HAC News Formats. pdf

November 12, 2020

Vol. 49, No. 23

TOP STORIES
Senate releases FY21 funding bills.
On November 10 the Senate Appropriations Committee posted its versions of all 12 appropriations bills for fiscal year 2021, which started on October 1, 2020. The Senate will not take up these measures, but they establish starting positions for negotiations with the House and White House on an omnibus funding measure to cover the rest of the year. The current continuing resolution ends on December 11. For USDA’s rural housing programs, the Senate bill largely agrees with a bill passed by the House in July. Most would remain at their FY20 levels, though both the House and Senate increase Section 521 Rental Assistance to the $1.410 billion requested by the Administration. Both offer less than the $40 million requested by the Administration for the Multifamily Preservation and Revitalization program; the House provides $30 million, the Senate $28 million. For most HUD programs, the Senate proposes funding levels at or slightly above FY20 amounts, though many are lower than the House levels. The HOME program, which received $1.350 billion in FY20, would get $1.7 billion in the House bill but $1.375 billion in the Senate measure. CDBG received $3.425 billion in FY20 and would get $3.525 billion from the House or $3.455 billion from the Senate. Both FY21 bills would keep SHOP at $10 million and would hold Native American housing at essentially the same level as in FY20.

Register now for HAC’s 2020 Virtual Symposium: Recovery Through Resiliency.
The Housing Assistance Council’s 2020 Rural Housing Symposium: Recovery Through Resiliency is finally here and it’s a virtual affair! Join us online from wherever you are for a day filled with engaging speakers, invaluable rural practitioner perspectives, and a vast array of information on rural realities as well as opportunities to interact and reconnect with peers. There is no charge for this event. Register here and we’ll see you online on December 3!

Biden housing platform supports USDA rural housing programs, 10-20-30 plan and more.
The Biden-Harris campaign’s policy platform includes a plank to “ensure rural communities have access to affordable and accessible homes,” mentioning the Section 502 direct and Section 515 programs by name. To address persistent poverty, it supports requiring every federal program to spend at least 10% of funds to communities where 20% or more of the population has lived below the poverty line for the last 30 years. The platform also supports existing HUD programs and pledges to reverse the Trump Administration’s changes to regulations relating to affirmatively furthering fair housing, disparate impact, Housing First and the Community Reinvestment Act.

Possible candidates for USDA and HUD secretaries identified.
News media including Politico, the New York Times and USA Today name former North Dakota Senator Heidi Heitkamp as a leading contender to become Secretary of Agriculture. HUD Secretary possibilities include former HUD officials Alvin Brown, Maurice Jones and Diane Yentel as well as Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.) and mayors Keisha Lance Bottoms of Atlanta and Eric Garcetti of Los Angeles. The names may change as the presidential transition process proceeds.

RuralSTAT
The unemployment rate outside of metropolitan areas stands at 5.9% (preliminary – not seasonally adjusted). For the same period in 2019, the outside metro unemployment rate was 3.6%.

OPPORTUNITIES
HAC webinar on managing and maintaining supportive housing set for November 17.
From lease-up and tenant selection plans to property and asset management, this webinar will explain how to manage, maintain and protect supportive housing to ensure compliance with requirements, maintain fidelity to the Housing First model, and ensure the property is a benefit to the residents and the community. This is the third in a three-part series. Each webinar can be viewed on its own or as a part of the series. Part I: Introduction to Supportive Housing and Part II: Financing Operations and Services in Supportive Housing are available on HAC’s YouTube channel. For more information, contact  HAC staff.

HOPE VI Main Street grants available for communities under 50,000.
Local governments (excluding tribal governments) can apply by January 19 for funds to assist in the renovation of an historic or traditional central business district or “Main Street” area by replacing unused, obsolete commercial space in buildings with affordable housing units. For more information, contact  Susan Wilson, HUD.

CORONAVIRUS
CDC updates “considerations” for community-based organizations.
The Centers for Disease Control suggests actions for community-based organizations to consider in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19 as they resume or increase their activities.

“Rural America has been forgotten during the coronavirus crisis.”
This issue brief from the Center for American Progress provides an update on the pandemic in rural counties, focusing on the spread of the virus and its impact on rural economies. The author notes that rural communities of color continue to experience the worst of the pandemic, but that now other rural communities – most notably in the upper Midwest and Great Plains regions – are experiencing severe outbreaks.

REGULATIONS AND FEDERAL AGENCIES
IRS proposes rule on income averaging in LIHTC properties.
Comments are due December 29 on implementation of the income averaging provisions adopted in 2018 legislation. The new Average Income Test will be one of three options for owners of Low Income Housing Tax Credit properties to ensure enough units are occupied by low-income residents to meet legal requirements. For more information, contact Dillon Taylor or Michael J. Torruella Costa, IRS, 202-317-4137.

HUD extends deadline for voucher comments.
Comments are now due January 6 rather than December 7 on HUD’s proposal to implement provisions of the Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act relating to the Housing Choice Voucher and Project-Based Voucher programs. For more information, contact HUD staff,  HOTMAquestions@hud.gov.

Farmworker wage protections weakened.
A final rule from the Department of Labor changes the way that wage rate protections will be calculated for farmworkers whose employers use workers with temporary H-2A visas. Farmworker Justice explains that the rule means “the DOL will freeze the main wage rate under the H-2A program at the 2020 rates for two years, 2021 and 2022. In 2023 and later years DOL will adjust those rates based on a formula related to employment compensation trends generally in the prior year, locking in the impact of the two-year wage freeze forever and depriving farmworkers of recent modest improvements in wage levels.” The rule change appears to have been instituted hurriedly after USDA announced on September 30 that it was cancelling its quarterly Farm Labor Survey, which provides essential data used in the Department of Labor’s calculations. Because of the survey’s importance in wage calculations, the United Farm Workers filed a lawsuit challenging its cancellation. The judge hearing that case observed that DOL had very little advance notice of USDA’s decision to end the survey and surmised that DOL was “scrambling” to devise a methodology that did not rely on the survey. On October 28 the judge issued a preliminary injunction requiring USDA to continue to conduct and publish the Farm Labor Survey. The case is ongoing, but it does not directly impact the new DOL rule, which takes effect on December 21.

“Shortened census led to an incomplete count in some areas.”
A recent Pew Charitable Trusts article looks at where ending the census count on October 15, 2020 had the biggest impact. Challenges to collecting information were increased in areas hit by storms or outbreaks of COVID-19. Southwest Louisiana and tribal lands in Arizona, New Mexico and Utah faced some of the largest data collection gaps. Census undercounts could cause some areas to lose federal funding and congressional representation.

PUBLICATIONS AND MEDIA
Multifamily buildings can save energy within units, research brief says.
Studies have demonstrated that whole-building energy efficiency multifamily retrofits can lead to substantial energy and cost savings, but the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy says less is understood about the specific end use savings opportunities that exist inside residents’ units. Understanding Multifamily Home Energy Efficiency Potential identifies these uses, explores how savings opportunities vary by region and considers which end uses are contributing to high energy burdens experienced by low-income, non-white and Hispanic multifamily households.

“Rural hospitals are dying. This one saved itself – and its community.”
This Time article describes an innovative approach to keeping rural hospitals open. The “swing bed” program has brought in enough funds to revive the hospital in Clinch County, Georgia and allowed patients to be better cared for. The broader concept “has the potential to work nationwide,” according to an expert quoted in the article.

“What’s it like to grow up Black in rural Ohio?”
This Columbus Dispatch article explores the racism that Black rural Ohioans of all ages feel living in primarily white communities.

The next HAC News will be published December 3.
In the meantime, breaking news will be posted on HAC’s website, ruralhome.org.

HAC
Need capital for your affordable housing project?
HAC’s loan funds provide low interest rate loans to support single- and multifamily affordable housing projects for low-income rural residents throughout the U.S. and territories. Capital is available for all types of affordable and mixed-income housing projects, including preservation, farmworker, senior and veteran housing. HAC loan funds can be used for pre-development, site acquisition, site development and construction/rehabilitation. Contact HAC’s loan fund staff at  hacloanfund@ruralhome.org, 202-842-8600.
Please note: HAC is not able to offer loans to individuals or families. Borrowers must be nonprofit or for-profit organizations or government entities (including tribes).

HAC News Formats. pdf

October 15, 2020
Vol. 49, No. 21

TOP STORIES

More federal coronavirus relief possible, but unlikely before election.
Recent negotiations on additional economic assistance have stalled, stopped and restarted. The House, Senate and White House could reach agreement but that seems unlikely, at least until after the election on November 3.

Guidance on CDC eviction moratorium says landlords can start proceedings before December 31.
FAQs were released October 9 by the Centers for Disease Control, HUD, and the Departments of Health and Human Services and Justice, providing “non-binding guidance” on the CDC’s September 4 eviction moratorium. The guidance allows landlords to begin eviction proceedings before the moratorium’s December 31 expiration date, so long as the actual eviction does not occur before that date. It also notes that landlords are not required to tell tenants about the moratorium or the declaration they must provide to be protected. In an updated version of its guidance for assisted rental housing, HUD “strongly encourages” property owners and managers to inform residents of the moratorium and its declaration requirement. USDA RD’s guidance for properties it assists was last updated on September 9. For more news about evictions, see the Coronavirus section of this HAC News, below.

Save the date! HAC symposium online December 2-3.
The 2020 HAC Virtual Rural Housing Symposium: Recovery Through Resiliency will be held online on December 2 and 3 at no charge. With a focus on rural resiliency and moving toward a more vibrant future, Recovery Through Resiliency will discuss the state of rural housing, share and strategize replicable approaches that impact and drive equitable rural development, and connect old and new friends in the inclusive community HAC has fostered over the last 50 years. Save the dates and watch your email for more information.

Rural infection and death rates are at their highest levels since the pandemic began.
As of October 1, there were more than 900,000 reported cases of COVID-19 and approximately 20,000 associated deaths in communities outside metropolitan areas, according to HAC’s most recent analysis of data on the pandemic. The levels of reported rural cases and deaths from the virus now consistently outpace the rural share of the national population.

Census count ending October 15.
On October 13 a Supreme Court ruling allowed the Census Bureau to end the 2020 decennial census earlier than planned. The court did not explain its reasoning, although Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote a dissent explaining why she disagreed with the ruling. The same day, the Census Bureau announced that it is ending the count on October 15 and stated that 99.9% of U.S. households have been counted. As Justice Sotomayor pointed out, however, “the percentage of nonresponses is likely much higher among marginalized populations and in hard-to-count areas, such as rural and tribal lands.”

RuralSTAT

COVID-19 cases have now been reported in all but nine of the more than 1,700 counties outside metropolitan areas.
Source: HAC tabulations of New York Times data. For more data, visit HAC’s most recent update on the pandemic’s impact in rural America.

OPPORTUNITIES

Deadline to claim stimulus checks extended to November 21.
The IRS has changed the deadline to November 21 instead of October 15 for people to apply for the $1,200 stimulus payments authorized by the CARES Act earlier this year if they are eligible but did not receive funds automatically or request them. Anyone who misses this deadline will have to file a tax return for 2020 to claim the payment. Details are available from the IRS and from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. CBPP also offers outreach resources for informing eligible people about the deadline. Assistance for individuals is also available online or through United Way’s helpline, 1-844-322-3639.

Freddie Mac to host rural research symposium.
The second annual Rural Research Symposium, hosted by Freddie Mac, will take place virtually on November 9-10. This annual event provides an opportunity to share crucial data and research across the housing industry. The event will feature expert speakers from across the housing industry, including HAC. Registration for this event is complimentary.

HAC offers webinars on WaterSense Homes labeling program and downtown redevelopment.
WaterSense Homes V1.2: A Tool for Building Water Efficient Homes, set for October 21, will showcase examples of how designing and building homes with various water-saving strategies, such as efficient hot water distribution systems and appropriate landscaping, can increase a home’s overall efficiency and improve the homeowner’s experience. Downtown Redevelopment for Affordable Housing Development, to be held October 29, will discuss mixed use development in downtowns of small and rural communities. Affordable housing can be a very important element to mixed-use developments, but can be extremely difficult in small and rural communities. The webinar will explore what has and has not worked. Both events are free.

CORONAVIRUS

Affordable housing providers report pandemic impacts their finances.
The pandemic’s effect is greatest for “smaller” affordable housing owners with fewer than 1,000 units, according to Impacts of COVID-19 on Low- and Moderate-Income Housing Providers. Operating expenses increased an average of 14.8% for all survey respondents, while for smaller owners the increase was 16.7%. Similarly, revenues declined by an average of 11.8% overall, but 12.8% for those with fewer than 1,000 units. While 56.4% of all providers surveyed applied for government assistance, only 41.5% of smaller providers received it, compared to 76.2% of those with 1,000 to 5,000 units. Released by ndp | analytics and the National Leased Housing Association, the report is based on a survey conducted in August.

Translations of CDC eviction declaration available.
The Centers for Disease Control’s website provides a form in English that can be used for the declaration required for a tenant to be protected by the CDC’s eviction moratorium. Translations into a variety of other languages have been collected by HUD, the National Low Income Housing Coalition and the National Housing Law Project.

“We are Losing Parts of Our Culture: Virus Tears Through Choctaw Community.”
Adding to media coverage of the coronavirus pandemic’s impact on the Navajo Nation, this New York Times article describes the heavy toll in other Native American communities. The story focuses on the Choctaw Tribe in Mississippi. So far, more than 10% of the tribe has fallen ill and over 80 members have died.

REGULATIONS AND FEDERAL AGENCIES

Comments requested on Duty to Serve plans for 2021.
The Federal Housing Finance Agency, which oversees Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, is seeking public input on their 2020 and 2021 plans to support manufactured housing, affordable housing preservation and rural housing. Comments can be submitted online by October 23. Comments will also be accepted during virtual listening sessions on October 16 (manufactured housing), October 21 (affordable housing preservation), and October 23 (rural housing). Advance registration is required.

HUD suggests changes to voucher program rules.
Comments are due December 7 on a proposed rule that would implement provisions of the Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act of 2016. Changes would impact alternatives to HUD’s housing quality standard inspection requirements and several elements of both the Housing Choice Voucher and Project-Based Voucher programs. HUD also proposes revisions that are intended to reduce the burden on PHAs by either modifying requirements or simplifying and clarifying existing regulatory language. For more information, contact HUD staff,  HOTMAquestions@hud.gov.

Section 3 jobs and training rule finalized.
A new HUD regulation will apply beginning July 1, 2021 to the “Section 3” requirement that jobs and employment training opportunities generated by some HUD program assistance must be provided to low- and very low-income community residents. A separate notice sets out benchmarks to be used to show compliance with the rule. Contacts for more information vary by program and are listed in HUD’s Federal Register post.

CDBG disaster recovery and mitigation waivers, alternatives and revisions published.
A HUD notice applies to Community Development Block Grant disaster recovery funds awarded under several appropriations from fiscal years 2013 through 2019. It provides waivers and establishes alternative requirements for some grantees and revises action plan substantial amendment requirements for CDBG-Mitigation grants. For more information, contact Jessie Handforth Kome, HUD, 202-708-0033,  disaster_recovery@hud.gov.

PUBLICATIONS AND MEDIA

USDA obligations up in FY20 for homeownership programs, down for rental.
HAC’s preliminary analysis of rural housing obligations at the end of the fiscal year reports that the Section 502 direct program used $1.01 million for 5,821 loans in FY20, fewer than the 6,194 loans provided with almost the same funding amount in FY19. About 40% of Section 502 loan dollars obligated and almost 45% percent of loans were for very low-income applicants. The Section 502 and 538 guarantee programs increased their commitments as well. Obligations for the Section 515 rental housing loan program and the Multi-Family Preservation and Revitalization program were lower this year than last. The number of Section 521 Rental Assistance units fell from 252,319 to 241,208 and the number of Section 542 vouchers rose from 6,559 to 7,489. HAC will publish a more detailed FY20 report.

Jobs are down in rural counties.
Based on local area unemployment statistics published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Daily Yonder reports that jobs in rural areas were down by 4.3% as of the end of August, compared to one year earlier. The hardest hit counties were those dependent on recreation. Nationally, 6.4% of jobs were lost in the same time frame.

Rent reporting can build tenants’ credit histories, guide says.
Expanding Credit Building Opportunities for Latino & Immigrant Renters describes a pilot program by the National Association for Latino Community Asset Builders that used “rent reporting” – nonprofit property owners reporting tenants’ rent payments to credit bureaus – to establish credit histories for Latino tenants. NALCAB found 80% of participating renters improved their credit scores. The report includes lessons learned and factors for success identified by pilot organizations.

Housing and health inequalities explored.
Health Equity Report 2019-2020: Special Feature on Housing and Health Inequalities, published by a Department of Health and Human Services agency, examines the performance of federal programs, including HHS’s Federal Office of Rural Health Policy, and how housing is linked not only to health, but also to health care inequalities. A chapter on rural-urban health disparities covers the opioid crisis’s disproportionate impact in rural places.

Infill development webinar recording posted.
The recording from HAC’s recent webinar, Benefits of Infill Development: A Primer for Nonprofit Housing Developers, is now available on HAC’s YouTube channel.

HAC

Need capital for your affordable housing project?
HAC’s loan funds provide low interest rate loans to support single- and multifamily affordable housing projects for low-income rural residents throughout the U.S. and territories. Capital is available for all types of affordable and mixed-income housing projects, including preservation, farmworker, senior and veteran housing. HAC loan funds can be used for pre-development, site acquisition, site development and construction/rehabilitation. Contact HAC’s loan fund staff at  hacloanfund@ruralhome.org, 202-842-8600.
Please note: HAC is not able to offer loans to individuals or families. Borrowers must be nonprofit or for-profit organizations or government entities (including tribes).

HAC News Formats. pdf

September 17, 2020
Vol. 49, No. 19

TOP STORIES

Continuing resolution will not include economic relief.
Congress and the White House are negotiating details of a continuing resolution to fund the government when fiscal year 2021 begins on October 1, but reportedly have decided the measure will not include additional funding to address the economic impacts of the pandemic. Separate negotiations on a new relief package have not resulted in an agreement; on September 10 the Senate voted down the most recent proposal, a “skinny” bill introduced by Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), which would not have provided any housing aid.

Online session to cover rural housing challenges in pandemic.
Shelter in Rural Places: Facing Rural Housing Challenges in the Unfolding Pandemic, to be held on September 22, will be the third Rural Opportunity and Development (ROAD) session. Rural and tribal organizations will share their analysis and useful strategies for helping rural residents, workers and families address housing distress and homelessness, including strategies that could help fend off further crisis if federal and state unemployment and housing assistance run dry. The ROAD sessions virtual exchanges are co-designed and hosted by the Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group, the Housing Assistance Council, the Rural Community Assistance Partnership and Rural LISC.

HUD posts final disparate impact rule.
HUD has posted online the final version of its revised disparate impact rule, though the department has not issued an announcement or statement about it and it has not yet been published in the Federal Register. The final rule is not identical to the proposed regulation released in August 2019, but retains the proposal’s heavy burden of proof for an injured party.

Public charge rule now active nationwide.
In July a federal court issued an injunction halting implementation of the new public charge rule, which establishes limits on immigrants’ use of public assistance. In August an appeals court narrowed the injunction so it applied in only three states. On September 11 the appeals court stayed the injunction nationwide so that, while proceedings on the lawsuit continue, the Department of Homeland Security can enforce the rule throughout the United States. More information about the rule is available from the Protecting Immigrant Families Campaign.

HAC posts disaster guide for West Coast wildfires.
The guide provides resources for people affected by the recent fires in California, Oregon and Washington.

September 15-October 15 is Hispanic Heritage Month.

RuralSTAT

79% of rural homes are occupied. Nearly half the unoccupied units are vacation homes.
Source: HAC tabulations of 2014-2018 American Community Survey Data. For more information on housing change and occupancy in rural America, visit HAC’s newest Rural Research Brief.

OPPORTUNITIES

HUD offers funds for healthy homes and reduction of health hazards.
State, local and tribal governments, nonprofits, for-profits, public housing authorities and others can apply by November 9 for Healthy Homes and Weatherization Cooperation Demonstration grants to coordinate healthy homes and weatherization programs. For more information, contact Brenda M. Reyes, HUD. Public housing agencies are the only eligible applicants for the Lead-Based Paint Capital Fund Program, which will fund evaluation and reduction of lead-based paint hazards and other housing-related hazards including carbon monoxide and mold in public housing. The deadline is November 2. For more information, contact HUD staff.

October deadline approaching for stimulus check applications.
October 15 is the deadline for people to apply for the $1,200 stimulus payments authorized by the CARES Act earlier this year if they are eligible but did not receive funds automatically or request them. Anyone who misses this deadline will have to file a tax return for 2020 to claim the payment. Details are available from the IRS and from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. CBPP also offers outreach resources for informing eligible people about the deadline. Assistance for individuals is also available online or through United Way’s helpline,1-844-322-3639. 

POLICY

Emergency rental relief is overdue.
HAC joined six other leading affordable housing organizations in a statement issued September 16 calling for immediate rental assistance, paired with financial support for affordable housing providers, to supplement the protection provided by the CDC’s recent eviction moratorium. While some property owners have resources to help them weather the temporary loss of rental income, many providers of affordable housing do not.

CORONAVIRUS

HAC finds rural share of COVID-19 cases still rising nationally.
As of September 10, all but 14 counties outside of metropolitan areas have reported COVID-19 cases, and nearly three-quarters of outside metro counties have also reported associated deaths related to the virus. HAC’s latest update on the pandemic’s rural impact is available online.

USDA updates its pandemic information.
USDA Rural Development has posted an updated version of its summary about actions taken in all its programs, a bulletin on servicing relief for homeowners with Section 502 guaranteed mortgages in disaster areas, revised FAQs for lenders using the Section 502 single-family guarantee program, and an announcement about the CDC eviction moratorium. For more information, contact an RD service center.

“Strained rural water utilities buckle under pandemic pressure.”
The Pew Charitable Trusts look at how the pandemic has reduced the revenue stream for many rural water systems which were already strained. While some rural systems received funding from the Paycheck Protection Program, these utilities generally have not benefitted from federal or state pandemic relief programs.

REGULATIONS AND FEDERAL AGENCIES

USDA issues final rule on broadband infrastructure funding.
The final rule for broadband infrastructure allows awardees under select RD programs to use a portion of their funds to help expand access to broadband services for America’s rural businesses and residents. Eligible programs include Section 515 direct and Section 538 guaranteed rental housing loans. USDA requests comments by November 16 on this regulation. For more information, contact Michele Brooks, USDA, 202-690-1078.

PUBLICATIONS AND MEDIA

Growth or decline in housing units and vacancy rates vary across rural America, HAC reports.
Housing Change and Occupancy in Rural America, a new Rural Research Brief, considers some of the factors contributing to, and resulting from, change in the rural housing stock.

Supportive housing resources posted online.
Materials and a recording from HAC’s Introduction to Supportive Housing webinar are now available online. This session, the first in a three-part series, provided a comprehensive overview of permanent supportive housing, explained the guiding principles of the Housing First approach, outlined supportive services, and presented the trauma-informed care and design framework. Part II will be held on October 15 and Part III on November 17. When registration opens, information will be posted on HAC’s website.

“For BIPOC communities, local news crisis extends beyond major cities.”
This article in the Columbia Journalism Review describes the “need for journalism’s reckoning regarding racial justice to extend beyond major cities to issues faced by [Black, Indigenous and people of color communities in small towns and suburbs.”

“Dead chicks, delayed prescriptions: Late mail leaves rural America disconnected.”
NBC News describes some of the many ways postal service is critical to connect rural communities with the rest of the nation. Many rural communities depend on their mail careers for essentials ranging from prescription medicines to paying bills.

HAC

Need capital for your affordable housing project?
HAC’s loan funds provide low interest rate loans to support single- and multifamily affordable housing projects for low-income rural residents throughout the U.S. and territories. Capital is available for all types of affordable and mixed-income housing projects, including preservation, farmworker, senior and veteran housing. HAC loan funds can be used for pre-development, site acquisition, site development and construction/rehabilitation. Contact HAC’s loan fund staff at hacloanfund@ruralhome.org, 202-842-8600.
Please note: HAC is not able to offer loans to individuals or families. Borrowers must be nonprofit or for-profit organizations or government entities (including tribes).

HAC News Formats. pdf

August 20, 2020
Vol. 49, No. 17

CONGRESS

Congress may consider economic relief in Post Office bills.   
When negotiations on further coronavirus relief funding hit an impasse in early August, members of Congress left Washington and it appeared no action would be taken until after Labor Day. Now, after media reports on the U.S. Postal Service’s challenges, the House is returning to vote on added USPS funding and other provisions on Saturday, August 22. Senate leaders are drafting a bill covering the USPS as well as provisions from the HEALS Act (introduced in late July) but have not called the Senate back into session. They are reportedly considering combining coronavirus relief with a continuing resolution to fund the federal government for the first part of fiscal year 2021, which starts October 1.

OPPORTUNITIES

HUD offers ROSS service coordinator grants.
Nonprofits, resident associations, tribal governments and TDHEs, and PHAs can apply by November 19 for funds to employ Resident Opportunity and Self Sufficiency Service Coordinators to work with residents of public or Indian housing. For more information, contact HUD staff, ROSS-PIH@hud.gov.

Indian Housing Block Grant funding competition open.
Applications are due December 10 for Indian Housing Block Grants. Tribes and tribally designated housing entities are eligible for these grants, which can be used for a range of housing activities. For more information, contact HUD staff, IHBGCompetitiveProgram@hud.gov.

RURALSTAT

Approximately 15 million rural Baby Boomers comprise one-quarter of the rural and small town population.
Source: HAC tabulations of 2014-2018 American Community Survey Data. For more information on age and aging in rural America, see HAC’s newest Rural Research Brief.

CORONAVIRUS

New estimate: 30-40 million people at risk of eviction.
Several housing researchers from universities and nonprofits co-authored The COVID-19 Eviction Crisis: An Estimated 30-40 Million People in America are at Risk, aggregating existing research and providing new estimates. “If conditions do not change,” they conclude, “29-43% of renter households could be at risk of eviction by the end of the year.” The predicted tsunami of evictions has not yet begun in most places because the 30-day notice period added to the CARES Act moratorium does not expire until August 23, some areas still have state or local moratoriums in place, some emergency rental assistance programs are still operating, and data do not include tenants who move out before an eviction filing.

“Pandemic leads to more precarious housing situation.”
A preview of a forthcoming report by the Center for Economic and Policy Research presents research findings on housing insecurity before and during the coronavirus pandemic. Almost one-third of renters and one-sixth of homeowners experienced housing insecurity, on average, each week from late April 2020 through July 2020. Housing insecurity increased most notably for Hispanic and Black renters from 2019 to July 2020.

Public charge injunction limited to three states.
An appellate court narrowed the recent injunction against USCIS implementation of its 2019 “public charge” regulation so that it applies in only Connecticut, New York and Vermont. The rule can be used in the rest of the country. The coronavirus-related lawsuit that led to this injunction, as well as other suits challenging the rule, are still ongoing.

The rate of new cases of Covid-19 is higher in rural areas than nationwide.
A Daily Yonder analysis finds that as of August 13 the seven-day average of new cases in rural counties was 16.6 per 100,000 residents, compared to 15.9 new cases nationwide.

“Coronavirus surge brings suffering to the impoverished, underresourced Mississippi Delta.”
NBC News covers the intense challenge of providing medical care in one of the poorest rural parts of the country. A majority of the Delta’s population are Black and NBC reports that more than half the people who have died of COVID-19 in Mississippi are Black.

“These essential workers face evictions and could become homeless during pandemic.”
The Los Angeles Times describes the dire situation faced by migrant workers in rural California who have lost income during the coronavirus pandemic.

REGULATIONS AND FEDERAL AGENCIES

HUD to extend moratorium on FHA foreclosures.
Politico reported August 18 that HUD will continue its moratorium on foreclosures and evictions of homeowners with FHA-insured mortgages through the end of 2020. Similar protections for homeowners with USDA single-family mortgages and those backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are still scheduled to expire on August 31. President Trump’s August 8 executive order addressing evictions and foreclosures does not extend the CARES Act’s eviction moratorium for tenants; it directs federal officials to review options for protecting renters and homeowners, but does not require any specific action.

USDA RD summary of coronavirus relief measures updated.
The document reviews past guidance for housing, community facilities, business and utilities programs, and labels indicate new or revised provisions in the August 5 update. RD notes that it has processed over 4,000 requests for payment deferrals for Section 515 or 514 mortgages and is still accepting requests.

OMB releases 2020 compliance supplement for audits.
The 2020 Compliance Supplement to OMB’s Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements applies to audits of fiscal years beginning after June 30, 2019 for nonprofits, state and local governments and tribes receiving federal funds. Comments are due October 10. For more information, contact the relevant federal agency.

Fair Market Rents for fiscal 2021 posted.
In developing its proposed FMRs for the year that begins October 1, HUD updated its economic assumptions to reflect the economic downturn caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Comments are due September 30. For more information, contact HUD USER, 800-245-2691.

Temporary change extended for hiring H-2A farmworkers.
The Department of Homeland Security is extending part of a temporary final rule issued in April. Farmworkers with H-2A visas will not have to leave the U.S. before beginning work for new employers who file H-2A petitions between August 19 and December 17, 2020. DHS did not extend another April provision, which allowed H-2A workers to stay in the U.S. longer than three years. For more information, contact Charles L. Nimick, USCIS, 202-272-8377.

PUBLICATIONS AND MEDIA

Rural unemployment rate declines, but 1.8 million rural workers still unemployed.
A HAC analysis finds the June unemployment rate was 8.8% for counties outside metropolitan areas, using the most recent county-level data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Rural unemployment peaked at 13.6% in April.

New HAC Rural Research Brief looks at age and aging in rural America.
The impacts of the aging U.S. population are especially pronounced in rural America, due to natural population change as well as outmigration. More details are available in a new Rural Research Brief published by HAC.

State of Black America contends that in 2020 America has been unmasked.
The 2020 issue of the National Urban League’s annual State of Black America report offers analysis and commentary on inequalities in the coronavirus pandemic, the economy and U.S. institutions.

GAO reports homelessness probably underestimated.
A Government Accountability Office review concluded that HUD’s point-in-time counts for 2017-2019 probably underestimated the U.S. homeless population. In Homelessness: Better HUD Oversight of Data Collection Could Improve Estimates of Homeless Population (GAO-20-433), it recommends HUD provide better guidance to Continuums of Care, which collect the data. GAO also calculated that rent increases are statistically correlated with increases in homelessness.

Native Americans have disproportionate share of fatal encounters with police.
While much of the discussion of racial bias in police shootings has centered on Black Americans, the Center for Indian Country Development examined Native Americans’ fatal encounters with police. Female Native Americans’ police-involved deaths were more likely to result from vehicles, overdoses or other incidental causes, while males’ deaths were more often from police use of force. Nationwide, from 2000 to 2017, Black males and Native American females had four times as many fatal encounters per population as their white counterparts. In the upper Midwest, Native American males had 14 times as many fatal encounters as white males and Native American females had 38 times more than white females.

“Two local leaders discuss how smarter federal policy can save rural America during COVID-19.”
A Brookings Institution blog post based on a webinar with local economic development leaders from Wytheville, VA and Charlevoix, MI considers needs including expanding broadband infrastructure and increasing access to finance. Reimagining federal policy for rural development can help “rural leaders meet the demands and opportunities of the modern economy and the additional pressures wrought by COVID-19.”

HAC

Need capital for your affordable housing project?

HAC’s loan funds provide low interest rate loans to support single- and multifamily affordable housing projects for low-income rural residents throughout the U.S. and territories. Capital is available for all types of affordable and mixed-income housing projects, including preservation, farmworker, senior and veteran housing. HAC loan funds can be used for pre-development, site acquisition, site development and construction/rehabilitation. Contact HAC’s loan fund staff at  hacloanfund@ruralhome.org, 202-842-8600.

Please note: HAC is not able to offer loans to individuals or families. Borrowers must be nonprofit or for-profit organizations or government entities (including tribes).

HAC News Formats. pdf

July 23, 2020
Vol. 49, No. 15

Eviction protections expiring, lawmakers negotiating.

The Trump Administration and House and Senate leaders are negotiating the next coronavirus relief package, but it is not yet clear what types of aid it will provide, how much or when. HAC spearheaded a sign-on letter from over 100 rural housing stakeholders urging congressional leaders to provide targeted funding for rural communities. Among the reasons for urgency is the imminent expiration of eviction protections while large numbers of low-income tenants are still unemployed or working reduced hours and federal assistance that helped cover housing costs is ending. The CARES Act protects tenants in federally assisted housing from eviction through August 23 (July 24 is the last day of the moratorium and then property owners must give tenants at least 30 days’ notice) and an array of state and local moratoriums have protected some additional tenants for varying amounts of time. One estimate is that 19-23 million people – one in every five people who live in renter households – in the U.S. are at risk of eviction by September. Undocumented people, low-income people, and people of color are the most vulnerable.

USDA and HUD provide new guidance for rental housing as eviction protections end.

Updates to USDA RD’s FAQs for multifamily property owners and managers, HUD Notice H 20-07 and a HUD brochure titled Promoting Housing Stability During the Covid-19 National Emergency: Information for Multifamily Property Owners and Management Agents all address the status of tenant protections as the CARES eviction moratorium expires. A National Housing Law Project analysis compares USDA’s provisions to those of HUD Notice H 20-07.

Administration moving forward to eliminate fair housing processes and transgender shelter protections.

HUD will announce a new Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule on July 23, according to Politico, which reports the department will “essentially rely … on local governments to self-certify that they are ‘furthering fair housing.’” The regulation will not be the one proposed in January and will be issued in final form with no further opportunity for public comment, the article states. A separate proposal to remove current protections for transgender individuals in HUD-supported facilities, such as single-sex shelters or shelters with separate facilities based on sex, will be published in the Federal Register on July 24 with a 60-day comment period. That rule change would allow shelter operators to decide whether to rely on gender assigned at birth or gender identity.

House continues work on FY21 funding for USDA and HUD.

The House of Representatives is scheduled to begin consideration on July 23 of a “minibus” (H.R. 7608) that combines four funding bills for the fiscal year that begins October 1, including USDA (H.R. 7610), State, Interior and Veterans Affairs. The Transportation-HUD bill, H.R. 7616, was approved by the House Appropriations Committee on July 14 and is expected to be part of a second minibus that will be taken up in the House during the week of July 27. The Senate has not yet begun considering appropriations legislation.

USDA requests input on new program for rural job accelerators.

The 2018 Farm Bill authorized a new Rural Innovation Stronger Economy (RISE) program that will make grants to rural job accelerator partnerships to help distressed rural communities create high-wage jobs, accelerate the formation of new businesses and identify and maximize local assets. Public input on the program can be provided in writing or at online listening sessions on July 28 and July 30. For more information, contact Will Dodson, RBCS, 202-762-0592.

RuralSTAT: 456 rural counties do not have a Medicare-registered hospital. Source: Housing Assistance Council tabulation of data from the Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services list of registered hospitals.

Main Street Lending program expands to nonprofits and aids tribal governments.

On July 23 the Federal Reserve expanded its Main Street Lending Program to provide greater access to nonprofit organizations. The program supports lending to small businesses to ensure access to capital during the coronavirus pandemic. In a less publicized change, on July 15 the Fed modified the program’s FAQs to allow tribal enterprises to provide capital distributions to their tribal government owners while participating in the program. They still cannot pay dividends or make distributions to other owners such as individuals. The waiver is important because tribal businesses are owned by tribal governments and distribute some of their income to tribal governments to pay for services to the tribe.

HAC seeks photographers to document U.S. rural housing and development.

With support from the National Endowment for the Arts and honoring the legacy of photographer George Ballis (1925-2010) and his deep ties to rural housing and community development, HAC seeks photographers for an upcoming exhibition, “There Is More Work To Be Done.” Selected photographers will be offered a stipend to document the impact of rural housing and rural community development programs in areas across the country and the work that still needs to be done. Applications are due August 14. For more information, visit HAC’s website or email ballisphoto@ruralhome.org.

Manufactured homes covered in HAC’s newest Rural Research Brief.

Manufactured homes are an often overlooked and maligned component of our nation’s housing stock, but these homes are an important source of housing for millions of Americans, especially those with low incomes and in rural areas. A HAC Rural Research Brief presents data on these homes, their residents and the system through which they are sold, financed and managed.

No change in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac housing goals proposed for 2021.

Because of the economic disruption resulting from the coronavirus pandemic, the Federal Housing Finance Agency is proposing to keep the benchmarks for Fannie Mae’s and Freddie Mac’s affordable housing goals the same in 2021 as in 2018-2020. Comments will be due 60 days after the proposal is published in the Federal Register. For more information, contact Ted Wartell, FHFA, 202-649-3157.

Housing costs were already out of reach before the pandemic.

The latest edition of the National Low Income Housing Coalition’s annual Out of Reach study compares minimum wages to housing wages – the amount needed to afford the HUD-determined Fair Market Rent for a one-bedroom or two-bedroom apartment. In no state can a person working full-time at the federal minimum wage afford a two-bedroom apartment at FMR. In only 145 of the more than 3,000 U.S. counties can a full-time worker earning the minimum wage afford a one-bedroom rental home at FMR. Data for all states and counties are available from the interactive map posted at https://reports.nlihc.org/oor.

Housing an Aging Rural America.

HAC’s just-published summer 2020 issue of Rural Voices magazine covers the unique challenges – and opportunities – presented by housing for rural seniors. The coronavirus pandemic has also heightened the concern for older and potentially more vulnerable residents, who disproportionally reside in rural America, and makes this conversation more immediate.

Retirements lead to staff changes at USDA RD.

Roger Glendenning, Deputy Administrator of Single Family Housing, is retiring on July 31. Cathy Glover, who has most recently run the Section 502 guarantee program, has been selected to succeed Glendenning. Barry Ramsey, formerly the Director of the Single Family Housing Direct Loan Division and currently the Assistant to the Deputy Administrator, is also retiring on July 31. Brooke Baumann is now the Director of the SFH Direct Loan Division. 

Recent publications and media of interest

• Getting Ready to Reopen, Schools Brace for Epidemic’s Challenges, a Daily Yonder article, looks at the challenges for rural areas as the nation considers the beginning of the new school year.
• State and Local Rental Assistance Programs: Finding Solutions for a Growing Crisis, a research note from the National Low Income Housing Coalition, describes rental assistance programs created both before and in response to the coronavirus.
• Will Rural Homelessness Hit After Benefits and Eviction Moratoriums End?, a Daily Yonder story, focuses on the impact of unemployment and evictions in rural Kentucky.

Need capital for your affordable housing project?

HAC’s loan funds provide low interest rate loans to support single- and multifamily affordable housing projects for low-income rural residents throughout the U.S. and territories. Capital is available for all types of affordable and mixed-income housing projects, including preservation, farmworker, senior and veteran housing. HAC loan funds can be used for pre-development, site acquisition, site development and construction/rehabilitation. Contact HAC’s loan fund staff at hacloanfund@ruralhome.org, 202-842-8600.

Please note: HAC is not able to offer loans to individuals or families. Borrowers must be nonprofit or for-profit organizations or government entities (including tribes).