News

U.S. lawmakers from the House and Senate have agreed on a compromise version of H.R. 2997, which provides funding levels for rural housing programs through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for fiscal year 2010.

National Council of State Housing Agencies (NCSHA) has sent a letter to Congressional Leaders seeking provisions to strengthen the Housing Bond and Credit programs.

HUD’s Federal Housing Administration (FHA) has proposed a new rule that would conform multifamily mortgage insurance regulations to a provision in Title VIII of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 that prohibits a requirement that tax credit sales proceeds be placed into escrow, at the time of initial endorsement, for assurance of project completion and to pay the initial service charge, carrying charges, and legal and organizational expenses incident to the construction of the project.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has issued a proposed rule that would modify the Federal Housing Administration’s (FHA) multifamily mortgage insurance regulations to prohibit a requirement that proceeds from the sale of tax credits be placed in escrow at the time of initial endorsement for assurance of project completion and to pay the initial service charge, carrying charges, and legal and organizational expenses related to project construction.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is requesting public comments and feedback by November 6 to determine whether it should continue its “hold harmless” policy by maintaining local Section 8 income limits at the previously published level in cases where HUD’s estimate of area median family income or housing cost adjustment data, or changes in calculation methodology, would lead to a reduction in the income limit from the previous year.

Senators Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME), along with Reps. Allyson Schwartz (D-PA) and Pat Tiberi (R-OH) have introduced legislation that would make a number of legislative changes to the federal historic rehabilitation tax credit.

A new AARP report co-authored by the National Housing Trust and Reconnecting America has found that more than 250,000 privately-owned, federally subsidized apartments exist within walking distance to quality transit in 20 metro areas.

The New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR) has proposed changes to the Low-Income Housing Credit Program Qualified Allocation Plan, the regulation which set forth many of the parameters under which DHCR administers the federal tax credit program and selects projects for funding.

HUD has issued a notice designating its annual “Difficult Development Areas” (DDAs) and “Qualified Census Tracts” (QCTs) for purposes of the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC).

The New York State New York State Department of Taxation and Finance (Office of Counsel) has issued a guidance letter concerning the recently enacted New York State Commercial Historic Tax Credit.

The Nevada Housing Division has published its final project criteria and program procedures for its low-income housing tax credit exchange program.

The Mississippi Home Corporation (MHC) has released a summary of proposed revisions to its 2010 qualified allocation plan (QAP) for its low-income housing tax credit program.