A new GAO report on manufactured housing addresses Efforts Needed to Enhance Program Effectiveness and Ensure Funding Stability. The report includes several recommendations for federal agencies to improve their use of manufactured housing.
The Department of Agriculture is partnering with the private sector to launch a new investment fund stocked with $10 billion to go toward rural infrastructure development.
On the evening of December 4, 2014, the Housing Assistance Council will present rural housing awards as part of the Rural Housing Awards Banquet at the National Rural Housing Conference. An individual or individuals providing outstanding and enduring service on the national level will be honored with the Cochran/Collings Award for Distinguished Service in Housing for the Rural Poor. A local leader or leaders in rural housing development will receive the Skip Jason Community Service Award.
The Cochran/Collings Award for Distinguished Service in Housing for the Rural Poor honors individuals who have provided outstanding and enduring service, with national impact, for the betterment of housing conditions for the rural poor, with emphasis on the poorest of the poor in the most rural areas.
The award is named after Clay Cochran and Arthur M. Collings, Jr. Dr. Cochran was a mentor and pioneer in the rural housing movement whose work in low-income rural housing dates back to the 1930s and 1940s. Mr. Collings’ dedication to improving housing conditions for low-income rural Americans was unmatched. His feistiness and humor, added to his extensive knowledge of USDA’s rural housing programs, made him unique and well-loved around the country. Dr. Cochran passed away in 1982. Art Collings passed away in March 2010.
Previous winners of this award include Clay Cochran, Obediah Baker, Thomas Carew, Peter Carey, Gordon Cavanaugh, Arthur M. Collings, Jr., Cushing Dolbeare, Eileen Fitzgerald, Elizabeth Herring, Robert Rapoza, Shirley Sherrod, William Simpson, Arnold Sternberg, and four members of Congress: Eva Clayton, Rubén Hinojosa, Stan Lundine, Bennie Thompson and Ed Pastor.
Significant achievements and/or contributions in any or all of the following areas:
The Skip Jason Community Service Award recognizes people whose efforts have improved the housing conditions of the rural poor in their communities. The award acknowledges people who work “in the trenches” and usually go unrecognized outside their communities.
The award is named after Robert “Skip” Jason, a long-time housing activist with considerable community experience, who died in 1982 while employed as HAC’s Government Services Director.
Prior recipients of this award include David Arizmendi, Clanton Beamon, Lorna Bourg, Guillermo Castaneda, Emma Clifford, John P. David, Paul Douglas, Cora Esquibel, Rose Garcia, Owyne Gardner, Manuel Gauna, Alfred Gold, Arturo C. Gonzales, Patty Griffiths, Dana M. Jones, Stan Keasling, Lewis Kellom, Steve Kirk, Barbara Lamphere, Jerome Little, Sabino Lopez, Griffin Lotson, Lynn Luallen, Steve Mainster, Selvin McGahee, Rito Medina, Madeline Miller, Polly Nichol, John “Jack” Rivel, Jr., Linda Smith, Ted Smith, Lauretta Brice Stephens, Bessie Swan, Mario Villanueva, Sharon Walden, Jim Wilcox, Dwayne Yost, and John Zippert.
Significant achievements and/or contributions in any or all of the following areas:
~For information, contact Lilla Sutton, HAC, 202-842-8600, lilla@ruralhome.org.
Citigroup has agreed to pay $7 billion to settle claims that it committed fraud in the years leading up to the financial crisis. Two and a half million will go to mortgage relief for struggling homeowners.
July 14, 2014 – USDA’s Rural Housing Service has temporarily authorized three steps to speed processing of Section 502 direct loans, hoping to use all FY14 funding for these mortgages before the fiscal year ends on September 30. USDA Rural Development field staff are authorized to:
The authorizations are explained in an Unnumbered Letter dated July 7, 2014. For further information, contact a USDA Rural Development office.
In March 2013, Congress passed a final appropriations bill for the current fiscal year. While the final language included full spending bills for USDA, it was also subject to a 5% sequester and a 2.5% across the board cut. This resulted in a reduction of approximately $65 million to the Section 521 Rental Assistance program. USDA recently notified approximately 900 of its Section 515 Rural Rental Housing and Section 514 Farm Labor Housing borrowers whose rental assistance contracts would normally be renewed about the time funds will be exhausted. This short fall is ultimately expected to impact nearly 15,000 units in approximately 600 rental projects. USDA has committed to working closely with these borrowers to maintain the financial stability of the property. HAC urges affected borrowers to begin working with USDA at the earliest possible date to address the gap in Rental Assistance. USDA’s notice and a list of affected projects are below:
With only 11 weeks remaining in FY13, USDA still has over $14 million available for Section 504 loans – more than half of the program’s appropriation. Loan funds not obligated by September 30 will be lost. Your help in getting out the word and working with RD to process loan applications is critical. All states will have access to loan funds after RD pools and redistributes the amounts not yet used in some states.
We know there is far more need than funds available for this program, which helps very low-income homeowners repair their homes. It would send the wrong message to have these sorely needed funds go unused. Please contact your local RD office and work with them to help eligible very low-income homeowners get their homes repaired!
Stephen B. Fitzgerald, Senior Vice President of the Bank of America Charitable Foundation, presents a check to Moises Loza for support of HAC’s work in affordable rural housing. A key and very generous supporter of HAC for a number of years, Bank of America is also a major investor in HAC’s Rural Housing Loan Fund.
A new report from the Center for American Progress and the National Council of La Raza analyzes the current state of mortgage finance and makes some recommendations for improving the current system. HAC research is referenced in the rural portions of the report.