HAC News: August 7, 2025

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TOP STORIES 

Bipartisan housing bill gets unanimous committee approval 

The Renewing Opportunity in the American Dream (ROAD) to Housing Act, S. 2651, was approved unanimously by the Senate Banking Committee on July 29. The bill, which HAC supports, combines provisions from around 30 different housing bills, including the Rural Housing Service Reform Act (endorsed by HAC), the Streamlining Rural Housing Act, the HUD-USDA-VA Interagency Coordination Act, and the Whole-Home Repairs Act. It would reauthorize the HOME program, provide permanent authorization for the PRICE manufactured housing program and the CDBG-Disaster Recovery program, streamline FHA financing for modular/manufactured housing, and support affordable housing in numerous other ways. The ROAD to Housing Act does not include the RHS Reform Act’s provision to permanently authorize the Section 502 Native CDFI relending program, but in the committee markup Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) indicated that she and Senator Mike Rounds (R-SD) hope to prioritize moving that provision forward as a stand-alone bill. 

Senate passes USDA funding bill 

On August 1, the full Senate approved three FY26 appropriations bills, including the measure for USDA. It would hold many of the rural housing programs at their current funding levels while increasing Section 502 direct funding to $1 million from the current $880 million. Details are posted on HAC’s site. The House has not yet considered the USDA funding bill passed by its Appropriations Committee, which would provide lower amounts for several rural housing programs. Both houses are now in recess until after Labor Day. Fiscal year 2026 begins on October 1, 2025.  

HUD appropriations approved by Senate committee 

The FY26 Transportation-HUD funding bill approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee on July 24 would provide $1.25 billion for the HOME program, which would receive no funding under the House version of the bill. The Senate bill would also increase funding for housing vouchers, project-based rental assistance, homeless assistance grants, Section 202 elderly housing, and Section 811 housing for people with disabilities. SHOP would be set at $13 million, up from $12 million in FY25, and the Rural Capacity Building program would receive $8 million. It would provide $3.1 billion for CDBG compared to this year’s $3.3 billion. Details are available here. Neither the House nor the Senate would renew expiring Emergency Housing Program vouchers. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities provides state-by-state and demographic estimates of the loss of Housing Choice Vouchers under the House and Senate THUD proposals.  

Executive order calls for changed approach to homelessness

President Trump issued an executive order on July 24 titled Ending Crime and Disorder on America’s Streets, calling for institutional treatment of people experiencing homelessness, prioritization of funding to states and cities that criminalize homelessness, and an end to Housing First policies and harm reduction approaches. Many of these policies are determined by state and local laws, however. The National Alliance to End Homelessness has published the first two of a series of blog posts explaining the order and its impacts.  

RuralSTAT 

Immigrants make up 14% of physicians and surgeons in rural areas, compared to 5% of the overall rural workforce. They are 28% of agricultural workers. Source: Kaiser Family Foundation, What Role Do Immigrants Play in the Rural Workforce?  

OPPORTUNITIES

Low Income Housing Tax Credit resources to increase

The Federal Housing Finance Agency has doubled the amounts Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac can invest per year in Low Income Housing Tax Credits from $1 billion each to $2 billion each. Half of the $4 billion total will be reserved for difficult to serve LIHTC markets and at least 20 percent of that half will be for Duty to Serve rural communities. HAC issued a statement applauding the move.  

USDA offers funds for housing repairs

Nonprofits, public agencies, and Tribes can apply by September 4 for the FY25 Section 533 Housing Preservation Grant program. The $13.1 million available includes $2.1 million for disaster assistance and $500,000 each for recovery from Hurricanes Fiona in Puerto Rico and Helene in Tennessee. Awardees can make grants or low-interest loans to repair or rehabilitate housing owned by or rented to low- or very low-income rural residents. A nonprofit cannot receive funds directly from USDA for a rental property it owns.  

HUD ordered to release fair housing funds, publishes new competition notices  

Applications are due August 21 for four Fair Housing Initiatives Program (FHIP) initiatives. A federal judge required HUD to reopen the competitions, issuing a temporary restraining order on July 28 in National Fair Housing Alliance v. HUD. The case, filed in June, challenges HUD’s failure to award FY24 FHIP funds under funding opportunity notices it published in September 2024 and its failure to disburse funds under previously awarded multi-year grants. The judge ordered HUD to explain its timeline and to file weekly reports on its progress in making the awards before September 30, when the funding expires. The reopened opportunities are: 

  • The FHIP Private Enforcement Initiative will enable experienced fair housing enforcement organizations to conduct testing, investigate violations, and enforce the Fair Housing Act and equivalent state and local laws.  
  • The FHIP Education and Outreach Initiative will fund fair housing organizations and other nonprofits that have, or partner with an entity that has, experience in media or public relations. Awardees will develop and implement media campaigns promoting fair housing. 

Green Communities Criteria comment period open  

Enterprise Community Partners has posted the first full draft of its 2026 Green Communities Criteria and requests public comment by August 27. It describes Green Communities as the only green building standard created with, and for, the affordable housing sector.  

CAPITOL HILL 

Senators ask OMB to release CDFI funding  

A bipartisan group of 26 senators has written to OMB director Russell Vought urging him to release monies appropriated for the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund in FY25. The letter points out that the CDFI Fund closed applications periods for five of its programs months ago but has not yet made awards, while applications for other programs have not yet been announced. The senators ask OMB to issue a spending plan outlining timelines for obligating its funds.  

REGULATIONS AND FEDERAL AGENCIES 

USDA accepting comments on reorganization plan 

On August 1, USDA announced it will accept comments on the reorganization plan it released on July 24. Input from “all stakeholders, including USDA employees, members of Congress, and agricultural and nutrition partners,” can be emailed to reorganization@usda.gov by August 26. Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden told a congressional committee he believes a majority of employees who will be asked to relocate will accept transfers from Washington, DC to other parts of the country. He also said the reorganization will “leave the county-level footprint [which includes RD offices] alone.”   

Justice Department advises federal funding recipients on DEI discrimination 

A memo from the Attorney General offers guidance “to ensure that recipients of federal funding do not engage in unlawful discrimination,” including through diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. The memo’s examples of unlawful practices include prioritizing hiring candidates from “underrepresented groups,” establishing a Black Faculty Caucus, and favoring minority-owned or women-owned businesses. Recommended best practices include focusing on skills and qualifications in selection processes and including nondiscrimination clauses in contracts.  

Comments requested on ending Equitable Housing Finance Plans  

The Federal Housing Finance Agency proposes to repeal its Fair Lending, Fair Housing, and Equitable Housing Finance Plans regulation. The rule has required Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to each adopt a plan every three years identifying barriers to sustainable housing opportunities faced by one or more underserved communities, goals and objectives with respect to the identified barriers, and meaningful actions to support accomplishment of the goals and objectives. Comments are due September 26.     

Funding stopped for technical assistance to address homelessness through SSI/SSDI 

The SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access, and Recovery (SOAR) model assists caseworkers to help clients who have a mental illness, medical impairment, or a substance use disorder and are experiencing or at risk of homelessness to access Supplemental Security Income and Social Security Disability Insurance. As of August 18, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration is ending funding for technical assistance to SOAR caseworkers and the resource website at https://soarworks.samhsa.gov/ will become unavailable. Archived versions of the site should still be accessible through the Internet Archive. Policy Research Associates, which has run the SOAR TA Center since 2009, offers a recorded webinar explaining how organizations can continue using the SOAR model. 

Nominations open for USDA’s Tribal Advisory Committee 

USDA seeks nominations for four open positions on its Tribal Advisory Committee. Nominations can be submitted by representatives of Tribes, Tribal organizations, or national or regional organizations with relevant expertise such as national or regional Tribal serving organizations, land-grant institutions, and Native CDFIs. The deadline is September 22. 

Rural Development to begin using USDA’s environmental requirements 

On October 1, USDA RD will begin to evaluate compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act using a new interim final rule that applies throughout the department. RD’s announcement says that funding applications submitted before October 1 “will continue to be reviewed on a case-by-case basis under prior NEPA policies and procedures or [the interim final rule].”  

Guidance issued for HOPWA inspections 

A HUD notice offers guidance to grantees under the Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS program on implementing the National Standards for the Physical Inspection of Real Estate. It addresses how to inspect units for compliance with the NSPIRE rule and how to ensure corrections are made, as well as statutory requirements for carbon monoxide alarms or detectors and smoke alarms. The compliance date for these standards is February 2, 2026.  

EVENTS 

Webinar to consider disaster recovery for immigrants 

The National Low Income Housing Coalition, the Protecting Immigrant Families Coalition, and Just Solutions Collective will hold a webinar entitled Immigration & Disaster Recovery: Rights, Access, and Where We Go from Here, on August 12. This session, intended for advocates for immigrant communities and disaster recovery practitioners, will address protecting communities while navigating the disaster recovery system.  

PUBLICATIONS AND MEDIA 

New report shows home repair difficulties for lower-income homeowners 

A new report from the Harvard University Joint Center for Housing Studies, summarized in a blog posted titled Home Repairs Are Out of Reach for Many Lower-Income Homeowners, highlights the challenges of home repair and maintenance for lower-income households. In 2023, 2.9 million homeowners lived in homes classified as inadequate. Lower-income households, with less resources, spend more on maintenance of habitability rather than discretionary upgrades.  

HAC 

Rural Housing Service Awards nominations open 

At the 2025 National Rural Housing Conference in November, HAC will present its prestigious Rural Housing Service Awards. These awards recognize individuals whose exceptional leadership, commitment, and lasting contributions have significantly advanced affordable housing and community development in rural America. Submit nominations here by August 29.  

HAC is hiring

HAC job listings and application links are available on our website.  

Need capital for your affordable housing project? 

HAC’s loan fund provides 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, new development, farmworker, senior and veteran housing. HAC loan funds can be used for pre-development, site acquisition, site development, construction/rehabilitation and permanent financing. 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). 

Want to reprint a HAC News item? 

Please credit the HAC News and provide a link to HAC’s website. Thank you! 

  

HAC News: July 24, 2025

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TOP STORIES

House and Senate committees advance USDA and HUD FY26 appropriations bills

On July 10, the Senate Appropriations Committee unanimously approved S. 2256, a fiscal year 2026 funding bill for USDA that would hold rural housing programs close to current funding levels. Like the House version of the bill, H.R. 4121, the Senate’s measure rejects many of the cuts proposed by the administration’s budget. Details are posted on HAC’s site. The Senate would raise Section 502 direct funding to $1 million, higher than the House’s $880 million, and would set the Section 523 self-help program at $25 million, above the $20 million proposed by the House. The administration’s budget requested no support for either Section 502 direct or self-help. Like the House and the administration, the Senate would fund Section 521 Rental Assistance at $1.715 billion to support current tenants.

On July 17, the House Appropriations Committee passed a Transportation-HUD funding bill, H.R. 4552. It does not adopt the administration’s proposal to combine numerous programs into a block grant to states, but does include some of the significant cuts proposed in the administration’s budget: it would provide no funding for HOME or housing counseling, would reduce SHOP from $12 million this year to $9 million, and would drop fair housing from $86.4 million to $29.5 million. It would hold CDBG and Native American programs at current levels. It would also decrease HUD staffing by 26%. The Senate Appropriations Committee passed its T-HUD bill on July 24. The text of that bill is not yet available but a summary indicates it provides $1.2 billion for HOME.

The bills passed by the two Appropriations Committees will next be considered by the full House and the full Senate. The House and Senate should resolve any differences between their bills and send final versions to the President for signature by September 30. If they do not meet that deadline, a continuing resolution would be needed to keep the government running. The House began its August recess on July 23. The Senate is scheduled to start its recess August 4. Both will return to Washington after Labor Day.

USDA announces reorganization plan without RD details

On July 24, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced a reorganization of USDA but did not provide details about possible impacts on the Rural Development mission area or its field offices. The document says that staff in the Washington, DC area will be reduced from 4,600 to 2,000. Positions will be moved to five hub locations: Fort Collins, CO; Indianapolis, IN; Kansas City, MO; Raleigh, NC; and Salt Lake City, UT. Service centers and laboratories will remain in locations including St. Louis, MO. The plan also indicates that USDA will “consolidate tribal relations functions within mission areas and ensure the Office of Tribal Relations delivers all statutorily required tribal relations functions.” Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden is charged with implementing the plan.

Rural Housing Service Awards nominations open

At the 2025 National Rural Housing Conference in November, HAC will present its prestigious Rural Housing Service Awards. These awards recognize individuals whose exceptional leadership, commitment, and lasting contributions have significantly advanced affordable housing and community development in rural America. Submit nominations here by August 29.

RuralSTAT

Use of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has increased in 14 states over the past 10 years while falling or holding steady elsewhere. Some of the largest declines in SNAP usage have been in rural states, including Arkansas, Iowa, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Interactive graphics are available online. Source: Investigate Midwest analysis of USDA data.

OPPORTUNITIES

Grants available for shelter, housing, and aid to domestic violence survivors and animals

The Justice Department’s Office for Victims of Crime offers grants for shelter, transitional housing, and other assistance to victims of domestic violence and their pets, service animals, emotional support animals, and horses. State, local, and Tribal governments and nonprofit organizations are eligible. Apply by August 15.

USDA has homeownership funds for Native CDFI relending

USDA’s Rural Housing Service will make loans to qualified Native Community Development Financial Institutions, which will then relend funds to low- and very low-income residents to acquire, build, rehabilitate, improve, or relocate dwellings on Tribal Land in rural areas. Applications are due August 29.

Funds offered for public-facing arts projects and activities in Midwestern U.S.

Arts Midwest’s GIG Fund will make grants of $2,000-$15,000 to help Midwestern organizations bring professional artists into their community and host creative, engaging public activities. Eligible applicants are nonprofits, hospitals, clinics, and Tribal organizations in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin, or the Native Nations that share this geography. Activities must take place between December 2025 and June 2026. Mandatory Intents to Apply are due September 15 and final applications are due September 29.

REGULATIONS AND FEDERAL AGENCIES

Banking regulators propose to rescind Community Reinvestment Act rule

The federal bank regulatory agencies have suggested rolling back their 2023 regulations for the Community Reinvestment Act. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Federal Reserve Board, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation explain that the 2023 rule has not yet gone into effect, so they do not expect lenders to have difficulty continuing to use the 1995 regulations that preceded the significant changes adopted in 2023. Comments are due August 18.

Separately, the regulators issued the fourth in a series of requests for input on outdated or otherwise unnecessary regulatory requirements, this one focusing on banking operations, capital, and CRA. Comments are due October 23.

HUD ends some FHA appraisal policies

On July 10, HUD and OMB announced they have terminated Federal Housing Administration policies introduced under the former administration’s Property Appraisal and Valuation Equity (PAVE) initiative. A PAVE task force, consisting of 13 departments and agencies including HUD and USDA, was established in 2021 to “evaluate the causes, extent, and consequences of appraisal bias and to establish a transformative set of recommendations to root out racial and ethnic bias in home valuations.” The recent announcement covers three FHA policies, saying that HUD now considers them to be “unnecessary regulatory hurdles imposed on lenders, appraisers, and other program participants.” They were formally terminated on March 19.

Lawsuit challenges conditions on HUD and HHS funding

A coalition of housing, homelessness, and other service providers has filed suit challenging conditions placed on federal grant funding from HUD and the Department of Health and Human Services. The group charges that new grantee requirements for programs including HUD’s Continuum of Care, HOME, and others target diversity, equity, inclusion, and transgender rights, putting life-saving services for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, LGBTQI+ youth, and unhoused communities at risk.

EVENTS

Rural Housing Preservation Academy to be held in Knoxville

Enterprise Community Partners will host a two-day, in-person Rural Housing Preservation Academy in Knoxville, TN, August 6-7. The event will feature conversations about affordable housing development and preservation in rural communities, highlighting federal, state, and local policies and innovations designed to address rural housing affordability challenges. Register by August 4.

Workshop to uplift rural artists’ and activists’ stories

The Department of Public Transformation is hosting a virtual session, Activate Rural Workshop: From Creative Spaces to Creative Ecosystems, on July 30. Participants will hear from rural artists and activists on how creative spaces have uplifted and supported rural places and economies.

PUBLICATIONS AND MEDIA

Housing costs still out of reach nationwide

As has been the case for years, in 2025 there is no state, metropolitan area, or county in the U.S. where a full-time worker earning the federal minimum wage, or the prevailing state or local minimum wage, can afford a modest two-bedroom rental home at Fair Market Rent. The National Low Income Housing Coalition’s annual Out of Reach report shows that a full-time worker needs to earn an hourly wage of $33.63 to afford the average modest, two-bedroom rental home in the U.S. and $28.17 to afford a modest one-bedroom rental home. The wages needed to rent a modest home far exceed not just the $7.25 federal minimum wage but also the median wages of workers in many of the country’s most common occupations, such as home health aides, food service workers, and administrative assistants. Almost half of all U.S. workers earn less than the hourly wage required to afford a modest one-bedroom rental home.

Public broadcasting funds more important for rural and Tribal stations than urban ones

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which lost more than $1 billion of its appropriated funding under the rescission recently passed by Congress, reports that 245 of its total 544 radio and TV station grantees serve rural audiences. CPB grants provide 17% percent of an average rural station’s revenue, compared to 9% for non-rural stations. Almost half of all rural grantees rely on CPB for at least 25% of their revenue while 33 rural stations – many on Native American reservations – rely on CPB funding for at least half of their revenue. Rural stations also have a harder time raising money from individual donors. A Daily Yonder story provides examples of the importance of public radio stations in some specific rural places and a Politico article points out these stations can be essential in notifying the public about emergencies.

Vermont bans housing discrimination based on citizenship or immigration status

A new state statute adds citizenship and immigration status to categories protected by fair housing law in Vermont. The measure was supported by representatives of undocumented farmworkers, Civil Eats reports, because they are not eligible for assisted housing and it is hard for them to find places they can afford to rent in the state.

HAC

HAC comments on proposal to outsource USDA single-family loan servicing

HAC submitted comments in response to a USDA RD request for input on its plans to hire a vendor to take over a portion of the single-family loan servicing functions currently handled by the Servicing Office in St. Louis. HAC opposes this privatization. Our comments highlighted that servicing for this portfolio is unique due both to the structure of the loan products and the needs of the borrowers served. Any external vendor would have a steep and costly learning curve. Given these unique and complex servicing needs, HAC suggested cost savings from privatization are highly unlikely and asked that any anticipated cost savings be made public before this process moves forward. HAC believes that a better solution lies in adequately staffing the Servicing Office and upgrading its servicing technology.

Need capital for your affordable housing project?

HAC’s loan fund provides 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, new development, farmworker, senior and veteran housing. HAC loan funds can be used for pre-development, site acquisition, site development, construction/rehabilitation and permanent financing. 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).

Want to reprint a HAC News item?

Please credit the HAC News and provide a link to HAC’s website. Thank you!

HAC News: July 10, 2025

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TOP STORIES

Big budget reconciliation bill becomes law, HAC issues statement

The House approved the Senate’s version of the budget reconciliation bill that cuts both taxes and spending and President Trump signed it into law on July 4. (The final is no longer officially named the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.) The law cuts taxes, cancels a number of energy-related programs including the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund and HUD’s Green and Resilient Retrofit Program, and will lead to large-scale losses of Medicaid and SNAP as well as closure of some rural hospitals. It does have tax provisions that will benefit affordable housing, including a permanent expansion of the Low Income Housing Tax Credit, continuation and refinement of Opportunity Zones, and continuation of New Markets Tax Credits. A National Low Income Housing Coalition factsheet explains the difference between reconciliation and appropriations. HAC has posted a summary of the reconciliation bill’s provisions and our recommendations for further improvements, as well as a statement.

Federal staff cuts can move forward after Supreme Court ruling

On July 8, the Supreme Court invalidated a preliminary injunction imposed by a lower court that had blocked the administration’s reductions in force (RIFs) and agency reorganizations. The decision allows many federal agencies including USDA, HUD, VA, and the Treasury Department to proceed with their plans while the court case, Trump v. American Federation of Government Employees, continues. The administration reportedly intends to resume layoffs immediately at many agencies. The VA, however, announced on the day before the Court’s ruling that it will not conduct RIFs but will instead reduce staff through attrition and voluntary departures. President Trump has also extended a hiring freeze for most of the government.

HUD and USDA funding bills expected soon

The House Appropriations Committee will mark up its proposed FY26 appropriations bills for HUD on July 17 but has not scheduled a subcommittee markup first. The Senate Appropriations Committee is also expected to release and mark up a HUD bill later this month. HAC will post details when they are available.

The Senate Appropriations Committee will mark up its FY26 USDA funding bill on July 10 without holding a subcommittee markup first. When the bill’s text becomes available, HAC will post a summary online. The House Appropriations Committee has already approved its USDA bill.

RuralSTAT

According to the most recent data, there were approximately 588,000 home purchase mortgage originations in rural and small-town areas in 2024. These rural loans accounted for 17% of all U.S. home purchase mortgages that year.  Source: Housing Assistance Council tabulations of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and FFIEC Home Mortgage Disclosure Act Data (HMDA).

To learn more about mortgage and housing finance activity in your community, visit Rural Data Central.

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OPPORTUNITIES

Lead Hazard Reduction and Healthy Homes grants available

These HUD programs fund states, local governments, and Tribes to undertake comprehensive programs to identify and control lead-based paint hazards in rental or owner-occupied housing, and to identify and address other health-related hazards in the same homes. Applications are due August 14.

Economic development funding available for recovery from 2023 and 2024 disasters

The Economic Development Administration offers grants to support economic recovery activities in areas that received major disaster declarations because of natural disasters that occurred in calendar years 2023 and 2024. Eligible applicants are district organizations of an Economic Development District, Tribes, state and local governments, institutions of higher education, nonprofits working with local governments, economic development organizations, and public-private partnerships for public infrastructure. A variety of construction and non-construction projects related to economic development are eligible for funding, though housing is not eligible. Applications for readiness or implementation projects are accepted on a rolling basis. Applications for industry transformation grants are due March 3, 2026.

USDA not accepting Rural Energy for America applications

USDA had announced the first FY26 grant application window for the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) would be July 1 through September 30, 2025, but because of a backlog of applications it is not accepting new requests. USDA anticipates taking applications again starting on October 1.

REGULATIONS AND FEDERAL AGENCIES

More USDA programs unavailable to some non-citizens

Two different laws intersect to govern non-citizens’ eligibility for federal housing aid: the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA) and Section 214 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1980. Section 214 limits eligibility to citizens and “qualified immigrants” in a number of USDA housing programs. Section 514/516 farm labor housing, Section 515 housing without Section 521 rental assistance, and Section 538 multifamily guaranteed housing have been available to non-citizens because Section 214 does not apply to those programs. Until recently, USDA had not provided guidance on PRWORA’s applicability to many of its programs, allowing them to be used by non-citizens with certain kinds of legal status. On July 10 USDA announced it has concluded that many of its programs, including Rural Development loans, loan guarantees, and grants, do fall under PRWORA. USDA’s press release about the change focused on SNAP, but this new interpretation also seems to mean that the department will consider certain non-citizens ineligible under PRWORA for housing supported by Sections 514/516, 515, and 538.

USDA proposes aligning tenant and income calculations with HUD and HOTMA

A proposed regulation would make changes required by the Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act related to income calculation and net family assets for properties with Section 515 rental housing or Section 514/516 farm labor housing funding. The revisions are intended to align USDA’s regulations with HUD’s. Comments are due August 29.

Market studies could be required for Section 538 guarantees on new rental housing construction

USDA requires that a lender applying for a Section 538 guarantee on new construction must document market feasibility for new affordable rental housing. The agency is proposing to require that documentation to be in the form of a market study. Comments are due August 29.

USDA and HUD seek input on previously adopted energy efficiency standards

HUD and USDA are requesting comments to inform a new review of their 2024 finding that adopting minimum energy codes for some new housing construction would have no negative impact on the housing’s affordability and availability. The covered programs include USDA’s Section 502 direct and guaranteed loans, Section 523 self-help loans, and HUD’s Section 202, Section 811, HOME, and Housing Trust Fund programs. Both departments recently delayed implementation of the efficiency standards for some programs. Comments are due August 6.

Energy standards for manufactured homes delayed

The Department of Energy is postponing the deadline for multi-section manufactured homes to comply with new energy conservation standards. Rather than complying by July 1, 2025, manufacturers of these homes will now need to meet the standards 180 days after DOE publishes its final enforcement procedures. Compliance for single-section homes will be required 60 days after enforcement procedures are published.

USDA suggests changes to environmental protection requirements

On February 25 the Council on Environmental Quality rescinded its regulations implementing the National Environmental Policy Act. Several USDA agencies, including Rural Development, had their own sets of NEPA regulations. Now USDA has issued an interim final rule removing the agencies’ provisions, including RD’s regulations in 7 CFR 1970, and setting uniform procedures for the department. Comments are due July 30.

Changes proposed to rule protecting H-2A farmworkers

After announcing on June 20 that it would pause enforcement of a 2024 rule that strengthened protections for farmworkers with H-2A visas, the Department of Labor now proposes to amend the regulations. Comments are due September 2.

USDA agencies remove race- and sex-based provisions in regulations

USDA issued a final rule on July 10, effective immediately, to remove “unconstitutional preferences based on race and sex” from a number of programs. Rural Development’s Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant Program, the Rural Energy for America Program, the Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program, and Rural Business Development Grants are included, as are business loan guarantee programs and farm direct loans and guarantees.

EVENTS

HUD offers webinars on environmental streamlining for Tribes

HUD will present a series of four webinars for Tribes beginning on July 24 with Simplified and Streamlined Environmental Reviews, which will provide training on PIH Notice 2024-24: Programmatic Part 50. Log in online here or dial in by phone at 1-202-735-3323 with access code 5126150#. Additional webinars on related topics will be held August 5, August 12, and August 14. Details and links are posted online here.

Housing industry webinar will discuss impacts of shifting FEMA support

From Risk to Return: FEMA’s Policy Shift and the Real Estate Opportunity, a July 15 webinar from First Street, will cover the impact on the real estate, insurance, and financial markets of shifting disaster recovery responsibilities from FEMA to states, local governments, property owners, and lenders.

Webinar to highlight reducing flood risk

Central Appalachian Network and ReImagine Appalachia are hosting a webinar on July 17 titled Nature Based Hazard Mitigation: How Nature-based Approaches Can Reduce Flood Risk. The event’s goal is to help communities understand the region’s vulnerability to disaster, the importance of disaster readiness, and the overall resilience of these communities. It is part of a webinar series on disaster resiliency in Central Appalachia.

PUBLICATIONS AND MEDIA

Survey shows impact of USDA housing staff reductions

To gauge the effect of layoffs and departures among USDA Rural Development field staff, the National Rural Housing Coalition and partner organizations, including HAC, surveyed local rural housing organizations around the country in early May. The survey found that, in the 27 states covered by the responses, RD staff was reduced by an average of 41%. Section 502 loan processing times have slowed significantly, respondents reported. Long-term staff with institutional knowledge were lost, impairing program functioning. When local offices were closed, increased travel time posed a serious barrier to meeting rural needs.

Report discusses asset-based development for community well-being

Aspen Institute’s New Report, Four Principles for Fostering Community Well-Being with Asset-Based Development, highlights the importance of rural development hubs in maintaining trusted cross-sector alignment and collaboration, discusses addressing the community capacity gap for leaders, provides steps towards sustainable individual and community wealth building through homeownership and business development, and the emphasizes the use of holistic measures of well-being and success.

Family homesteads affect rural housing conditions

Family Homesteads with Tangled Titles are Contributing to Rural America’s Housing Crisis, a recent article written by Auburn University faculty including HAC board member Rusty Smith, explains the precarious nature of heirs’ property, which can be a barrier to conventional housing finance, disaster relief, and insurance policies. There are also potential benefits of shared land ownership in the Black Belt region of the U.S., and a “housing-first” approach can help mitigate the rural housing crisis while supporting families who choose to live collectively.

HAC

Need capital for your affordable housing project?

HAC’s loan fund provides 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, new development, farmworker, senior and veteran housing. HAC loan funds can be used for pre-development, site acquisition, site development, construction/rehabilitation and permanent financing. 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).

Want to reprint a HAC News item?

Please credit the HAC News and provide a link to HAC’s website. Thank you!

HAC News: June 26, 2025

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TOP STORIES

Rural Housing Service administrator and other appointments announced

USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins on June 25 announced that George Kelly has been selected as administrator of the Rural Housing Service. Kelly has spent the majority of his career as a commercial real estate developer with Hines Interests Limited Partnership. J.R. Claeys has been appointed head of the Rural Business-Cooperative Service and Karl Elmshaeuser is the Rural Utilities Service’s administrator. Joe Gilson is joining USDA as Chief of Staff at Rural Development after working at the American Farm Bureau Federation and the office of Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA). These positions do not require Senate confirmation.

Senate continues work on budget reconciliation bill

Senate committees are developing their versions of sections of the Big Beautiful Bill Act. The House passed H.R. 1, its version of the measure to cut taxes and spending, in May. Each portion of the Senate draft must be reviewed by the parliamentarian for compliance with Senate rules. Provisions that do not comply with the rules can be deleted, adopted separately, or rewritten and re-reviewed. So far, pieces flagged by the Senate parliamentarian include zeroing out the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s funding and selling public lands for housing and other uses. The Wilderness Society has analyzed and mapped the proposed land sale provisions.

Like the House bill, the Senate version would cut Medicaid and SNAP coverage. It would expand the Low Income Housing Tax Credit program but it does not include basis boosts that are in the House bill for rural and Native American LIHTC properties. It would make the New Markets Tax Credit and Opportunity Zones permanent but would not require a specific proportion of OZs to be in rural places. It would eliminate the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund and rescind unobligated funds from that program. It would also authorize the President to reorganize and cut federal agencies.

House committee approves FY26 USDA funding measure

The House Appropriations Committee has passed its fiscal year 2026 appropriations bill for USDA, which will next be considered by the full House. For the rural housing programs, the measure provides funding close to FY24/25 levels. The Senate committee has not yet released a draft bill or scheduled a markup. Neither house has issued a HUD appropriations bill yet.

Housing market “shrouded in uncertainty,” says State of the Nation’s Housing report

The State of the Nation’s Housing 2025 analysis, published by Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies, points to record-high cost burdens for renters, rising costs for homeowners including insurance and property taxes, record-high homelessness, reduced federal support, and uncertainties created by tariffs and reduced numbers of immigrant workers. The report summarizes a variety of efforts to overcome these challenges and concludes, “Proven solutions exist. The question is whether we will enact them.”

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RuralSTAT

Home prices nationally have risen 60% from 2019 to 2025. Source: The Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University, The State of the Nation’s Housing 2025.

CAPITOL HILL

Funding bill would restore FEMA resilience program

On June 24 the House Appropriations Committee adopted an amendment to its FY26 funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security requiring FEMA to reactivate the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program. FEMA announced in April that it was canceling BRIC and reclaiming funds that had been committed but not yet distributed. The program, which provides hazard mitigation funding to state, local, Tribal, and territorial governments, has been particularly useful for Tribes and in rural places. The bill will now go to the full House. The Senate has not released its version yet.

REGULATIONS AND FEDERAL AGENCIES

HUD headquarters to move to Alexandria, VA

HUD Secretary Scott Turner announced the move to the Washington, DC suburbs on June 25, saying the department “will implement a staggered employee relocation plan.” The move will displace the National Science Foundation, an independent federal agency, which currently occupies the building.

USDA posts FY25 income limits

New income limits took effect June 18 for the Section 502 direct and Section 504 loan and grant programs, the Section 502 guaranteed program, and the multifamily housing programs.

Grace period set for HOTMA changes at USDA multifamily properties

Changes to income certifications for tenants in USDA multifamily housing required under the Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act (HOTMA) are effective July 1. USDA announced it expects that all MFH tenant certifications effective on or after July 1, 2025, will comply with HOTMA requirements. Between July 1, 2025, and January 1, 2026, however, USDA will not penalize property owners for HOTMA-related tenant file errors during supervisory reviews.

Income definitions revised for USDA single-family direct program

For USDA’s Section 502 direct loan program, the definitions of “income” and “adjusted income” rely on the definitions used by HUD’s rental housing programs. HUD’s definitions were revised by the Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act and HUD’s implementing regulations. USDA has issued guidance and an Administrator’s Exception that will implement HOTMA’s changes and govern Section 502 direct income determinations until regulatory changes can be made.

Environmental justice removed from USDA RD reviews

New guidance from USDA Rural Development states that, to comply with recent executive orders, RD is removing requirements related to environmental justice in its environmental reviews, effective retroactively to January 21, 2025.

FEMA Review Council accepts written comments

The Department of Homeland Security’s FEMA Review Council, which President Trump created by executive order, will meet on July 9. Members of the public can submit comments in writing by July 8 and can attend the meeting virtually.

CRA distressed or underserved nonmetropolitan geographies list published

The federal bank regulators have released their 2025 list of “distressed or underserved nonmetropolitan middle-income geographies” where banks’ revitalization or stabilization activities are eligible for Community Reinvestment Act credit.

Rule with protections for H-2A farmworkers suspended

The Department of Labor announced on June 20 it is pausing enforcement of a 2024 rule that strengthened protections for farmworkers with H-2A visas. Parts of the rule were already suspended in certain states as a result of legal challenges, some of which are still in litigation.

Suit claims HUD improperly withheld fair housing funds

An action filed on June 24 by the National Fair Housing Alliance and the Tennessee Fair Housing Council challenges HUD’s decision to withhold Fair Housing Initiatives Program funds. A related suit on FHIP funding, filed in February, is ongoing.

EVENTS

Public policy institutes announce commission on U.S. rural prosperity

The Brookings Institution and the American Enterprise Institute will soon launch a “high-level, bipartisan commission focused on broadening equitable rural prosperity and resilience.” The effort will be co-chaired by former U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota and former New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu. It “aims to elevate the national policy discourse on rural development and offer practical, cross-partisan solutions grounded in local realities.” Brookings will host a public online launch event on July 1.

PUBLICATIONS AND MEDIA

Map shows homeowners insurance nonrenewals

The Brookings Institution mapped zip code level data on homeowners insurance nonrenewals from 2018 through 2022. The U.S. Treasury Department’s Federal Insurance Office collected and posted this data as well as figures on claim frequency, average claim payments, and average premiums. Treasury found that over this five-year period average homeowners’ insurance costs rose 8.7% faster than the rate of inflation across the country. The highest nonrenewal rates from private insurers were in areas with the highest expected losses.

Town pilots community-based flood insurance

Isleton, CA, a town of about 800 people, has launched a pilot program to provide flood insurance to all residents. The city worked with the state government, a nearby university, and a special purpose district entity to plan for and purchase insurance. The policy will support all residents and will provide rapid, flexible payouts after a flood occurs.

Survey results highlight crucial role of Native CDFIs

The Native CDFI Network surveyed Native Community Development Financial Institutions who currently receive financial assistance or technical assistance awards from the CDFI Fund’s Native American CDFI Assistance Program to learn about the impact of the administration’s plans to withhold appropriated FY25 funds and to eliminate the programs in FY26. A summary of the survey results describes the devastation these financial institutions anticipate for their work and their communities’ wellbeing, including the following.

  • “The reduction in FA funding would drastically shrink our lending capacity … preventing us from meeting projected demand for mortgage loans in 2025 and result in delayed or canceled homeownership opportunities for tribal families who are otherwise ready and qualified to purchase homes.”
  • “Native Agricultural producers and businesses confront a lack of access to capital. Without the NACA program, these producers and businesses will not be able to start or expand their businesses.”
  • “If this core funding is eliminated, we will be forced to scale back lending, reduce services, and halt planned expansion efforts. This would turn back the clock on economic development in Indian Country by 30 years. The harm wouldn’t just be financial – it would break trust.”
  • “NACA funding is not simply a grant – it is the foundation upon which Native CDFIs build equitable access to capital and financial empowerment.”

Broadband program revised, delaying improvements to rural telehealth

The Commerce Department issued a Policy Notice in early June revising requirements that were announced in 2022 for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program. BEAD supports states and territories providing broadband access. KFF Health News reports that by March 2025 the majority of those recipients had completed initial steps and were in the process of selecting broadband service providers. Almost 3 million people live in the more than 200 counties that lack both broadband and also primary care and behavioral health care providers who serve Medicaid patients, according to KFF Health News. Most of these counties are rural.

Communities foster civic relations through the arts

In their latest publication, Forecast Public Art underscores how thoughtfully designed public art enriches civic health by fostering stronger, more inclusive communities. Including Spring Grove, MN – a former Citizens’ Institute for Rural Design workshop community – the article highlights projects utilizing the arts to bring communities together, empowering local voices, showcasing community identity, and driving social impact.

HAC

Report examines resiliency in Central Appalachia

Rural Research Brief: Natural Disasters and Resiliency in Central Appalachia, a new HAC publication, considers the region’s vulnerability to increasingly erratic and intense weather patterns. The report leverages secondary data from journal articles, reports, and analyses investigating the region’s resiliency, recovery efforts, the effects of natural disasters on the region, and their intersection with ongoing challenges.

Need capital for your affordable housing project?

HAC’s loan fund provides 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, new development, farmworker, senior and veteran housing. HAC loan funds can be used for pre-development, site acquisition, site development, construction/rehabilitation and permanent financing. 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).

Want to reprint a HAC News item?

Please credit the HAC News and provide a link to HAC’s website. Thank you!

RURAL RESEARCH BRIEF: Natural Disasters and Resiliency in Central Appalachia

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Frequent natural disasters are increasingly threatening rural communities, upsetting essential functions and infrastructure, affecting rural health, and compromising communities’ safety and livelihoods. Severe weather events, particularly flooding and hurricanes, have especially affected Central Appalachia in recent years. The historic 2022 Kentucky floods, Hurricane Helene, and ongoing flooding in 2025 demonstrate the region’s vulnerability to increasingly erratic and intense weather patterns. Today, resiliency is a vital and relevant topic in rural research as regions like Central Appalachia grapple with increasingly severe natural disasters. This report leverages secondary data from journal articles, reports, and analyses from relevant sources investigating the region’s resiliency, recovery efforts, the effects of natural disasters on the region, and their intersection with ongoing challenges.

Download the Research Brief

Central Appalachia Rural Research Brief

HAC News: June 12, 2025

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TOP STORIES

Funding proposals released by administration and House

On May 30 the White House released a more detailed budget request than the “skinny budget” published in early May. The House Appropriations Committee issued its draft fiscal year 2026 funding bill for USDA on June 5 and began marking it up on June 11 but did not finish. The House draft bill proposes funding levels very similar to those in FY24/25, whereas the administration’s budget requests significant funding cuts. The administration would support the Section 502 guarantee program but not the direct program or self-help housing. Both would increase funds for Section 521 rental assistance, but the administration would eliminate USDA rental vouchers and reduce support for the Section 515 and Multifamily Preservation and Revitalization programs. Details are posted on HAC’s website here. At the House committee mark-up on June 11, Ranking Member Sanford Bishop (D-GA) offered an amendment to increase funding levels for several housing programs, but the change was not adopted. In the House bill, the Community Facilities Grant program would provide dozens of earmarks for specific projects, as has been the case for the last few years. The Senate Appropriations Committee has not yet released a draft bill or announced a markup schedule.

Neither the House nor the Senate has issued a proposed bill for HUD’s FY26 funding, although they held hearings on HUD’s budget request on June 10 and June 11, respectively. The administration’s budget request would zero out the HOME and CDBG programs, along with the competitive programs that serve Native Americans, SHOP, Rural Capacity Building, and others. Several other HUD programs – Tenant-Based Rental Assistance, Project-Based Rental Assistance, Public Housing, Section 202 elderly housing, and Section 811 housing for people with disabilities – would be combined into a block grant to states with reduced funding. Details are posted on HAC’s website here.

The budget proposes a new $100 million Rural Financial Assistance Program run by the CDFI Fund. It would also, however, eliminate funding for most of the existing CDFI programs, including Native CDFI programs.

HAC to testify before House subcommittee

The House Financial Services Committee’s Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance is holding a hearing on June 12 titled Housing in the Heartland: Addressing Our Rural Housing Needs. HAC President and CEO David Lipsetz will be one of four witnesses.

Big Beautiful Bill’s cost estimated

While the Senate works on developing its version of the reconciliation bill, the Congressional Budget Office has estimated the cost of the House version, named the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, at $3 trillion. CBO and the Joint Committee on Taxation calculated that enacting the bill would increase deficits over the 2025-2034 period by $2.4 trillion, excluding any macroeconomic or debt‑service effects, and the additional debt-service costs would total $551 billion, increasing the cumulative effect on the deficit to $3 trillion. The bill’s impact on the economy could reduce that total cost somewhat; CBO is expected to release that calculation when it is available. CBO also estimated that 10.9 million people would lose health insurance under the bill and an additional 5.1 million would lose it under other policy changes.

Call for workshop proposals: 2025 National Rural Housing Conference

The Housing Assistance Council is seeking engaging, hands-on workshop proposals for the National Rural Housing Conference to be held November 4-7 in Washington, DC. The deadline to submit your proposal is June 15. If your work advances housing or community development in rural America, we want to hear from you! Learn more about HAC workshops and how to submit a proposal here.

June is National Homeownership Month

The Federal Housing Administration has posted information and a social media toolkit.

RuralSTAT

June officially begins hurricane season in the United States. According to the most recent FEMA Risk Index, an estimated 3,193 rural and small town census tracts are at relatively high or very high risk for natural disasters. Approximately 17.6% of rural and small-town tracts have high-risk FEMA scores compared to 14.5% of tracts nationally. Source: HAC tabulations of FEMA’s National Risk Index for Natural Hazards.

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OPPORTUNITIES

Capacity building grants available for opioid responses

The Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts is accepting pre-applications for Community-Driven Reponses to Opioid Use Disorder and Overdose Mortality 2025 grants through July 2. Funding, up to $75,000 per year for up to two years, is available for community-based organizations and can be used for capacity building activities including enhancing operational effectiveness, strengthening communication, program evaluation, and fostering collaboration.

REGULATIONS AND FEDERAL AGENCIES

HUD suggests eliminating Affirmative Fair Housing Marketing requirements

HUD’s current Affirmative Fair Housing Marketing regulation requires property owners with FHA insurance or assistance from one of HUD’s Multifamily Housing programs to market their housing to people in protected categories (race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin, and disability) who otherwise might not know about the housing. A proposed rule would eliminate all AFHM obligations. Comments are due July 3. In March, HUD proposed to reduce non-marketing requirements related to affirmatively furthering fair housing.

Media reports indicate strains at HUD

According to the Washington Post, HUD is redeploying workers to fill gaps created by staff departures, particularly in its Community Planning and Development offices, which administer programs such as CDBG and HOME. A Bloomberg piece says HUD’s Office of General Counsel has warned that the loss of large proportions of the department’s managers and lawyers may have raised the department’s risks of litigation as well as waste, fraud, and abuse.

Census Bureau advisory committees terminated

The Commerce Department terminated 14 advisory committees, including the 2030 Census Advisory Committee, the Census Bureau’s Scientific Advisory Committee, and the Census Bureau’s National Advisory Committee on Racial, Ethnic, and Other Populations. A coalition led by the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights wrote to the Secretary of Commerce in May expressing concerns about the terminations.

Deputy secretaries confirmed for USDA and HUD, USDA RD Under Secretary nominee announced

On June 10, the Senate confirmed Stephen Vaden as Deputy Secretary of USDA and Andrew Hughes as Deputy Secretary of HUD. President Trump has nominated Glen Smith to serve as Under Secretary for Rural Development. Smith is an agricultural businessman and farmer from Iowa. He serves on the boards of directors of the Farm Credit Administration and the Farm Credit System Insurance Corporation.

HUD extends HOTMA deadline for project-based rental assistance

HUD Notice H-2025-03 extends the date for some properties to comply with the Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act. Properties receiving aid from the Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance, Section 202 elderly housing, and Section 811 housing for people with disabilities programs, as well as several FHA multifamily programs, will not be required to comply with new income and asset rules until January 1, 2026, rather than July 1, 2025.

PUBLICATIONS AND MEDIA

Disaster information resources available

Is your organization prepared for summer disasters? A few of the many resources with information about readiness are listed here.

Study examines financing for rural businesses

Rural business success is essential for thriving communities, but lower access to financial capital is helping to widen the rural-urban economic divide, according to the Center on Rural Innovation. A new report, Rural America’s Struggle to Access Private Capital, considers reasons for the disparities in access and suggests ways to overcome it. An interactive county-level map is also available online.

Rural housing conditions contribute to heat vulnerability

Headwaters Economics and the Federation of American Scientists collaborated on an analysis of the risk that extreme heat poses to rural residents, 11.5 million of whom live with high vulnerability to extreme heat. Housing, along with other factors such as infrastructure, age, and outdoor work, contributes to this vulnerability. Rural housing stock tends to be older, less weatherized, and less likely to have adequate cooling. Manufactured homes, which are far more common in rural places than in cities, tend to be among the most heat-vulnerable housing types. The report also identifies policy solutions that will protect people from rising temperatures and save lives. It cautions that strategies to address extreme heat should be designed with the infrastructure and capacity of rural communities in mind.

HAC

Case study describes success in preserving a Section 515 rental property

HAC worked with Northwest Coastal Housing, Partners for Rural Transformation, Rural Community Assistance Corporation, and others to ensure that a Section 515 rental complex in Tillamook, OR remained affordable for its residents, who had an average annual income of just $15,257. A new case study explains the process, the financing, and the many entities involved in preserving the property, Golden Eagle II.

Need capital for your affordable housing project?

HAC’s loan fund provides 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, new development, farmworker, senior and veteran housing. HAC loan funds can be used for pre-development, site acquisition, site development, construction/rehabilitation and permanent financing. 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).

Want to reprint a HAC News item?

Please credit the HAC News and provide a link to HAC’s website. Thank you!

HAC News: May 29, 2025

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TOP STORIES

Budget reconciliation bill passes House, moves to Senate

The House of Representatives passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1) on May 22. The Senate will now consider the bill and is expected to make changes. The House version includes some tax provisions that are favorable for rural housing and development. Other parts of the bill, however, would require cuts to domestic discretionary programs such as Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act, and SNAP (food stamps); limit the Child Tax Credit and the Earned Income Tax Credit; reduce the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s annual funding; and eliminate clean energy programs and tax provisions including HUD’s Green and Resilient Retrofit Program. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the bill’s net impact would reduce resources for people in the lowest 10% of income distribution and increase them for people in the highest 10%, and that about 3.2 million people would lose SNAP benefits.

Judge pauses some federal layoffs

On May 22, a federal judge in California indefinitely extended her freeze of the administration’s “reductions in force” (RIFs) and accompanying reorganizations of agencies. Her preliminary injunction applies to many federal agencies including USDA, HUD, VA, and the Treasury Department, but does not cover the Federal Housing Finance Agency or the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. (CFPB is the subject of separate litigation.) The judge also took a step towards rescinding the RIFs and ordering staff to return to work at the agencies covered by the suit. The administration has appealed the preliminary injunction.

Rural housing needs federal support, fact sheet says

Rural America Cannot Address Housing Needs Without Federal Investments summarizes data and barriers to rural housing development, including persistent poverty, higher infrastructure costs, a history of economic disinvestment in rural communities, and chronically declining federal investments in USDA’s Rural Housing Service. Published jointly by HAC, the National Low Income Housing Coalition, and the National Alliance to End Homelessness, the fact sheet also suggests federal policy solutions.

Call for workshop proposals: 2025 National Rural Housing Conference

The Housing Assistance Council is seeking engaging, hands-on workshop proposals for the National Rural Housing Conference to be held November 4-7 in Washington, DC. The deadline to submit your proposal is June 15. If your work advances housing or community development in rural America, we want to hear from you! Learn more about HAC workshops and how to submit a proposal here.

RuralSTAT

The unemployment rate outside of metropolitan areas currently stands at 3.8%. Approximately 798,000 rural workers were unemployed as of the most recent estimates in April (not seasonally adjusted). Source: Housing Assistance Council tabulations of the Bureau of Labor Statistics Local Area Unemployment Statistics data.

To learn more about economic conditions in your community, visit Rural Data Central.


OPPORTUNITIES

HUD offers CoCBuilds grants for permanent supportive housing

The Continuum of Care Builds program will make grants to nonprofits, state and local governments, Tribes and Tribal organizations, and PHAs to add new units of permanent supportive housing through new construction, acquisition, and rehabilitation. Apply by June 26.

REGULATIONS AND FEDERAL AGENCIES

Input requested on federal collaboration with other governments

The Administrative Conference of the United States describes itself as “an independent federal agency within the executive branch whose statutory mission is to identify ways to improve the procedures by which federal agencies protect the public interest and determine the rights, privileges, and obligations of private persons.” It is requesting public comments on federal agency approaches and processes for collaborating with state, local, Tribal, and territorial governments when administering federal programs. The information gathered may be used to generate recommendations of best practices for federal agencies to use. Comments are due July 28.

More USDA RD state directors named

Adding to the list announced earlier this month, USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins has identified several more state directors for USDA Rural Development and other agencies.

Digital equity programs serving rural residents are canceled

On May 9, the administration canceled three digital equity programs created in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, charging that they were illegally based on race. The programs were intended to make information technology available to rural residents as well as to people who are elderly, incarcerated, veterans, individuals with disabilities, those with a language barrier, and members of racial or ethnic minority groups.

GAO rules Impoundment Control Act violated

In a non-binding legal opinion with implications for numerous administration actions, the Government Accountability Office concluded that the administration’s suspension of a grant program at the Department of Transportation violated the Impoundment Control Act. The ICA, enacted in 1974, limits the president’s authority to refuse to spend monies appropriated by Congress.

EVENTS

Rural fundraising webinar offered

Fundraising for Rural Nonprofits will be held on June 11 by GrantStation. There is a $69 registration fee.

Rural rental preservation training sessions set

Enterprise Community Partners’ Rural Housing Preservation Academy is a series of no-cost training and peer learning sessions designed to help rural housing providers acquire and/or preserve USDA RD, HUD, and LIHTC financed housing. Two webinars are scheduled in June. Cost of Doing Repairs/Construction Items, to be held on June 4, will cover the hard-cost items in the development budget and what construction-related items RD requires in a Section 515 transfer application. Understanding the Simple Transfer and Chapter 7, planned for June 18, will go over USDA’s simple transfer process and take a deeper look into what forms are required for this process through case studies. Recordings and materials from past sessions are also available.

Webinar to consider future of historic Black towns

PolicyLink will hold a webinar on June 10 grounded in Repairing Roots: Historic Black Towns and Spatial Reclamation, a publication that centers the legacy and leadership of historic Black towns and settlements. This conversation will emphasize descendant-led strategies and partnerships as essential to securing the future of these cultural and historical spaces, creating the conditions for justice and repair.

PUBLICATIONS AND MEDIA

Brief provides state and local fair housing examples

Affirming Belonging: Expanding State and Local AFFH Efforts, a brief from PolicyLink and the Policy and Race Research Action Council, asserts that state and local governments can play a central role in ensuring fair, inclusive housing for all. It offers recommendations, best practices, and examples of existing state and local policies aimed at affirmatively furthering fair housing.

Annual advocates’ guide released

Advocates’ Guide 2025, published by the National Low Income Housing Coalition, provides an overview of federal housing programs and policies.

Climate is a risk component for mortgage lenders, research concludes

Climate, the Sixth “C” of Credit, a new First Street report, analyzes the relationship between physical climate risk and mortgage defaults. With shifts in the insurance industry and the rising incidence of disasters, homeowners’ insurance is less likely to protect lenders against disaster-related losses. First Street concludes that physical climate risk has become the sixth “C” of credit assessment, a critical factor to be evaluated alongside the traditional metrics of character, capacity, capital, collateral, and conditions.

HAC

The Home Depot Foundation and HAC award grants for veterans’ housing

The Home Depot Foundation is awarding grants totaling $450,000 to 15 local nonprofit housing agencies around the country to preserve housing for veterans in rural America. The grants are part of the foundation’s mission to provide affordable and accessible housing solutions to U.S. veterans and invest $750 million in veteran causes by 2030. As part of its Affordable Housing for Rural Veterans Initiative, HAC works with The Home Depot Foundation to administer grants that bolster and support the work of rural nonprofit housing agencies to deliver critical housing support to veterans.

Placemaking project begins to take shape

Heart of Ellsworth has taken a significant step forward in the revitalization of the Riverwalk North trail in Ellsworth, Maine. The organization participated in the 2023-2024 Design Learning Cohort of the Citizens’ Institute for Rural Design, a leadership initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with HAC. In collaboration with the Ellsworth Public Library, Frenchman Bay Conservancy, and the Schoodic International Sculpture Symposium, Heart of Ellsworth recently installed the trail’s first three sculptures at Ellsworth Public Library. This installation marks the beginning of a broader vision to transform Riverwalk North into a vibrant cultural corridor – one that seamlessly blends art, culture, and outdoor recreation along Ellsworth’s scenic waterfront.

Need capital for your affordable housing project?

HAC’s loan fund provides 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, new development, farmworker, senior and veteran housing. HAC loan funds can be used for pre-development, site acquisition, site development, construction/rehabilitation and permanent financing. 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).

Want to reprint a HAC News item?

Please credit the HAC News and provide a link to HAC’s website. Thank you!

HAC News: May 15, 2025

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TOP STORIES

Preliminary FY26 budget supports rural renters, requests housing cuts

The FY26 budget outline released by the Trump administration on May 2 proposes no funding for some key USDA housing programs, including USDA Section 502 direct home loans, the self-help housing program, and Section 542 vouchers. It does request $1.7 billion for Section 521 Rental Assistance and says that is enough to renew all current RA contracts. It also proposes a new $100 million Rural Financial Award Program that would require 60% of CDFIs’ loans and investments to go to rural areas. The budget also targets key HUD programs, suggesting elimination of HOME and CDBG, competitive Indian housing programs, and others. It would combine HUD’s rental assistance programs into a block grant to states with reduced funding. Rent aid and homeless assistance would be limited to two years. The administration is expected to provide a complete budget request by the end of May. Congress will develop spending bills, which may or may not resemble the proposed budget. Responding to the “skinny budget,” HAC President and CEO David Lipsetz issued a statement emphasizing the federal government’s essential role as an investor and partner for rural America. HAC also posted a summary.

Call for workshop proposals: 2025 National Rural Housing Conference

The Housing Assistance Council is seeking engaging, hands-on workshop proposals for the National Rural Housing Conference to be held November 4-7 in Washington, DC. The deadline to submit your proposal is June 15. If your work advances housing or community development in rural America, we want to hear from you! Learn more about HAC workshops and how to submit a proposal here.

RuralSTAT

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Over 700,000 Asian and Pacific Islanders live in rural and small-town communities across the United States. Hawaii has the largest number and percentage of rural Asian and Pacific Islanders among the states with nearly one-third of Hawaiians identifying as Asian, Hawaiian Homelander, or Pacific Islander. Source: Rural Data Central – HAC tabulations of the U.S Census Bureau’s 2019-2023 American Community Survey.

Data is Central. To learn more about the demographic, economic, and housing composition of your community, visit Rural Data Central.

OPPORTUNITIES

Justice Department will fund services to domestic violence survivors

Transitional housing assistance funding is available for nonprofits and state, local, or Tribal governments to provide six to 24 months of transitional housing and support services for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking. Apply by June 9. The Rural Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Program supports cooperative efforts among law enforcement officers, prosecutors, victim service providers, and other related parties to investigate and prosecute sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking; treatment, advocacy, counseling, legal assistance, or other victim services for victims in rural communities; or programs addressing sexual assault. Apply by July 8. Information about other open grant programs is available from the Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women and on grants.gov.

Grants offered for resident-driven community planning

The Community Heart & Soul Seed Grant Program serves U.S. cities and towns with populations under 30,000, including in U.S. territories. The program provides $10,000 grants and requires a $10,000 cash match for a resident-driven process that engages the entire population of a town in identifying what they love most about their community, what future they want for it, and how to achieve that. Applications are reviewed monthly.

Rural disaster home repair program guidance renewed

Updated guidance from USDA RD confirms that the agency still has funds available for repairs to owner-occupied homes in Section 504-eligible places where presidentially declared disasters occurred in calendar year 2022. The document explains how the Rural Disaster Home Repair Grant Program differs from the Section 504 Home Repair Grant Program.

CAPITOL HILL

House reconciliation bill would boost rural Opportunity Zones and LIHTC

House committees have now approved all the sections of a budget reconciliation bill, which is becoming known as “the one big beautiful bill.” Some of the last pieces revealed were the provisions to extend or refine tax cuts. They were approved by the Ways and Means Committee on May 14 and include changes in the Opportunity Zones and Low Income Housing Tax Credit programs. The bill would set current OZ designations to expire in 2026 rather than 2028, the date in existing law. A new round of OZs would be identified. In an effort to improve the program’s performance in rural areas, about one-third of the new OZs would have to be rural and incentives would be offered for rural OZ investments. The bill’s revisions to the Low Income Housing Tax Credit include a 30% basis boost for properties in rural and Native communities. The bill would repeal or phase out clean energy tax credits created by the Inflation Reduction Act. It would allow the New Markets Tax Credit to expire. It does not include the homeownership tax credit provisions of the Neighborhood Homes Investment Act. The full budget reconciliation package will now be considered by the House Budget Committee, then the full House. The Senate will craft its own version. HAC issued a statement on the House’s tax provisions.

Bill introduced to protect farmworkers after disasters

On May 7, the Disaster Relief for Farmworkers Act was introduced in both the Senate and the House. The bill would provide crucial financial assistance to farmworkers who lose income due to natural disasters or public health emergencies and also offer support to farmers facing crop losses during such events.

REGULATIONS AND FEDERAL AGENCIES

Many federal layoffs paused, agencies told to make plans public

In one of the many lawsuits filed challenging the administration’s firing of federal workers, a federal judge issued a May 9 temporary restraining order halting the layoffs at 21 agencies, including USDA and HUD, through May 23. The judge also ordered the administration to release agency reduction in force and reorganization plans on May 13, but then postponed that deadline. According to the administration, publicly releasing those plans would reveal management strategies and hurt employee recruiting and retention. While the lower court is still considering whether to require release of the plans, the government has appealed the temporary restraining order. A Government Executive article describes some of the differing actions taken by agencies subject to the temporary restraining order.

Staff terminations expected at HUD

Government Executive reports that HUD has issued reduction in force (RIF) notices to all employees in the Office of Field Policy and Management at the General Schedule-13 level and below, effective May 18. The article adds that HUD is expected to issue RIFs to staff in other offices in the near future.

USDA now hiring

Over 15,000 USDA employees – about 15% of the department’s workforce – have signed up for deferred resignations, which allow them to leave their jobs immediately and be paid through September, Politico reports. These departures are in addition to previous layoffs of probationary staff, some of whom have been rehired. More staff will be let go through reductions in force carried out by the administration. Questioned about the departures at a Senate subcommittee hearing on May 6, Secretary Brooke Rollins said USDA is actively recruiting to fill some jobs. She noted that the department loses 8,000-10,000 employees every year and hires to fill their positions.

Some USDA RD housing officials depart, state directors are appointed

At least two high-level staff in the Rural Housing Service’s headquarters have left: Jacki Ponti-Lazaruk, who was the Acting Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development, and Angilla Denton, who was the RHS Deputy Administrator for Multifamily Housing and then the Acting Administrator. Christine Mechtly, who became Deputy Administrator for Single-Family Housing in 2024, is now the RHS Acting Administrator.

USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins recently announced the appointments of new state directors for the Farm Service Agency and Rural Development.

Tribal feedback requested on environmental rules

HUD asks Tribal leaders to provide comments by May 25 on improvements to the environmental review process.

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau withdraws some guidance

CFPB is withdrawing a number of documents that were issued to provide non-binding policy guidance. The agency explains that the cancellation is not necessarily final, but these documents will not be enforced or otherwise relied upon by the Bureau while it continues reviewing them. They cover a variety of topics including mortgage lending rules for surviving family members, consumer protections for home sales financed under contracts for deed, and enforcement priorities related to housing insecurity.

CFPB director nominee shifted to Treasury

Jonathan McKernan’s nomination to become Consumer Financial Protection Bureau director has been cancelled and President Trump has nominated him instead to be Undersecretary of Domestic Finance at the Treasury Department. No new CFPB nominee has been announced.

PUBLICATIONS AND MEDIA

Podcast looks at rural economic development

Seeding Economic Development in Rural America, with Ann Eisenberg is an episode of Resources for the Future’s podcast. Eisenberg, a professor and research director at the West Virginia University College of Law, explains how rural economies become vulnerable to decline when macroeconomic and societal changes weaken or displace local industries. She provides examples of successful economic diversification and revitalization; strategies to support rural communities that are facing economic hardship; and explanations about ways policies that have strengthened rural economies have also bolstered broader national economic stability.

Report contrasts colonias living conditions with border security spending

“Although billions of state and federal dollars flow into the majority-Latino communities along the nearly 2,000-mile U.S.-Mexico border, many remain among the poorest places in the nation,” observes a report by ProPublica and the Texas Tribune. The article describes the depths of the region’s need for water and hospital access.

HAC

Need capital for your affordable housing project?

HAC’s loan fund provides 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, new development, farmworker, senior and veteran housing. HAC loan funds can be used for pre-development, site acquisition, site development, construction/rehabilitation and permanent financing. 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).

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HAC News: May 1, 2025

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TOP STORIES

Rollins suggests USDA Rural Development is under scrutiny

“There’s seven agencies that deal with housing, including USDA,” Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said in a recent interview with Agri-Pulse (subscription required), quoted in Farm Policy News. “There are 12 agencies that deal with rural prosperity and rural programming, and not that some of that won’t remain,” she said, “but this is the first time maybe that our country is taking a really hard look at how we organize our government.” Rollins told Agri-Pulse that the administration’s plan for downsizing and reorganizing USDA should be ready by mid-May. It is not clear whether the plan will be public at that time. HAC has long argued that, while the system of federal housing programs should be improved, rural housing needs the Rural Housing Service at USDA.

House committee votes to cut funds for CFPB and Green and Resilient Retrofit Program

Committees in the House are meeting this week and in May to develop pieces of the budget reconciliation bill. On April 30 the Financial Services Committee adopted provisions that would reduce the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s funding but would not eliminate the agency altogether. Their bill would also rescind unobligated funds from HUD’s Green and Resilient Retrofit Program. The House Agriculture Committee has not scheduled its markup or released draft text, and Senate committees have not yet begun their work on the bill.

HAC launches new data platform on (and for) rural America

Rural Data Central is designed as a resource to help rural communities, organizations, and decisionmakers with data to inform strategies and solutions. Rural Data Central compiles over 275 million data points into one accessible and easy-to-use tool. Sign up for Rural Data Central today to get the data you need for your community.

DOGE team assigned to NeighborWorks

A Department of Government Efficiency team has been assigned to NeighborWorks America, according to news reports, although the team’s assignment is not known. NeighborWorks is a private, independent nonprofit chartered by Congress, not a part of the government. It provides grants, technical assistance, and training to almost 250 community development organizations around the country. The majority of its annual funding is appropriated by Congress. Its board is comprised of five members from federal agencies, but because of firings and resignations at those agencies there are currently only two board members.

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

Several federal agencies and museums celebrate the month here.

RuralSTAT

Approximately 60.6 million people live in rural and small town communities, making up 18% of the U.S. population. To better understand the social, economic, housing, and finance dynamics in your nation, state, county, census tract, congressional district, continuum of care, or tribal tract, visit Rural Data Central. Source: U.S. Census American Community Survey from HAC’s Rural Data Central.

OPPORTUNITIES

New funds available for tribal veterans’ housing vouchers

HUD is making available $2.2 million to provide rental assistance for Native American veterans through the Tribal HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) program. Tribes and Tribally Designated Housing Entities can apply for funds by August 15.

Indian CDBG Imminent Threat grants offered

These grants from HUD are noncompetitive and can be used to eliminate or lessen problems that pose an imminent threat to public health or safety of Tribal residents. Tribes and Tribal organizations are eligible. Applications are due September 30.

REGULATIONS AND FEDERAL AGENCIES

AI reportedly being used to review HUD’s regulations

Artificial intelligence is reviewing regulations at HUD, comparing them to the statutes they implement, and suggesting revisions, according to Wired. HUD staff are reviewing the AI’s recommendations and HUD’s Office of General Counsel will make final decisions, Wired reports. A source told the publication that this method will be used throughout the government.

Administration to suggest eliminating a fair housing rule

HUD has filed a proposed regulation titled “Rescission of Affirmative Fair Housing Marketing Regulations.” No further details are available. The proposal is under review at the Office of Management and Budget, a required step in the rulemaking process. In March, HUD published an interim final rule that canceled a 2021 AFFH interim rule and returned the AFFH requirements to their pre-1994 version but did not rescind them.

HUD reinstates more technical assistance agreements

Enterprise Community Partners announced on April 24 that HUD has restored its agreements under the Community Compass and Distressed Cities programs, enabling it to continue providing technical assistance in a variety of communities. HUD previously reinstated Section 4 agreements with Enterprise and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation.

Energy Department proposes delaying energy standards for manufactured homes

Manufactured housing developers are currently required to meet energy standards for multi-section homes by July 1, 2025. The Department of Energy proposes to delay that date until after it publishes a final rule establishing enforcement procedures. Comments are due May 27.

EVENTS

HAC offers webinars on New Markets Tax Credits for affordable homeownership

Since 2008, New Markets Tax Credits have been used successfully for affordable homeownership projects. NMTCs generate flexible financing, including a portion that does not have to be repaid which can bring significant net benefit to homeownership projects and sponsors. This equity and subsidy generated can be used to address market gaps, create additional affordability, or increase the capacity of nonprofit developers. HAC will be applying to the CDFI Fund for NMTCs during the 2026 award round, which is expected to open this fall. HAC’s NMTC program will target rural affordable homeownership projects. We need your help to build a robust pipeline of projects. To learn more about NMTCs for homeownership and HAC’s planned 2026 NMTCs program, please join us for an online session on May 7 or May 13.

Upcoming convening to address rural economic development

The International Economic Development Council is hosting the 2025 Rural Retreat with the theme Rural Recharged: New Energy, New Possibilities. Taking place in Great Falls, MT from June 23 to 25, this cross-sector event will bring together diverse communities dedicated to creating new energy and opportunities for rural and tribal places across America.

PUBLICATIONS AND MEDIA

Use of federal land for affordable housing discussed

The administration’s hopes to build affordable housing on federal land are examined in a New York Times article. Housing on Federal Lands Aims to Ease Affordability Crisis points out that the idea has bipartisan support and that suitable property is available near existing cities and towns. The land is almost all in the western U.S. and would need infrastructure before housing could be placed there. The article, which is summarized in the Rural Blog, identifies more pros, cons, and open questions that will need to be addressed.

Policymakers look to ADUs to address rural housing shortages

A National Mortgage Professional article describes how states and rural communities are looking to expand access to accessory dwelling units (ADUs) to help increase housing supply. The article features a story of a New Hampshire man who turned his garage attic into an apartment for family members.

HAC

Need capital for your affordable housing project?

HAC’s loan fund provides 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, new development, farmworker, senior and veteran housing. HAC loan funds can be used for pre-development, site acquisition, site development, construction/rehabilitation and permanent financing. 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).

Want to reprint a HAC News item?

Please credit the HAC News and provide a link to HAC’s website. Thank you!

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