HUD

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) recently released a letter to Congressional leaders which detailed the calculations of the amounts and percentages by which various budgetary resources are required to be reduced due to sequestration, or the automatic $85 billion worth of across-the-board spending cuts in fiscal year (FY) 2013

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has indicated that owners of Rent Supplement and Rental Assistance Payments (RAP) properties should submit Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) expression of interest letters for conversion under the second non-competitive component to HUD by April 1.

The Bipartisan Policy Center’s Housing Commission recently released its report recommending improvements to America’s federal housing programs. The recommendations propose scaling back the government role in the housing finance system and reforming housing assistance programs to better meet the needs of the most vulnerable households.

The Center for Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) recently released a report entitled “Estimated Cuts In Federal Housing Assistance and Community Development Programs Due to Sequestration”, which details the effects the potential across-the-board funding cuts for most federal programs (sequestration) could have on state housing programs.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently released the 2013 HOME income limits, effective February 20, 2013. HOME income limits are calculated using the same methodology that HUD uses for calculating Section 8 program limits.

HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan recently sent a letter to the Senate Committee on Appropriations Chari Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) about the effects sequestration could have on the families, individuals and communities that rely on HUD programs.

HUD has issued a final rule (Docket No. FR”“5508″“F”“02) regarding disparate impact liability under the Fair Housing Act. The final rule formalize HUD’s recognition of disparate impact liability and, for purposes of providing consistency nationwide, formalizes a burden-shifting test for determining whether a given practice has an unjustified discriminatory effect, leading to liability under the Fair Housing Act.

HUD recently issued Housing Notice 2013-05 to detail recent changes regarding processing of Federal Housing Administration (FHA) multifamily mortgage insurance applications for transactions in New York and New Jersey, the communities hardest hit by Hurricane Sandy.

H&RA member firm, Goulston & Storrs recently released an article detailing the recent rule changes in Massachusetts that would impact preservation deals.

HUD recently issued a Federal Register Notice seeking public comment on the redesign of the American Housing Survey (AHS) for 2015 and beyond.

President Obama singed the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act of 2013 (H.R. 152) on January 29. H.R. 152, which passed the U.S. House of Representatives by a measure of 241-180 and the Senate by a margin of 62-36, was originally sponsored by House Committee on Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers (R-KY) and will provide an additional $50.5 billion for recovery and rebuilding activities for regions impacted by Hurricane Sandy.

HUD has issued a set of draft documents for public comment for its Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) Program.