office of Public and Indian Housing.
USGBC Launches New Green Building Database
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has launched a new online green building products database, in conjunction with Home Depot.
HUD Publication Examines Regional Resilience, Community Development
The latest issue of HUD’s Evidence Matters: Transforming Knowledge into Housing and Community Development Policy (Winter 2012) examines how local capacity, leadership, and community connections can help regions avoid or recover from stresses, and how the federal Strong Cities, Strong Communities initiative is fostering capacity-building in some of the nation’s hardest hit areas.
Montana Approves LIHTC Changes
The Montana Department of Commerce on March 8 published a Notice of Amendment on two proposed changes pertaining to the low-income housing tax credit program and allocation procedure.