HUD
HUD Extends Deadline to Submit Comments on Regulatory Barriers to Affordable Housing
In November, HUD and the White House Council on Eliminating Regulatory Barriers to Affordable Housing issued a Request for Information seeking public comment on Federal, State, local and Tribal laws, regulations, land use requirements and administrative practices that artificially raise the costs of affordable housing development and contribute to shortages in America’s housing supply. Comments […]
HUD Proposes New Rule Recognizing Additional Building Codes and Standards to Encourage More Housing Development
HUD released a proposed rule that would amend its Fair Housing Act design and construction regulations by incorporating by reference the 2009 edition of International Code Council (ICC) Accessible and Usable Building and Facilities (ICC A117.1-2009) standard, as a safe harbor.
HUD Offers Lead Safe Housing Rule Trainings and Resources
HUD’s Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes launched new training and web pages to help users review federal lead regulations and the Lead Safe Housing Rule Amendment for pre-1978 housing. The goal of these pages is to help Public Housing Agencies, grantees and owners respond to cases of elevated blood lead levels in […]
Missouri Hosts FY2020 Action Plan Mitigation Public Hearings
Missouri will conduct a series of public hearings on its Draft Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 Annual Action Plan, which governs the state’s allocation of the following HUD funds: Community Development Block Grant, HOME Program, Emergency Solutions Grant Program, Housing Trust Fund, Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS and Continuum of Care. The 30-day public comment period on the Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 Draft Action Plan begins January 15, 2020 and ends at noon CT on February 14, 2020.
Missouri Hosts CDBG Mitigation Public Hearings
Missouri will host a series of public hearings on its Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) – Mitigation plan, which will guide how the state spends $41 million specifically designated for mitigation. These funds will be used to implement projects at the local level that strengthen infrastructure and reduce future losses in areas that have experienced repetitive flooding as a result of the 2017 storms.
Annual Assessment Shows Three Percent Increase in Homelessness Nationwide
HUD released its 2019 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress, which found that 567,715 persons experienced homelessness on a single night in 2019, a three percent increase over 2018. Homelessness among veterans and families with children continued to fall, declining 2.1 percent and 4.8 percent, respectively, in 2019.
FHA Reiterates Green Building Standards Program
In 2016, the Federal Housing Administration’s (FHA) Office of Multifamily Housing Programs introduced a voluntary green building standards program that allowed for a reduced annual mortgage insurance premium (MIP) at the rate of 0.25 percent for properties that are committed to green building practices. The reduced MIP for industry-recognized green housing encouraged owners to adopt higher standards for construction, rehabilitation, repairs, maintenance and property operations.
Senators Introduce Bill to Focus NMTC Allocation on Indian, Native Lands
A bipartisan group of four Senators recently introduced a bill that would require that ten percent of the annual New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) allocation be made to community development entities (CDEs) for investment in developments in Indian and Native lands
House Passes Seven Financial Services Bills
The U.S. House of Representatives passed the following financial services bills to support veterans, benefit investors, provide housing opportunities, hold regulators accountable, promote Minority Depository Institutions (MDIs) and improve cybersecurity:
Massachusetts DHCD Increases Admin Fee for State Rental Assistance Programs
On December 20, the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) announced an increase of the administrative fee for all state funded voucher programs from $40 to $50 per voucher, effective February 1, 2020. This includes the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program, Alternative Housing Voucher Program, and the Department of Mental Health Rental Subsidy Program. […]
HUD Publishes Proposed AFFH Rule
This week, HUD released a proposed rule on Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AHHF) that would dramatically alter the Obama administration’s final rule published in 2015. The rule changes the definition of AFFH and eliminates the community participation and engagement requirement as well as the requirement that federal grantees complete an analysis of impediments to fair housing. Comments on the proposed rule are due 60 days after its publication in the Federal Register.
HUD Proposes to Track PBV Data
As RAD conversions continue to drive Project Based Voucher (PBV) growth, HUD proposes to fill an information gap to enable monitoring, tracking and analysis of PHAs’ PBV performance. Comments are due February 24, 2020.