News

Dr. Raphael Bostic has been sworn in as the Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. He was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on July 10, 2009.

The House Financial Services Committee has approved H.R. 3045, the Section Eight Voucher Reform Act of 2009. This measure would reform the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program, which provides rental housing assistance to 2 million low-income families nationwide.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has announced that Shelley Poticha has been appointed Senior Advisor for Sustainable Housing and Communities. HUD is working with Senate Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd (D-CT) on legislation that seeks to create the Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities at HUD. Poticha will direct the office if the bill becomes law.

The U.S. House of Representatives’ Financial Services Committee convened on July 8 to markup proposed legislation, H.R. 3045, to reform the housing choice voucher program under Section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937.

U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan delivered the Keynote Address at HUD’s 2009 HOPE VI Green Building and Energy Efficient Development Conference on June 25 in Washington, DC.

Members of the U.S. House of Representatives’ Financial Services Committee convened for a public hearing on June 25 to discuss issues and receive testimony from HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan related to proposed legislative options for preserving federally- and state-assisted affordable housing and preventing displacement of low-income, elderly and disabled tenants.

Leaders of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures and the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Domestic Monetary Policy and Technology held a joint hearing yesterday to receive testimony from key government officials and industry leaders with regards to a recent report published by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), which states that minority-based Community Development Entities (CDE) are less likely to be successful in obtaining funding allocations under the New Markets Tax Credit Program.

Leaders of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Transportation and Environmental Protection Agency collectively announced a joint Partnership for Sustainable Communities to help improve access to affordable housing, create more transportation options, and lower transportation costs while also improving the energy efficiency of communities nationwide.

On Wednesday, July 15 the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Financial Services held a hearing to discuss legislative options for preserving federally- and state-assisted affordable housing and preventing displacement of low-income, elderly and disabled tenants. During the hearing, Committee heard testimony from a panel of witnesses.

Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle has announced that funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will be used for a new program to weatherize large, multifamily buildings. The new program aims to weatherize approximately 3,000 units in apartment buildings across the state over the next two years, reducing energy use and creating jobs.

The Ohio Housing Finance Agency has released a marked up version of its draft 2010 qualified allocation plan for administering the low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) program.

The U.S. Department of Treasury has released an update on the Build America Bonds program, including state-by-state data. The Build America Bonds program is a new financing tool created by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to allow state and local governments to obtain much-needed funding to support economic and community development projects.