TOP STORIES

Government funding extended, shutdown avoided

Federal funding will last through December 20 under H.R. 9747, a continuing resolution that passed both houses of Congress on September 25 and is expected to be signed into law by President Biden. It extends most federal funding at FY24 levels, with “anomalies” – provisions that differ from a strict continuation of existing funding levels – for some items. It includes anomalies requested by the administration that give HUD flexibility to use unobligated Tenant Protection Vouchers carryover funding and also release some funds for USDA Community Facilities direct loans. It extends the authorizations for several expiring programs including the National Flood Insurance Program and VA aid for homeless veterans, though it does not cover Farm Bill programs. It does not provide supplemental disaster funding but does allow FEMA to access some added funds.

HUD, USDA, and others affirm commitment to Violence Against Women Act’s housing provisions

To commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act, federal agencies including HUD, USDA, VA, the Department of Justice, and the Treasury Department issued an interagency statement on VAWA’s housing provisions. The statement asserts the agencies are committed to preventing survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking from losing their housing or housing assistance, experiencing housing instability, or becoming at risk of homelessness due to the violence they have experienced.

Colonias study makes recommendations to Congress and USDA

The Government Accountability Office examined five HUD and USDA programs that target water/wastewater and housing aid to colonias (HUD’s CDBG program and USDA’s Water and Waste Facility Loans and Grants to Alleviate Health Risks; Individual Water and Wastewater Grants; Section 502 direct loans; and Section 504 home repair loans and grants). GAO’s report, Rural Development: Actions Needed to Improve Assistance to Southwest Border Communities Known as Colonias, noted that the agencies work to address some of the challenges to serving colonias, for example by offering technical assistance. It found, however, USDA did not consistently track data that would show whether the Section 502 and 504 programs were meeting their colonias setaside goals. Also, GAO estimated that almost 60% of colonias will likely be disqualified in the near future for the setasides in CDBG and USDA’s housing programs because they are located in the El Paso and McAllen metropolitan statistical areas where the population will grow to over 1 million. Those colonias will remain eligible for general funding from those programs, but GAO suggested Congress should raise the population cut-off limit for setaside eligibility.

RuralSTAT

From 2010 to 2020, the rural Hispanic population increased by roughly 1 million, or 19.7%. The overall rural population would have declined substantially during the decade if not for this growth in the Hispanic population. Source: HAC tabulations of the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2000 and 2010 Census of Population and Housing and 2020 P.L. 94-171 Redistricting Data.

OPPORTUNITIES

USDA offers funding for rental housing preservation

Loans and grants are available for owners and purchasers to preserve and improve existing Section 515 rental housing and off-farm Section 514/516 properties under the Multifamily Housing Preservation and Revitalization Demonstration (MPR) and Section 515 loan programs. USDA will set aside 10% of the funds for persistent poverty counties. Funds will also be set aside for Rural Economic Area Partnership (REAP) Zones in New York, North Dakota, and Vermont. Applicants must email USDA by December 16 to obtain application submission instructions and must apply by December 26. Workshops for potential applicants will be announced via GovDelivery notice (sign up here) and will be posted on USDA’s multifamily programs website. USDA is also offering funds for providers of technical assistance on rental preservation and farmworker housing development, with a November 18 deadline.

Fellowships will help young adults work in housing justice

Generation Housing Justice, a new initiative by the National Low Income Housing Coalition, aims to bring more young adults ages 18-24 into the housing justice movement by equipping 20 fellows with the knowledge and resources they need to successfully advocate for federal affordable housing solutions. Each fellow will receive a stipend of $1,000 upon successful completion of the program and travel support to attend NLIHC’s Housing Policy Forum in Washington, DC. People with lived experience of housing instability and/or homelessness are encouraged to apply. The deadline is November 1. For more information, contact outreach@nlihc.org or 202-507-7452.

Fair housing funding available

HUD’s Fair Housing Initiatives Program has funds available for nonprofit fair housing organizations under four separate funding notices: the Fair Housing Organizations Initiative (deadline November 19), Private Enforcement Initiative (deadline November 25), Education and Outreach Initiative (deadline November 19), and Education and Outreach Initiative – Test Coordinator Training (deadline November 19).

REGULATIONS AND FEDERAL AGENCIES

Revisions suggested for Section 502 guaranteed mortgage program

USDA’s Rural Housing Service proposes to amend its Section 502 single-family guarantee program regulations. Currently an applicant is ineligible if they have defaulted on an RHS loan at any time in the past, but this proposal would eliminate that consideration after seven years. It is also intended to clarify the requirements related to borrowers’ eligibility to refinance their current mortgages. Comments are due November 1.

USDA publishes guide to tenant recertifications

Processing Tenant Recertifications: A Guide for Multifamily Housing Owners and Management Companies identifies processes and requirements for owners and managers of USDA-financed rental housing. It explains recertification responsibilities, timeframes for notifying tenants, documentation requirements, and more.

HUD revises housing counseling rules

HUD is updating its regulations to allow housing counseling agencies to provide services in ways other than meeting in-person with clients, such as using virtual meeting tools. Counseling agencies that choose not to provide in-person services are required to refer clients to local providers that provide such services, when requested.

Interagency council adopts framework for preventing homelessness

Ending Homelessness Before It Starts: A Federal Homelessness Prevention Framework, was released September 23 by the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness. The framework is intended to help local, tribal, and state governments, nonprofits, funders, systems, providers, and advocates. It explains steps for developing a community-wide, cross-system approach to homelessness prevention, shares promising practices, and lists available federal resources. USICH has also launched a new blog series spotlighting local and federal efforts to prevent homelessness.

Comments requested on distributing lead hazard funds by formula

HUD seeks public input regarding the development of a formula to allocate Lead Hazard Reduction and Healthy Homes grants. Currently, these programs are required to hold funding competitions. HUD’s notice says the agency believes a formula grant program could allow more efficient distribution of funding to the highest need communities, streamline the selection and award of grants, and help maximize funding utilization. Comments are due November 15.

HUD extends HOTMA compliance deadline

HUD’s Housing Notice H 2024-09 extends the date that owners of HUD multifamily properties must be fully compliant with Sections 102 and 104 of the Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act of 2016 (HOTMA) to July 1, 2025. The department says it will soon release a series of FAQs to address stakeholder questions and will update the FAQs as needed. It invites additional questions to MFH_HOTMA@hud.gov.

FEMA reopens comment period for government aid programs

On July 2 FEMA published a proposed rule that would update the regulations for its Public Assistance and Community Disaster Loan programs, which aid state, Tribal, territorial, and local governments after major disasters. The comment period originally closed September 3 but has been reopened through October 18.

PUBLICATIONS AND MEDIA

It is not clear whether federal land can help relieve affordable housing shortages

While a variety of policymakers have suggested making federal land available for housing development, reporters have identified a number of challenges involved. For example, Fast Company points out that most federal land is not located where housing demand is highest. If new housing in high-amenity areas is not protected, High Country News says, it could be used for short-term rentals or second homes. Politico adds that NIMBY opposition could slow or stop development, and quotes a source suggesting this development would need to attract for-profit developers. All three articles note that new infrastructure would be needed to make new housing feasible. At the same time, local environments would need to be protected and new building would have to avoid increasing the risk of hazards such as wildfires.

Natural gas extraction has not fulfilled hopes in West Virginia

A Mountain State Spotlight story challenges the assumption that fracking has been an economic boon for communities. The Natural Gas Boom was Supposed to Bring Prosperity to West Virginians in Poverty. That Didn’t Happen notes the resource companies promised local communities that extracting natural gas would mean more good paying jobs and resources that could improve local economies. Local residents identify some improvements, but poverty rates remain high. Out-of-state workers took many of the fracking jobs and, over time, the number of jobs has decreased. Efforts to capture some extra monies from taxing natural gas extractions never materialized in West Virginia although other states, like North Dakota and Wyoming, have been able to ensure revenues are used to help communities now and in the future.

Guide addresses language used for substance use disorders

A brief guide from the National Council for Mental Wellbeing offers practical principles for reducing stigma and fostering understanding when discussing substance use disorders. The principles include use of person-centered and accessible language, use of morally neutral and factual language, and research-informed presentation of information.

HAC

HAC is hiring

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

• Training Implementation Specialist
• Accountant

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!

TOP STORIES

Party platforms pledge to reduce housing costs

The Democratic and Republican party platforms both recognize the issues of housing affordability and homelessness, but address them differently. (This summary does not cover proposals from Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise 2025, produced by Project 2025. The book has received media attention as indicative of policies a second Trump administration would endorse, but it is not an official party document.)

The Republican platform’s statement on housing affordability focuses on homeowners: “To help new home buyers, Republicans will reduce mortgage rates by slashing Inflation, open limited portions of Federal Lands to allow for new home construction, promote homeownership through Tax Incentives and support for first-time buyers, and cut unnecessary Regulations that raise housing costs.” The document also supports “Policies that help Seniors remain in their homes,” pledges to “compassionately address homelessness to restore order to our streets,” and asserts that “Republicans will end luxury housing and Taxpayer benefits for Illegal Immigrants and use those savings to shelter and treat homeless Veterans.” The document provides no further details on any of these topics. It makes no specific references to rural or Tribal concerns.

The Democratic platform offers more details, with sections on topics such as housing, poverty, Tribal Nations, racial equity, the climate crisis, and environmental justice. It refers repeatedly to rural and Tribal needs, including the Biden-Harris administration’s efforts in “tackling persistent poverty and building economic prosperity in rural communities.” There is one specific mention of housing and rural together: “We’ll keep working to expand other programs that reduce home heating, cooling, and water bills as well, especially in rural areas.” Specific housing pledges reflect the administration’s previously announced housing plan, including expanding rental assistance, providing tax credits and down payment assistance for homebuyers, expanding the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, creating a homeownership tax credit, using the housing first model to address homelessness, and eliminating landlord junk fees, fair housing violations, and biased home appraisals. The platform mentions housing needs for people leaving the criminal justice system, domestic abuse survivors, Native Americans, residents of U.S. territories, migrants, veterans, and LGBTQI+ people. Many of its pledges are repeated in a Harris-Walz economic plan that calls for the construction of three million new housing units.

New rule for H-2A farmworkers halted in some states

New protections for farmworkers with H-2A visas, provided in a Department of Labor rule published in April, have been blocked by a preliminary injunction issued in a lawsuit that claims the rule illegally provided collective bargaining rights to these workers. The injunction applies only in the 17 states that joined with growers to file the suit. Court proceedings in the case will continue.

September is National Preparedness Month

FEMA explains that the observance is to raise awareness about the importance of preparing for disasters and emergencies that could happen at any time. HAC’s Rural Resilience website offers tools for readiness, response, and recovery, including HAC’s detailed guide, Prepare Your Organization to Respond and Recover from Natural and Man-Made Disasters.

September is National Recovery Month

This annual national observation is meant to highlight the resources needed to make recovery from substance use possible. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has a range of resources and events for the month.

RuralSTAT

Approximately 20% of rural households do not have broadband internet connections, compared to 11% in suburbs and 13% in cities: Source: HAC tabulations of the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2017-2021 American Community Survey.

REGULATIONS AND FEDERAL AGENCIES

Buy America expands to more HUD activities, new resources posted

HUD has added two new Build America, Buy America Act online resources for recipients of Community Planning and Development (CPD) funding such as HOME and CDBG. An optional Buy America Preference (BAP) checklist is intended to help determine whether the preference applies to a specific project. An optional BAP certification can be used by grantees to assist with subrecipient recordkeeping for procurement of BABA-compliant materials. HUD’s notice also reminds recipients that as of August 23, for FY24 CDBG and Recovery Housing Program grants, BAP will apply to specifically listed construction materials, in addition to iron and steel. For projects with other FY24 CPD funds, BAP will apply to iron and steel, construction materials, and manufactured products.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac announce tenant protections

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have jointly released a policy framework and FAQs for their implementation of new protections for tenants in properties with mortgages they back. As the Federal Housing Finance Agency announced in July, tenants will be entitled to 30-day notices before rent increases, 30-day notices on lease expirations, and five-day grace periods before imposing late fees on rental payments. The provisions will take effect for new loans signed after February 28, 2025.

Housing goals proposed for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac

The Federal Housing Finance Agency has proposed housing goals for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac for 2025 through 2027. The goals and subgoals cover a number of categories, including separate categories for single-family and multifamily mortgages on housing affordable to low-income and very low-income families. FHFA is also proposing new criteria for requiring a housing plan if Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac does not meet a goal. Comments are due October 28.

USDA explains upcoming changes to tenant calculations

USDA Rural Development has released an overview of tenant income and asset calculation changes due to the Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act as well as a schedule for updates. This information adds to previous USDA guidance on the subject.

HUD adds flexibilities to vouchers for people with disabilities

Guidance from HUD creates new alternative requirements and waivers for Mainstream Vouchers, which provide housing assistance to people with disabilities between 18 and 62 years old who are transitioning out of institutional or other isolated settings, at serious risk of institutionalization, homeless, or at risk of becoming homeless. Changes include lengthening the initial search term, prohibiting residency preferences for these vouchers, and allowing PHAs to create separate waiting lists.

Quality control standards required for automated appraisals

A final rule will implement quality control standards for the use of automated valuation models (AVMs) by lenders, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac in appraising the values of homes that secure mortgage loans. The regulation was issued jointly by several agencies involved in regulating housing finance and will take effect on October 1, 2025. It requires adoption of policies, practices, procedures, and control systems to ensure that AVMs used to determine the value of mortgage collateral adhere to quality control standards designed to ensure a high level of confidence in the estimates produced by AVMs, protect against the manipulation of data, seek to avoid conflicts of interest, require random sample testing and reviews, and comply with applicable nondiscrimination laws.

USDA has new deputy for single-family housing

Cathy Glover, the long-time Deputy Administrator for Single-Family Housing at the Rural Housing Service, retired on July 31. Christine Mechtley now holds the position.

EVENTS

Multifamily housing transfer listening session set

USDA Rural Development will hold a September 5 online listening session on the multifamily housing transfer process. Stakeholders are invited to share their experiences with the transfer process, including the simple transfer pilot. Preregistration is required.

Discussion to explore rural migration and displacement

A virtual discussion on Exploring Migration and Displacement in Rural Communities is scheduled for September 10. Hosted by the Aspen Institute’s Community Strategies Group, the conversation will consider what it will take for rural communities to balance new residents, retain longtime residents and cultural traditions, and develop more equitable local economies. It will also examine the mechanisms and trends driving migration and displacement in rural communities.

PUBLICATIONS AND MEDIA

Property insurance changes and alternatives examined

In a report titled Climate Change, Disaster Risk, and Homeowner’s Insurance, the Congressional Budget Office analyzes recent changes in property insurance markets along with possible solutions. Suggestions include alternative insurance products as well as policy approaches to increase the availability and affordability of insurance for homeowners and renters. First Street will offer a webinar about this report on September 5.

Reports cover broadband’s importance and innovations in rural and Native communities

Expanding America’s Bandwidth: Gaps in Rural and Underserved Communities, a brief paper from the Federal Reserve Board, summarizes research on the importance of broadband and how the lack of access disproportionately impacts rural and low-income communities. Practitioners’ expertise is offered in a recent publication from the Aspen Institute’s Community Strategies Group, Making Broadband Work for Rural Communities and Native Nations, which covers lessons learned, gaps in resources, and innovative approaches. A set of case studies from Cornell University, Innovative State Strategies for Rural Broadband: Case Studies from Colorado, Minnesota and Maine, is summarized in a blog post by the Pew Charitable Trusts, which supported the research.

HAC

HAC supports rural provisions in Capital Magnet Fund interim rule

HAC submitted comments on an interim rule for the CDFI Fund’s CMF program, broadly supporting the rule and focusing on several rural elements. We support adding a national Rural Service Area, which will make it easier to use CMF in rural areas; aligning CMF income targeting with other federal programs and prioritizing applications that propose deeper income targeting; and using the Duty to Serve definition for rural areas.

HAC is hiring

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

• Training Implementation Specialist
• Accountant
• Program Manager, Center for Rural Multifamily Housing Preservation

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!

TOP STORIES

Senate votes against considering tax bill

On August 1 the Senate failed to pass a procedural measure that would have advanced the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act. The bill, H.R. 7024, passed the House in January. It includes provisions that would strengthen the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit and expand the Child Tax Credit.

FEMA limits disaster spending to immediate needs

Because of a funding shortfall, FEMA implemented “Immediate Needs Funding” guidance on August 7. To maximize funds available for response and recovery, the agency will obligate funds only for essential needs. It will continue to accept applications for other funding but will not make those obligations until additional appropriations are available. Disaster Relief Fund State of Play: In Brief, published by the Congressional Research Service on August 13, examines FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund and why it relies on supplemental appropriations.

Consumer protections apply to contracts for deed, CFPB confirms

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on August 13 released a consumer advisory, an advisory opinion, and a research report on contract for deed home purchases, a form of financing that requires a buyer to make all payments before receiving the deed to their home. Contracts for deed may lead to full homeownership, CFPB says, but the agency’s report identifies several ways in which these contracts can harm consumers, particularly low-income and BIPOC people. The advisory opinion affirms that federal home lending rules and laws cover contracts for deed and provide key consumer protections. The consumer advisory explains the potential problems and provides suggestions for homeowners needing assistance with contracts for deed.

RuralSTAT

USDA’s Economic Research Service has developed a new concept of enduring poverty to refer to places with poverty rates of 20% or higher for 40 years or longer. Of the 346 counties that were persistently poor from 1990 to 2019, 304 had enduring poverty from 1960 to 2019. Source: USDA Economic Research Service, The Poverty Area Measures Data Product.

OPPORTUNITIES

Funds available for removing barriers to affordable housing

Round 2 of HUD’s Pathways to Removing Obstacles to Housing (PRO Housing) competition has opened, with an October 15 deadline. State and local governments, metropolitan planning organizations, and multijurisdictional entities are eligible to apply for grants to identify and remove barriers to affordable housing production and preservation such as outdated zoning, land use policies, or regulations; inefficient procedures; gaps in available resources for development; and challenges to preserving existing housing stock such as increasing threats from natural hazards, redevelopment pressures, or expiration of affordability requirements.

HUD offers CDBG Section 108 “Legacy Challenge”

Jurisdictions that receive CDBG grants can borrow up to five times their CDBG allocation using a Section 108 loan guarantee. Under a new Legacy Challenge, HUD offers flexibilities, waivers, and resources to develop a housing fund or invest in a transformational project. A webinar for potential applicants will be held August 29. Expressions of interest are due November 1.

REGULATIONS AND FEDERAL AGENCIES

Federal agencies launch national heat strategy

A National Heat Strategy for 2024-2030 was released August 14 by  the interagency National Integrated Heat Health Information System, which includes USDA, HUD, and more than 20 other agencies. The strategy aims to promote proactive coordination related to heat planning, response, and resilience. HUD’s press release and a HUD web page on extreme heat focus on housing-related impacts and resources.

HUD-VASH voucher program revised

A new HUD notice provides updated policies and procedures for the administration of tenant-based and project-based Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers under the HUD-VA Supportive Housing program. The notice includes new waivers and program flexibilities as well as additional general guidance, and it also incorporates updated policy based on further implementation of the Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act of 2016.

FY25 Fair Market Rents posted

HUD has released the Fair Market Rents that will be used in fiscal year 2025 – which begins October 1, 2024 – for the Housing Choice Voucher Program and other programs. October 1 is also the deadline for public comments and for public housing agencies to request reevaluations of FMRs.

HUD asks how to expand Choice Neighborhoods program’s reach

HUD requests comments on opportunities and barriers to applying for and subsequently managing Choice Neighborhoods Planning and Implementation Grants. The department expresses particular interest in expanding the program’s reach to communities of all sizes, including large urban areas, mid-sized cities, small towns, rural areas, and tribal jurisdictions. Comments are due October 11.

More flexible servicing options now available for Section 502 guaranteed lenders

A final rule is intended to benefit borrowers and lenders and reduce the program risk of the Section 502 guaranteed loan portfolio. It gives lenders more flexibility in their servicing options for non-performing loans and offers a revised Mortgage Recovery Advance process.

FEMA allows more time to apply for Hazard Mitigation Grants

A new final rule extends the time period for applicants to request funds from FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program and allows FEMA to reopen application periods under some circumstances. HMGP funding goes to state, local, Tribal, and territorial governments (nonprofits are eligible to be subrecipients) to include mitigation measures for future disasters while recovering from a disaster. Applicants will now have 15 months from the date of a disaster declaration, rather than the previous 12 months, to apply for HMGP support.

HUD may extend manufactured housing code to multi-unit buildings

HUD hopes to amend its manufactured housing regulations to allow the Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards (better known as the HUD Code) to cover duplexes, triplexes, and fourplexes, according to an August 13 fact sheet from the White House. The document does not provide details on this future regulation.

EVENTS

HAC to offer Section 502 direct loan packaging course in Alabama

HAC will hold an in-person USDA Section 502 Direct Certified Loan Packaging Course in Montgomery, AL on September 24-26. This three-day advanced course prepares participants to become certified Section 502 loan packagers. It is designed for those experienced in using Section 502. A laptop is required for the class for each participant. Following the course, participants are encouraged to take the online certification exam. The registration fee is $750. For more information, contact HAC, registration@ruralhome.org, 202-842-8600.

PUBLICATIONS AND MEDIA

Study identifies challenges in addressing farmworkers’ vulnerability to disasters

Farmworkers are vulnerable to disasters and not well served by disaster recovery programs, but existing public health tools cannot clearly identify their locations and needs, researchers from the University of Florida found after Hurricane Idalia. The social vulnerability indicators currently in use do not include factors such as legal status that make farmworkers particularly challenging to serve. The Social Vulnerability of Farmworker Communities in North Central Florida: Challenges and Opportunities for Mapping Vulnerable Populations, published by the Natural Hazards Center at the University of Colorado Boulder, reports on social vulnerability indicators developed by collecting qualitative data as well as quantitative, and on the empirical and ethical challenges of mapping populations that are often targeted by public authorities. The study is also examined in “‘A Matter of Life and Death’: How Disaster Response Endangers US Farmworkers,” an article published by Grist and the Daily Yonder.

Low-income renters face choices between housing, food, and energy costs

An analysis of the Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey results by Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies shows that in the first half of 2024, well over half (59%) of renters with incomes below $25,000 had difficulty meeting all their expenses. The data, reported in a blog post titled Renters Struggle with Competing Costs of Food, Energy, and Housing, shows the difficulty renters face in balancing the costs of necessities. The figures are not broken down by rural, urban, suburban, or metropolitan geography.

2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health released

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that 19.1% of people 12 years of age or older in the U.S. (54.2 million people) needed substance use treatment in the past year, but only 4.5% of people (12.8 million) received needed treatment. The survey measures use of various drugs and alcohol, substance use disorders, treatment, recovery, and other key indicators.

HAC

HAC comments on proposed Duty to Serve plans for 2025-2027

HAC has submitted comments to the Federal Housing Finance Agency regarding Fannie Mae’s and Freddie Mac’s proposed plans for 2025-2027 activities to meet their Duty to Serve three historically underserved markets: rural housing, affordable housing preservation, and manufactured housing. HAC’s comments, which are available on our website, covered many different topics and applauded many of the proposed goals while arguing that, broadly, the plans are not ambitious enough when compared to rural needs. HAC recommends permitting Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to make targeted equity investments in CDFIs, maintaining the preservation of Section 515 multifamily properties as a core Duty to Serve goal, and increasing the proposed goals related to heirs’ property, colonias, Native American housing finance, and manufactured housing, as well as adding goals specifically for farmworker communities.

HAC is hiring

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

• Training Implementation Specialist
• Accountant
• Program Manager, Center for Rural Multifamily Housing Preservation

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!