Information Products Archives

HAC News: April 16, 2014

April 16, 2014/in HAC News

HAC News Formats. pdf

April 16, 2014
Vol. 43, No. 8

• House members question USDA officials about minimum rent proposal and support homeownership • April is National Financial Capability Month • USDA to hold phone or web meetings for Section 538 stakeholders • Rule proposed to implement oversight of appraisal management companies • Report makes case for homeless bills of rights • HUD releases interim report on Native American and Alaska Native housing • Entire nonmetro U.S. loses population for the first time, ERS says • State rental assistance programs study published • Health report for counties includes housing conditions for the first time • HAC reports on rural veterans’ housing • Recent blog posts cover decline of USDA housing, minimum rent proposal

April 16, 2014
Vol. 43, No. 8

HOUSE MEMBERS QUESTION USDA OFFICIALS ABOUT MINIMUM RENT PROPOSAL AND SUPPORT HOMEOWNERSHIP. At an Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee hearing on April 4, Reps. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Robert Aderholt (R-AL), the subcommittee chair, asked about the Administration’s budget’s $50 minimum rent proposal (see HAC News, 3/5/14). Housing Administrator Tony Hernandez emphasized that the request included provisions for hardship exemptions. Rep. Hal Rogers (R-KY), who is chair of the full committee, and several others criticized the budget’s low requests for Section 502 direct loans and the Section 523 self-help program. The archived webcast and written statements and testimony are available online.

APRIL IS NATIONAL FINANCIAL CAPABILITY MONTH. President Obama’s proclamation recommends consumers get free resources on managing money at www.MyMoney.gov and www.ConsumerFinance.govor call 1-888-MyMoney.

USDA TO HOLD PHONE OR WEB MEETINGS FOR SECTION 538 STAKEHOLDERS. Sessions are expected to be held in spring, July, and November. To receive notice of dates and times, register with Monica Cole, RD, 202-720-1251.

RULE PROPOSED TO IMPLEMENT OVERSIGHT OF APPRAISAL MANAGEMENT COMPANIES (AMCS). The federal agencies that oversee private lenders, along with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Federal Housing Finance Agency, request comments by June 9 on proposed regulationsfor AMCs. These are entities that serve as intermediaries for, and provide certain services to, appraisers and lenders. To be eligible to provide services for federally related transactions, AMCs and appraisers that are lender subsidiaries will have to meet federal and state standards and register in a national database. Contact Robert L. Parson, OCC, 202-649-6423.

REPORT MAKES CASE FOR HOMELESS BILLS OF RIGHTS. On April 15 the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty released From Wrongs to Rights: The Case for Homeless Bills of Rights Legislation.It describes the need for homeless bills of rights legislation, examines models of laws enacted and proposed in some states, and offers guidance on how to enact them.

HUD RELEASES INTERIM REPORT ON NATIVE AMERICAN AND ALASKA NATIVE HOUSING. Continuity and Change: Demographic, Socioeconomic, and Housing Conditions of American Indians and Native Alaskans,which uses secondary data sources, is part of the National Assessment of Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian Housing Needs. The full report will include original research. The preliminary findings indicate that some socioeconomic differences between the American Indian and Alaska Native population and others have narrowed, but significant gaps persist in poverty, employment, and housing needs. Affordability is the most frequent housing problem for AIAN households, though crowding and physical inadequacy are common in some places. A separate report will cover Native Hawaiians.

ENTIRE NONMETRO U.S. LOSES POPULATION FOR THE FIRST TIME, ERS SAYS. USDA’s Economic Research Service reports that nonmetro areas in some parts of the country have experienced population loss for decades. However, 2010-13 marks the first period with an estimated population loss for nonmetro America as a whole, despite growth in some places. Some new regional patterns of growth and decline have emerged in recent years, such as growth in energy producing areas of the northern Great Plains. A Census Bureau analysisof population changes for the year ending July 1, 2013 notes this trend and others, including data for metropolitan and micropolitan places as well as nonmetro.

STATE RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS STUDY PUBLISHED. State Funded Housing Assistance Programs,released by the Technical Assistance Collaborative, catalogs existing programs and identifies their key characteristics.

HEALTH REPORT FOR COUNTIES INCLUDES HOUSING CONDITIONS FOR THE FIRST TIME. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has added housing problems (cost burden, crowding, lacking plumbing or lacking kitchen) as a factor in its county health rankings. Other factors include smoking, high school graduation rates, unemployment, and many more.

HAC REPORTS ON RURAL VETERANS’ HOUSING. From Service to Shelter: Housing Veterans in Rural America, funded by the Home Depot Foundation, covers the characteristics of rural veterans and their housing, as well as issues facing them, and summarizes available housing resources. Veteran homelessness has decreased and housing conditions have improved, but rural challenges remain, such as the distance to service providers. HAC and the Home Depot Foundation hosted a symposium on serving rural veterans on April 9; materials are posted online.

RECENT BLOG POSTS COVER DECLINE OF USDA HOUSING, MINIMUM RENT PROPOSAL. “Analysis: Rural Housing Programs in Decline,” written by HAC staff for the Daily Yonder, reviews funding trends and the FY15 Administration budget request. “Obama Plan to Raise Rents on Rural Poor is the Wrong Way to Save Money,” a post on the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities blog, addresses the budget’s request to impose minimum rents on USDA tenants.

Housing Assistance Council

From Service to Shelter: Housing Veterans in Rural America

April 9, 2014/in Homeowner Housing, Housing Affordability, Rental Housing, Veterans, Vulnerable Populations

No veteran who has risked his or her life to protect our homes should return to find that they are not able have their own. For their sacrifice, it is imperative that we ensure our veterans have access to safe, affordable, and secure housing. This can be particularly challenging in rural America due to vast geographies, limited resources, and less social service infrastructure. The overall demographic picture of veterans will undergo major shifts in the coming years. As two wars overseas wind down, more veterans will be coming home. Returning to all corners of our nation, they will have housing needs to be addressed. The demographic changes associated with the baby boom generation and the overall graying of America will also shape veterans housing needs. The aging veteran population will have its own unique challenges. Ensuring that their housing needs are met is the least we can do to thank them for their service to this country.

HAC News: April 2, 2014

April 2, 2014/in HAC News

HAC News Formats. pdf

April 2, 2014
Vol. 43, No. 7

• April is National Fair Housing Month • House subcommittee hearing on FY15 RD budget set for Friday • Waters proposes GSE reform bill • USDA offers Household Water Well System grants • Deadline extended for RD environmental rules comments • NLIHC report confirms housing costs still out of reach • GAO addresses tribes’ housing challenges • New index shows wide opportunity gap for children of different races/ethnicities • Report stresses home- and community-based services for seniors • Rural housing and youth spotlighted in Rural Voices • HAC training “Housing for Seniors and Veterans in Rural America”

April 2, 2014
Vol. 43, No. 7

APRIL IS NATIONAL FAIR HOUSING MONTH. HUD offers information for download and a press release.

HOUSE SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING ON FY15 RD BUDGET SET FOR FRIDAY. At 10:00 a.m. Eastern time on April 4, USDA Rural Development officials will testify on the Administration’s FY15 budget request before the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee. The hearing will be webcast. Updates will be posted on HAC’s site.

WATERS PROPOSES GSE REFORM BILL. On March 27 Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the House Financial Services Committee, released a discussion draft of a bill that would replace Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac with a lender cooperative and would fund the National Housing Trust Fund. It would also replace the affordable housing goals, instead requiring the cooperative to “facilitate” service to all income levels, including borrowers in underserved urban and rural markets. There are also two proposals in the Senate (see HAC News, 3/19/14) and H.R. 2767, introduced by Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-TX), which passed the House Committee in July 2013 (see HAC News, 8/1/13).

USDA OFFERS HOUSEHOLD WATER WELL SYSTEM GRANTS. Nonprofits can use these funds to establish lending programs for homeowners, who can borrow up to $11,000 to construct or repair household water wells for existing homes. This year’s competition will give points to high-poverty places and to colonias or substantially underserved trust areas. Deadline is May 27. Contact Joyce M. Taylor, RUS, 202-720-9589.

DEADLINE EXTENDED FOR RD ENVIRONMENTAL RULES COMMENTS. Comments on environmental policies and procedures are now due May 7 instead of April 7. (See HAC News, 2/5/14.) Contact Mark S. Plank, RD, 202-720-1649.

NLIHC REPORT CONFIRMS HOUSING COSTS STILL OUT OF REACH. The National Low Income Housing Coalition’s annual Out of Reach report, prepared with HAC assistance for nonmetro data, shows a gap remains between rural rent and rural renters’ incomes. NLIHC estimates that the average hourly wage for nonmetro renters nationwide is $10.24, which falls $3 short of the Housing Wage necessary to afford a two-bedroom home at HUD’s Fair Market Rent. The nonmetro Housing Wage is out of reach for those earning the average renter wage in all but two states (Alaska and North Dakota), though the gap is very small in four other states (Arizona, Nevada, Oklahoma, and Wyoming). The report and data for states, counties, and metro areas are online, as is a HAC Rural Research Note.

GAO ADDRESSES TRIBES’ HOUSING CHALLENGES. Native American Housing: Additional Actions Needed to Better Support Tribal Efforts, GAO-14-255, is based on site visits, interviews, and sources including HAC. It states that challenges tribes face in their use of Indian Housing Block Grant funds are “largely related to remoteness and other geographical factors, land use regulations, lack of adequate infrastructure, differing federal agency requirements, potential reduction in training opportunities and program support, limited administrative capacity, conflict within tribes, and cultural factors.” GAO recommends changes such as federal agency coordination of environmental impact requirements.

NEW INDEX SHOWS WIDE OPPORTUNITY GAP FOR CHILDREN OF DIFFERENT RACES/ETHNICITIES. Race for Results: Building a Path to Opportunity for All Childrencompiles indicators on health, education, family environment, and neighborhood poverty into a single index and presents results for each state. Nationally, Asian/Pacific Islander and White children have far higher index scores than Latino and Native American children, and African-American children have the lowest. At the state level, the lowest scores were among American Indian children in South Dakota. Scores vary across states for all groups, but the range of scores is widest for American Indian children and narrowest for Latino children.

REPORT STRESSES HOME- AND COMMUNITY-BASED SERVICES FOR SENIORS. Aging in Every Place: Supportive Service Programs for High and Low Density Communities says such services are a cost-effective way to help older adults maintain their quality of life as they age in their homes. Published by the Center for Housing Policy at the National Housing Conference, the report notes that successful programs in rural places often offer transportation, use existing community centers, or bring services to the homes of those who are unable to travel.

RURAL HOUSING AND YOUTH SPOTLIGHTED IN RURAL VOICES. Looking to the Future: Housing and Youth in Rural America is the latest issue of HAC’s magazine. Sign up online for email notices when new issues are published, or request one free print subscription per organization from Dan Stern, HAC, 202-842-8600.

JOIN HAC APRIL 22-23 FOR “HOUSING SENIORS AND VETERANS IN RURAL AMERICA: PRESERVATION, DEVELOPMENT, AND SERVICES,” held in Phoenix, AZ. The agenda, targeted to rural housing providers, will feature discussions of federal and other housing programs for veterans and the aging, including home repair, rental housing, and services for the homeless. Successful best practices will be featured. Register online.

The Rural Data Portal

March 25, 2014/in Rural Data

Quality data for rural areas can be limited and hard to find. To address this concern, HAC developed the Rural Data Portal to provide rural communities with a user-friendly tool to gain information about the places where they live and work.

Quality data for rural areas can be limited and hard to find. To address this concern, HAC developed the Rural Data Portal this year to help communities better understand and document needs and conditions. The Rural Data Portal is an online resource that provides social, economic, and housing characteristics of communities across the United States using data from HAC tabulations of the 2010 Census of Population and Housing, the American Community Survey (ACS), and Home Mortgage Disclosure Act Data.

ima-best-in-class-award

The Rural Data Portal was awarded the “Best in Class” Interactive Media Award in the nonprofit websites category for 2013 by the Interactive Media Council.

Access the Rural Data Portal

Looking to the Future: Youth and Housing in Rural America

March 24, 2014/in Rural Voices Capacity Building

The March 2014 issue of Rural Voices, “Looking to the Future: Housing and Youth in Rural America” is now available for download from the Housing Assistance Council. This edition looks at the unique issues related to youth and housing in rural America. The edition also features several organizations that directly serve rural youth.

FEATURES

Children Growing up in Rural America
by Marybeth J. Mattingly and Cynthia M. Duncan, The Carsey Institute

Characteristics and challenges of a changing population.

Serving Families from Roots to the Moon
by Nadia Villagrán, Coachella Valley Housing Coalition

How California’s Coachella Valley Housing Coalition helped improve the lives of one rural farmworker family.

Young People Build Affordable Housing and Transform Their Lives
by Karen Jacobson, Randolph County Housing Authority

YouthBuild provides young rural Americans with the opportunity to build job skills, and homes, in their own communities.

Young Rural Housing Leaders Reflect

A group of graduates from the California Coalition for Rural Housing’s Youth Internship program discuss opportunities for youth in rural America.

Lead Poisoning: Not Just a Problem for Urban Youth
by Ron Rupp,

Lead paint is common in older rural housing and is considered to be the leading environmental health threat to young children.

VIEW FROM WASHINGTON

Congress Acts on Rural Housing
by Joe Belden and Leslie Strauss

A federal budget and extension of eligibility for rural communities are positive steps for affordable rural housing. The proposed 2015 budget? Not so much.

MAPS

Children & Youth in Rural America – (Interactive Prezi)

Add your Response

Rural Voices would like to hear what you have to say about one, or all, of these issues. Please feel free to comment on this story below, tweet #RuralVoicesMag, discuss on the Rural Affordable Housing Group on LinkedIn, or on our Facebook page.

HAC News: March 19, 2014

March 19, 2014/in HAC News

HAC News Formats. pdf

March 19, 2014
Vol. 43, No. 6

• Members of Congress question Vilsack about proposed cuts in Sections 502 and 523 • USDA publishes more details about budget requests, HAC responds to rental proposals • Senators propose housing finance reform deal • Deadlines coming up for Assets for Independence • USDA to hold conference calls on multifamily programs •Comments sought on Native Asset Building Initiative • USDA RD explains implementation of rural definition changes • New data on USDA tenants released • Report examines income inequality in states • HAC blogs on rural seniors

March 19, 2014
Vol. 43, No. 6

MEMBERS OF CONGRESS QUESTION VILSACK ABOUT PROPOSED CUTS IN SECTIONS 502 AND 523. USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack was the only witness at a March 13 House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture hearing on the Administration’s FY15 budget request. House Appropriations Committee Chair Hal Rogers (R-KY) criticized the proposed cuts in Section 502 direct loans and Section 523 self-help grants, saying this approach “shows a disrespect for our rural communities.” Subcommittee Chair Robert Aderholt (R-AL) also asserted support for the rural housing programs. When Rep. David Valadao (R-CA) asked the Secretary why the reductions were proposed, Vilsack replied that “difficult choices” had to be made.

USDA PUBLISHES MORE DETAILS ABOUT BUDGET REQUESTS, HAC RESPONDS TO RENTAL PROPOSALS. In its Congressional Justification explaining the FY15 budget, USDA tells how it calculates the amount it would expect to collect if a $50 monthly minimum rent were imposed, and how it might use the discretion it wants with respect to renewals of Section 521 Rental Assistance contracts. HAC board and staff critique the ideas in posts on the Rooflines blog: “No, Minimum Rents Do Not ‘Encourage Financial Responsibility” and “Rural Rental Assistance Needs USDA’s Support to Survive.”

SENATORS PROPOSE HOUSING FINANCE REFORM DEAL. Senators Tim Johnson (D-SD) and Mike Crapo (R-ID), the Chair and Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, have released a discussion draft of a bipartisan housing finance reform bill based on S. 1217, the Corker-Warner bill introduced in June 2013. Like the earlier bill, it would create a new Federal Mortgage Insurance Corporation to replace Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and would eliminate affordable housing goals. It does include other mechanisms to encourage affordable housing development.

DEADLINES COMING UP FOR ASSETS FOR INDEPENDENCE. The next deadlines are May 7 and July 14, and applica-tions are accepted on a rolling basis. This program makes grants to nonprofits and government agencies that establish individual development accounts for low-income participants. Contact the AFI Resource Center, 1-866-778-6037.

USDA TO HOLD CONFERENCE CALLS ON MULTIFAMILY PROGRAMS. Calls with stakeholders will be scheduled at least quarterly during 2014. To register, contact Timothy James, RD, 919-873-2056. Those who have previously registered do not need to register again.

COMMENTS SOUGHT ON NATIVE ASSET BUILDING INITIATIVE. The Administration for Children and Families at the Department of Health and Human Services proposes policy changes to be used in the FY14 NOFA for NABI, which funds Individual Development Accounts and related services. Comments are due April 7. Contact Carmelia Strickland, HHS, 877-922-9262.

USDA RD EXPLAINS IMPLEMENTATION OF RURAL DEFINITION CHANGES. Administrative Notice 4748 explains that the grandfathering provisions adopted in the Farm Bill and the FY14 appropriations act will be implemented in two stages. The February 5, 2014 HAC News stated erroneously that the new 35,000 population limit for growing areas would not take effect until October 1; instead, RD expects to implement it around May 6. No currently eligible places will become ineligible until October 1, when currently eligible places will become ineligible if their populations exceed 35,000 or they are no longer rural in character.

NEW DATA ON USDA TENANTS RELEASED. The annual occupancy report shows that the total number of properties in USDA’s rental portfolio fell by 2.48% from April 2012 to September 2013, a decrease of 346 Section 515 properties and 34 Section 514 properties, representing about 5,092 apartments (1.14% of total units). This report is the first to include demographic data on Section 521 Rental Assistance households, and they appear generally similar to tenants in Section 515 properties. The average annual income of Section 515 residents has increased slightly to $11,747. For 515 tenants with RA, average income is $9,828.

REPORT EXAMINES INCOME INEQUALITY IN STATES. The Economic Analysis and Research Network calculated changes in income from 1917 to 2011 and found that in every state the incomes of the top 1% have grown faster than those of the other 99%, although the extent of the gap differs among states. The Increasingly Unequal States of America, published by the Economic Policy Institute, is accompanied by an interactive feature that provides figures and graphics for each state.

HAC BLOGS ON RURAL SENIORS. “Keeping Rural Seniors in Their Homes” describes home and community based care as a way to allow rural seniors to age in place.

HAC News: March 5, 2014

March 5, 2014/in HAC News

HAC News Formats. pdf

March 5, 2014
Vol. 43, No. 5

• For USDA housing, budget proposes minimum rents and new limits on Rental Assistance • HUD budget proposes some cuts, some increases • FY14 HUD NOFAs’ general section issued, includes transportation emphasis • Section 811 Project Rental Assistance funds offered • Housing counseling funds available • RD implements Violence Against Women Act changes • Section 184 fee increased, regulations revised • EPA proposes expanded pesticide protection for farmworkers

March 5, 2014
Vol. 43, No. 5

FOR USDA HOUSING, BUDGET PROPOSES MINIMUM RENTS AND NEW LIMITS ON RENTAL ASSISTANCE. On March 4 the Obama Administration released its budget proposal for FY15. Many of the USDA rural housing programs would be funded at the same level as in FY14. Differences include decreases in Section 502 direct loans and Section 523 self-help housing; as it has in past budgets, the Administration states it would rely on the Section 502 and 538 guarantee programs to finance single- and multifamily housing. Significant changes are proposed for the Section 521 Rental Assistance program. RA recipients would be required to pay a minimum rent of $50 per month unless exempted because of hardship. RA contracts would not automatically be renewed, and USDA would determine whether projects needed renewed RA.

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USDA Rural Devel. Prog. (dollars in millions)	FY13 Approp.^a	FY14 Approp.	FY15 Admin. Budget
502 Single Fam. Direct Self-Help setaside	$900 5	$900 5	$360 0
502 Single Family Guar.	24,000	24,000	24,000
504 VLI Repair Loans	28	26.3	26.3
504 VLI Repair Grants	29.5	28.7	25
515 Rental Hsg. Direct Loans	31.3	28.4	28.4
514 Farm Labor Hsg. Loans	20.8	23.9	23.9
516 Farm Labor Hsg. Grants	7.1	8.3	8.3
521 Rental Assistance Preservation RA setaside New Cnstr. 515 RA setaside New Cnstr. 514/516 RA setaside	907.1 0 0 3	1,110 0 0 0	1,089 0 0 0
523 Self-Help TA	30	25	10
533 Hsg. Prsrv. Grants	3.6	3.5	0
538 Rental Hsg. Guar.	150	150	150
Rental Prsrv. Demo. (MPR)	17.8	20	20
Rental Prsrv. Revlg. Lns.	0	0	0
542 Rural Hsg. Vouchers	10	12.6	8
Rural Cmnty. Dev’t Init.	6.1	6	0
^a Figures shown do not include 5% sequester or 2.5% across the board cut.

HUD BUDGET PROPOSES SOME CUTS, SOME INCREASES. HUD programs such as homeless assistance, public housing operating and capital funds, Section 202 housing for seniors, Section 811 housing for the disabled, tenant-based rental assistance, fair housing, housing counselling, and lead hazard control all have proposed increases. The Housing Trust Fund would receive $1.0 billion. Community Development Block Grants and HOME would be cut, and small rural programs are zeroed out. The Rural Innovation Fund and its predecessor, the Rural Housing and Economic Development program, are not mentioned at all. As was proposed for FY14, the SHOP program would receive an appropriation of $10 million, but only as a setaside within HOME (which would be cut).

HUD Program (dollars in millions)	FY13 Approp.^a	FY14 Approp.	FY15 Admin. Budget
Cmty. Devel. Fund CDBG Sustainable Commun. Init. Rural Innovation Fund	3,308 2,948 0 0	3,100 3,030 0 0	2,870 2,800 0 0
HOME SHOP setaside	1,000 b	1,000 b	950 10
Self-Help Homeownshp. (SHOP)	13.5	10	c
Tenant-Based Rental Asstnce. VASH setaside	18,939.4 75	19,177.2 75	20,100 75
Project-Based Rental Asstnce.	9,339.7	9,516.6	9,346
Public Hsg. Capital Fund	1,886	1,875	1,925
Public Hsg. Operating Fund	4,262	4,400	4,600
Choice Neighbrhd. Initiative	120	90	120
Housing Trust Fund	d	d	1,000
Native Amer. Hsg. Block Grant	650	650	650
Homeless Assistance Grants	2,033	2,105	2,406.4
Rural Hsg. Stability Prog.	e	e	e
Hsg. Opps. for Persons w/ AIDS	334	330	332
202 Hsg. for Elderly	377	385.3	440
811 Hsg. for Disabled	165	126	160
Fair Housing	70.8	66	71
Healthy Homes & Lead Haz. Cntl.	120	110	120
Housing Counseling	45	45	60
^a Figures shown do not include 5% sequester. ^b Funded under separate Self-Help & Assisted Homeownership Opportunity Program. ^c Funded as a setaside in HOME. ^d National Housing Trust Fund is “mandatory” funding, not discretionary, so does not need to be funded through appropriations legislation, although the Administration did include it in the budget request. ^e Funded under Homeless Assistance Grants.

FY14 HUD NOFAS’ GENERAL SECTION ISSUED, INCLUDES TRANSPORTATION EMPHASIS. As in past years, this document provides information that applies to all FY14 program NOFAs and does not itself offer funds. One of HUD’s crosscutting priorities is to reduce transportation costs by locating housing close to amenities such as grocery stores, medical facilities, and schools. A nonmetro site can receive a rating point if it is within one mile of amenities or within half a mile of public transportation to amenities. Contact HUD’s grants management office, 202-708-0667.

SECTION 811 PROJECT RENTAL ASSISTANCE FUNDS OFFERED. State, regional, and local housing agencies can apply for FY13 and FY14 monies to provide project-based rental assistance for Section 811 supportive housing for extremely low-income persons with disabilities. Deadline is May 5, 2014. Contact Lessie Powell Evans, HUD, PRAapplications@hud.gov.

HOUSING COUNSELING FUNDS AVAILABLE. Apply by April 7 for FY14 and FY15 funding. Contact HUD, housing.counseling@hud.gov.

RD IMPLEMENTS VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT CHANGES. The March 2013 reauthorization of VAWA made USDA’s multifamily programs (Sections 515, 514/516, 533, and 538) subject to the law. Administrative Notice 4747 begins to implement it, notifying RD staff that victims are protected from eviction, offenders may be removed from leases, victims may be relocated to other units using RD’s LOPE process, and more. Contact Barbara Chism, USDA RD, 202-690-1436.

SECTION 184 FEE INCREASED, REGULATIONS REVISED. HUD issued a final rule implementing a provision in the FY13 appropriations law that allows it to increase the guarantee fee under the Section 184 Indian Housing Loan Guarantee program to as much as 3%. A separate notice increases the fee, effective April 4, to 1.5% from the current 1%. Contact Rodger Boyd, HUD, 202-401-7914.

EPA PROPOSES EXPANDED PESTICIDE PROTECTION FOR FARMWORKERS. A proposed rule is posted on EPA’s site. Comments will be due 90 days after publication in the Federal Register. Contact Kathy Davis, EPA, 703-308-7002.

HAC News: February 19, 2014

February 19, 2014/in HAC News

HAC News Formats. pdf

February 19, 2014
Vol. 43, No. 4

• Debt ceiling increased without other changes • FY15 Administration budget to be issued in two parts • President repeats environmental justice commitment • Updated income limits posted for USDA Section 502 direct and guarantee programs • HUD announces FY14 AAFs for Section 8 • USDA RD offers email information on Section 502 guarantee program • Frequently asked questions about HOME program updated • Resources available for community integration of people with disabilities • Wealth-building tax incentives go mostly to highest earners • Report explains use of surplus property program • HUD offers fair housing videos in American Sign Language • Upcoming HAC Events Cover Energy, 502, Seniors, and Veterans

February 19, 2014
Vol. 43, No. 4

DEBT CEILING INCREASED WITHOUT OTHER CHANGES. No spending reductions or other trade-offs were included in the measure, signed into law by President Obama on February 15.

FY15 ADMINISTRATION BUDGET TO BE ISSUED IN TWO PARTS. Initial reports stated that detailed figures would not be available until March 11. According to Bloomberg, however, an OMB spokesman said that on March 4 the Administration will release proposals, agency-level information, and the comprehensive appendix that provides figures for every program. Historical tables and supplemental analyses will be released on March 11.

PRESIDENT REPEATS ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE COMMITMENT. A proclamation by President Obama recognizes February 11 as the twentieth anniversary of President Bill Clinton’s Executive Order 12898 on Environmental Justice, renewing the federal pledge to address disproportionate environmental impacts on low-income and minority populations.

UPDATED INCOME LIMITS POSTED FOR USDA SECTION 502 DIRECT AND GUARANTEE PROGRAMS. Visit https://eligibility.sc.egov.usda.gov or contact a USDA RD office.

HUD ANNOUNCES FY14 AAFS FOR SECTION 8. Annual adjustment factors are used to calculate rent changes when Section 8 contracts are renewed. Contact information varies by program.

USDA RD OFFERS EMAIL INFORMATION ON SECTION 502 GUARANTEE PROGRAM. To receive Countdown: 7 CFR 3555, an email newsletter preparing for the September 1 effective date of the new interim final regulations (see HAC News, 12/18/13), and other email announcements, subscribe at https://www.rdlist.sc.egov.usda.gov.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT HOME PROGRAM UPDATED. HUD’s HOME FAQs cover program requirements, CHDOs, homeownership, rental housing, and more.

RESOURCES AVAILABLE FOR COMMUNITY INTEGRATION OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES. The Community Integration Center at the Technical Assistance Collaborative provides an online library and also offers technical assistance to government agencies and others. Contact Kevin Martone, CICTAC, 617-266-5657, ext. 122, or send email through the organization’s website.

WEALTH-BUILDING TAX INCENTIVES GO MOSTLY TO HIGHEST EARNERS. “Upside Down: Tax Incentives to Save & Build Wealth,” a policy brief from CFED, reports that in FY13 the bottom 40% of earners received less than 3% of tax incentives related to investment, homeownership, retirement, and college. The paper includes recommendations for improving the incentives that reach lower-income families.

REPORT EXPLAINS USE OF SURPLUS PROPERTY PROGRAM. This Land is Your Land: How Surplus Federal Property Can Prevent and End Homelessness, published by the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, describes the impact of the McKinney-Vento Title V program, which allows vacant federal property to be used, free, by eligible groups to provide housing or services to homeless persons.

UPCOMING HAC EVENTS COVER ENERGY, 502, SENIORS, AND VETERANS

March 25-26: “Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Systems for Affordable Housing Development” in Memphis, TN, will cover energy efficient development practices and renewable energy technologies in rural affordable housing. The course will include site visits.
March 25-27: “Section 502 Packaging Training for Nonprofit Developers,” held in Memphis, TN, will be an advanced course teaching participants to assist potential borrowers and to work with RD staff, as well as other nonprofit organizations, to deliver successful Section 502 loan applications.
April 9: “Serving Veterans in Rural America: A Symposium,” held on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, will draw attention to our rural veterans and showcase programs and initiatives that help with housing, health, and employment needs. Senior federal officials from HUD, USDA and VA are confirmed speakers.
April 22-23: “Housing Seniors and Veterans in Rural America: Preservation, Development, and Services,” held in Phoenix, AZ, is targeted to rural housing providers. The agenda will feature discussions of federal and other housing programs for veterans and the aging, including home repair, rental housing, and services for the homeless. Successful best practices will be featured. Online registration.

Guaranteed Rural Housing Loans (Section 502)

February 12, 2014/in Rural Resource Guides

Under the Section 502 Guaranteed Rural Housing Loan Program the government guarantees mortgage loans made by commercial lenders, enabling low- and moderate-income rural residents to purchase modestly priced homes.

Download this resource guide

Homeownership Direct Loan Program (Section 502)

February 12, 2014/in Rural Resource Guides

The Section 502 direct loan program offers mortgages for low-income homebuyers in rural areas. Section 502 direct is operated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development Housing and Community Facilities Programs office (RD). There is also a separate Section 502 loan guarantee program.

Download this Resource Guide.

HAC News: April 16, 2014

From Service to Shelter: Housing Veterans in Rural America

HAC News: April 2, 2014

The Rural Data Portal

Looking to the Future: Youth and Housing in Rural America

VIEW FROM WASHINGTON

MAPS

HAC News: March 19, 2014

HAC News: March 5, 2014

HAC News: February 19, 2014

Guaranteed Rural Housing Loans (Section 502)

Homeownership Direct Loan Program (Section 502)

GET THE HAC NEWS!

50 Years for Rural America