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 committee rejects House’s HUD funding cuts

The full Senate Appropriations Committee approved its proposed Transportation-HUD spending bill for FY25 on July 25, rejecting the 60% HOME program cut proposed in the bill that passed its House counterpart on July 10. The Senate bill would also increase funding above FY24 levels for other HUD programs, including SHOP, Rural Capacity Building, Native American housing, Homeless Assistance Grants, and the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative. Details are posted on HAC’s website. The next step will be for the full House and full Senate to vote. Congress is not expected to be able to finalize FY25 appropriations by the beginning of the fiscal year on October 1. It is likely that legislators will adopt a continuing resolution to temporarily maintain federal funding; the alternative would be a government shutdown.

Senate expected to vote August 1 on tax bill

Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY) has moved to hold a floor vote August 1 on the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act. This bipartisan 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. The August 1 action, which requires a 60-vote majority to pass, is procedural and will determine whether the Senate can debate and vote on the bill after its August recess.

RuralSTAT

According to the most recent estimates from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, an estimated 908,000 workers outside of metropolitan areas were unemployed in June 2024, resulting in a 4.3% rural unemployment rate (not seasonally adjusted). Consistent with national and metropolitan trends, the unemployment rate for outside metropolitan workers increased by 0.8% between May and June of 2024. Source: Housing Assistance Council Tabulations of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Local Area Unemployment Statistics data.

OPPORTUNITIES

HUD opens two more lead and healthy homes programs

The Lead Hazard Reduction Capacity Building Grant Program will help states, Tribes, and local governments with developing and expanding the infrastructure necessary to undertake comprehensive programs to identify and control lead-based paint hazards in privately owned rental or owner-occupied housing. The deadline is September 4.

The Healthy Homes Production Grant Program is for nonprofits, states, Tribes, and local governments. The program takes a comprehensive approach to addressing multiple childhood diseases and injuries in the home by focusing on housing-related hazards in a coordinated fashion, rather than addressing a single hazard at a time. The deadline is September 3.

These are in addition to the Lead and Healthy Homes Technical Studies Grant Program, the Healthy Homes and Weatherization Cooperation Demonstration, and the Lead Hazard Reduction Grant Program covered in the 7/3/24 HAC News, all of which have deadlines in August.

Homeless funding notice posted

HUD has issued a notice of funding opportunity offering FY24 and FY25 Continuum of Care funds and renewal or replacement of Youth Homeless Demonstration Program Grants. CoCs can apply for funding for both years by October 30, 2024, or for FY25 by August 29, 2025.

Community Facilities disaster grants offered

Public bodies, community-based nonprofits, and federally recognized Tribes are eligible for these funds, which can be used to repair essential community facilities damaged by presidentially declared disasters in calendar year 2022 or to repair or replace essential community facilities damaged by presidentially declared disasters or other disasters in calendar year 2023. Grants may cover up to 75% of total project cost.

Permanent supportive housing funds available for Continuums of Care

HUD’s new Continuums of Care Builds program offers funds to CoCs, including newly forming CoCs, for new construction, acquisition, or rehabilitation of permanent supportive housing. To support Tribal communities, CoCBuilds offers incentives for funding projects in partnership with Indian Tribes and Tribally Designated Housing Entities. Of the $175 million available, HUD is setting aside $65 million for CoCs that are located in states with populations of fewer than 2.5 million people. The deadline is November 21.

REGULATIONS AND FEDERAL AGENCIES

New loss mitigation option to be tested for USDA guaranteed mortgage holders

A demonstration program will assist borrowers with Section 502 guaranteed mortgages who experience hardship and are unable to make monthly mortgage payments. Through the Payment Supplement Account demonstration, USDA will pay a partial claim to the mortgage servicer, enabling the servicer to advance funds on behalf of the borrower to satisfy the borrower’s arrearage and cover costs. The demonstration will be in effect from July 24, 2024 to July 24, 2026, at which time the agency may extend, modify, or terminate it. For more information or to express interest in participating in the demo, contact the Loan Servicing Branch, SFHGLPServicing@usda.gov, 202-720-1452.

Mortgage servicer regulatory update proposed

To help avert avoidable foreclosures, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau suggests amendments to its regulations regarding the responsibilities of mortgage servicers. CFPB says the proposed changes would streamline existing requirements when distressed borrowers seek payment assistance and would add safeguards. They would also require servicers to provide some communications in languages other than English. Small servicers – generally, those that service 5,000 or fewer mortgage loans that they or their affiliates own or originated – would be exempt from all new requirements. Comments are due September 9.

Guidance added for Housing Choice Voucher mobility demonstration

A new notice supplements the documents that currently govern HUD’s Community Choice Demonstration, a Housing Choice Voucher mobility pilot.

Regulators set final guidance on appraisal reconsiderations

The Federal Reserve Board, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, National Credit Union Administration, and Office of the Comptroller of the Currency have issued final guidance for financial institutions highlighting risks associated with deficient appraisals of residential real estate. The agencies describe how lenders can incorporate reconsiderations of value processes and controls into established risk management functions, and provide examples of relevant policies and procedures.

Comments requested on Affordable Housing Program application process

The Federal Housing Finance Agency seeks input on ways to improve the application processes for competitive Affordable Housing Program funding from the regional Federal Home Loan Banks. Comments are due August 19.

HUD considers direct rental assistance

HUD seeks public input on the concept of “direct rental assistance” – providing a rental housing subsidy directly to the renter rather than to the landlord as the Housing Choice Voucher program does. A National Low Income Housing Coalition article describes questions and concerns raised by the proposal. Comments are due August 30.

USDA distributes discrimination-based aid to farmers, closes program

The Discrimination Financial Assistance Program (Section 22007) was created by the Inflation Reduction Act to provide one-time financial assistance to farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners who experienced discrimination prior to January 2021. USDA announced on July 31 that it has distributed the funds to over 43,000 recipients in all 50 states, D.C, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and American Samoa. The decisions are final and cannot be appealed.

PUBLICATIONS AND MEDIA

Rural left-behind counties see economic recovery but are still falling behind

“Left-behind counties,” most of which are outside metropolitan areas, have experienced a vigorous economic recovery since 2020, but the economic gap between these counties and the rest of the country continues to grow, according to a study by the Economic Innovation Group. Economic Renaissance or Fleeting Recovery? Left-Behind Counties See Boom in Jobs and Businesses Amid Widening Divides identifies 972 counties as left-behind because their population and median household income growth rates lagged far behind national rates from 2000 to 2016. EIG defines 90% of these counties (largely those outside metro areas) as rural. As a group, the rural left-behind counties are seeing a faster post-pandemic employment recovery and are now closest to regaining pre-COVID employment levels. They are still making up lost ground from decades of stagnation, however, and fewer workers are employed in these counties now than almost a quarter-century ago.

Property insurance crisis examined

Rising Property Insurance Costs: The Threat to Affordable Housing, a video and several related articles published by Shelterforce, explore the increasing tension between the need for insurance in a changing climate and its rising cost or unavailability. More articles may be added to the series.

HUD convened a summit on the topic and issued a fact sheet covering the issues and HUD’s efforts to address them.

Court decision may signal trouble for California farmworker unionizing law

A lawsuit brought by agricultural employers in Kern County, CA argues that a California law allowing farmworkers to unionize more easily undermines the rights of employers. A state court judge recently issued an injunction to stop union organizing at one company while the litigation proceeds, indicating that the unionization law “is likely unconstitutional.” The outcome of this case could have far-reaching consequences for farmworker unions and their ability to organize and advocate for better working conditions. Details are available from a number of news sources including the Fresno Bee, Los Angeles Times, Cal Matters, and Ag Daily. To learn more about farmworkers and recent housing trends, check out HAC’s latest publication on farmworkers.

Oregon affordable rentals get solar power

An article in Solar Power World entitled Rural Oregon Solar Installer Finds Niche in Multifamily Housing describes a company that has connected affordable rental housing with renewable energy. Enterprise Electric, based in a rural, sparsely populated county, has become a major residential solar contractor, working with another business that develops subsidized affordable housing with renewable energy sources.

HAC

HAC comments on proposed rule for HOME program

HAC recently submitted comments on a HUD proposal that would make a variety of revisions and updates to the regulations governing the HOME program. The proposed rule would make changes across HOME, from homeownership to rental, and included a specific focus on improving Community Housing Development Organization availability and capacity in rural areas. HAC’s comments applauded many of the proposed changes and pushed for additional rural-focused priorities. Key points included the challenges posed by varying HOME program administration across Participating Jurisdictions, concerns about the proposal to allow for statewide CHDOs, and the need for statutory changes as well as regulatory actions.

HAC is hiring

HAC job listings, each with application instructions, are available on our website.

• Accountant
• Manager of the 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

House proposes 60% cut in HOME funding

The FY25 Transportation-HUD spending bill approved by a House appropriations subcommittee on June 26 would shrink the HOME program to $500 million from $1.25 billion in FY24. The bill, which will be considered by the full Appropriations Committee on July 10, would cut the Self-Help Homeownership Opportunity Program (SHOP) program from $12 million in FY24 to $9 million next year. It would also block implementation of the Biden administration’s proposed Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule and the recent energy efficiency determination made by HUD and USDA. Details are posted on HAC’s website. The Senate has not yet released its version of the bill.

Criminalization of homelessness is not cruel and unusual punishment, Supreme Court rules

People experiencing homelessness can be subjected to fines and jail time for sleeping in public, the Supreme Court ruled on June 28 in City of Grants Pass v. Johnson. In response to the decision, HAC issued a statement pointing out that the solution to homelessness is available, affordable housing and calling on local officials to reject the idea that homelessness is a crime.

Supreme Court strengthens courts’ role in agency rulemaking

The Supreme Court has overruled a longstanding doctrine under which courts deferred to executive agencies’ interpretations when they make regulations to carry out laws. The decision in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, issued on June 28, held that courts must “exercise their independent judgment in deciding whether an agency has acted within its statutory authority, and courts may not defer to an agency interpretation of the law simply because a statute is ambiguous.” On July 1, a separate decision in Corner Post v. Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System greatly extended the time span within which agency regulations can be challenged in court.

Tenants bill of rights launched

The National Tenants Bill of Rights offered by the National Low Income Housing Coalition, the National Housing Law Project, and the Tenant Union Federation is intended to provide a practical policy agenda that affirms the federal government’s duty to provide all tenants with fundamental protections. It calls for tenants to have rights to a fair application, a fair lease, freedom from discrimination and harassment, a habitable home, and reasonable rent and costs, the right to organize, and the right to safeguards against evictions. The sponsoring organizations invite others to endorse it.

RuralSTAT

The states with the highest “housing wage” (the hourly income needed to afford a rental home at HUD’s fair market rent) in places outside metropolitan areas are Massachusetts, Hawaii, Alaska, Connecticut, Colorado, New Hampshire, California, Nevada, Vermont, and Washington. Source: National Low Income Housing Coalition, Out of Reach 2024: The High Cost of Housing.

OPPORTUNITIES

Owners of assisted multifamily properties eligible for solar and wind tax credits

Multifamily housing assisted by many (though not all) programs of HUD, USDA, and other agencies, as well as by the Low Income Housing Tax Credit, is eligible for the Department of Energy’s Low-Income Communities Bonus Credit, which promotes cost-saving solar or wind investments in low-income communities, on Indian land, as part of affordable housing developments, and benefiting low-income households. The credit is available as a payment even if the property owner does not have tax liability to offset. The initial application deadline has passed, but DOE is still considering applications on a rolling basis. HUD states that combined tax credits can potentially fund as much as 70% of the costs of a solar facility for assisted housing. HUD has posted the first two of a series of recordings to help rental property owners apply and DOE has posted webinar recordings and other resources.

USDA opens Native CDFI relending program

USDA’s Native Community Development Financial Institution Relending Demonstration Program will make loans to Native CDFIs that will relend the funds to low- and very low-income recipients to acquire, build, rehabilitate, improve, or relocate modest single-family homes on Tribal land in rural areas. The deadline is August 9.

HUD offers lead and healthy homes funding

The Lead and Healthy Homes Technical Studies Grant Program funds studies to improve knowledge of housing-related health and safety hazards and to improve or develop new assessment and control methods. A wide variety of types of entities are eligible. The application deadline is August 6.

The Healthy Homes and Weatherization Cooperation Demonstration is intended to determine whether coordination between HUD’s Healthy Homes Production program and the Department of Energy’s Weatherization Assistance Program achieves cost-effectiveness and better outcomes. Current holders of active DOE WAP grants or subgrants or HUD HHP grants are eligible. The deadline is August 13.

The Lead Hazard Reduction Grant Program assists localities in undertaking comprehensive lead-based paint hazard reduction programs. Local governments and some state and Tribal governments are eligible. The deadline is August 19.

REGULATIONS AND FEDERAL AGENCIES

Revised regulations proposed for Capital Magnet Fund

The CDFI Fund’s Capital Magnet Fund makes grants to CDFIs and nonprofits to attract private financing for and increase investment in affordable housing and economic development. A new interim rule is intended to streamline and update terms, concepts, and provisions; to better align the CMF with other federal housing assistance programs; and to better reflect current business practices in the affordable housing industry. The rule is effective immediately. Comments are due August 26.

Administration announces new CDFI Fund program

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen announced a new three-year, $100 million CDFI Fund program but details are not yet available. A June 24 press release explains that the program will be funded by repayments of Emergency Capital Investment Program investments and will be “primarily focused on increasing the supply of affordable housing.”

USDA continues waiver for Section 504 repair pilot

USDA is extending a waiver of two regulatory requirements for the Section 504 Direct Single Family Housing Loans and Grants pilot program, which is taking place in 23 states. First, the agency continues to waive the requirement that the site not be large enough to subdivide under local zoning ordinances. Second, applicants under the pilot are not required to obtain an appraisal if the Section 504 loan is over $15,000, though appraisals will still be required in some circumstances. Both waivers are in effect through June 24, 2026. Other waivers that were tested when the pilot program began in 2019 have already been adopted in regulations, and the agency anticipates doing the same with these two.

HUD extends NSPIRE inspection rule compliance date again

October 1, 2025 is now the compliance date for the Housing Choice Voucher, Project Based Voucher, Section 8 Moderate Rehabilitation, HOME, Housing Trust Fund, Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS, Emergency Solution Grants, and Continuum of Care programs to implement the National Standards for the Physical Inspection of Real Estate (NSPIRE) final rule. The date for these programs was previously October 1, 2024.

New rule aims to protect workers from extreme heat

A proposed regulation from the Department of Labor would require employers to protect those who work both indoors and outdoors, including farmworkers, from extreme heat. Employers would have to develop plans and provide drinking water, rest breaks, and shade. A comment deadline will be set when the proposed rule is published in the Federal Register.

FEMA proposes updates to programs that assist governments

FEMA proposes to amend the regulations for its Public Assistance and Community Disaster Loan programs both to improve program administration and to incorporate statutory changes. The Public Assistance program assists state, Tribal, territorial, and local governments after major disasters. Community Disaster Loans are available for local or Tribal governments that suffer substantial revenue losses because of major disasters. Comments are due September 3.

Public participation in rulemaking will be listening sessions’ topic

The Office of Management and Budget will hold virtual listening sessions on July 10 and 17 for public input on experiences engaging with federal agency rulemaking processes. To register for a session, email publicparticipation@omb.eop.gov. Written comments are due July 17.

EVENTS

Rural Clean Energy Federal Funding Fair announced

USDA Rural Development will hold two webinars on July 11 to provide information about Department of Energy clean energy programs and USDA RD’s Energy for America Program (REAP) and electric programs.

PUBLICATIONS AND MEDIA

Rents remain out of reach, annual study says

The National Low Income Housing Coalition finds, as it has for many years, that there is no state, metropolitan area, or county in the U.S. where a fulltime worker earning minimum wage can afford a modest two-bedroom rental home at HUD’s fair market rent. In fact, according to Out of Reach 2024: The High Cost of Housing, this year there are only 204 counties nationwide, not including Puerto Rico, where a fulltime minimum-wage worker can afford a one-bedroom rent at fair market rent. People of color are disproportionately impacted. The report provides data for every state, county, and metropolitan area, as well as for the portion of each state outside metropolitan areas.

Podcasts focus on rural development

The Aspen Institute’s Community Strategies Group shared a blog listing 10 podcasts that focus on rural community and economic development. These podcasts amplify rural voices and bring in rural experts who talk about the successes, challenges, and opportunities in rural America. CSG asks people to contact them with suggestions for additions to the list.

HAC

HAC is hiring

HAC job listings, each with application instructions, are available on our website.

• Manager of the Center for Rural Multifamily Housing Preservation
• External Affairs Specialist
• Senior Loan Officer
• Portfolio Management Associate
• Research Assistant

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

House subcommittee to consider USDA funding June 11

The House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee is expected to mark up a FY25 funding bill on June 11. HAC will post details of the draft House bill online when it is released. Subcommittee markup of the House’s HUD appropriations bill is set for June 27. The Senate Appropriations Committee has not yet scheduled markups.

House committee approves farm bill

The House Agriculture Committee passed its 2024 farm bill, H.R. 8467, on May 23. Full text of the Senate’s version has not yet been released and a Senate markup has not been scheduled.

Funding applications from Rural Partners Network communities to get priority points

Applications seeking USDA Rural Development funding for projects in current and future Rural Partners Network communities will receive extra points. USDA RD will incorporate the change into its existing priority points framework for funding notices published on or after June 1, 2024. Currently, RPN supports community networks in Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Puerto Rico.

HAC’s magazine covers rural data

Demystifying Rural Data: Do You Know Your Market? is the subject of the latest issue of Rural Voices, HAC’s magazine. Data and information have proliferated due to AI and other resources, but quality data are still often more difficult to access in rural communities. Articles by practitioners, policymakers, and community-based organizations share tools, processes, and more for managing the rapidly changing information landscape.

June is National Homeownership Month

USDA and HUD are among the many agencies and organizations marking the month.

June is Pride Month

President Biden issued a proclamation on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex Pride Month.

RuralSTAT

While homeownership rates have traditionally been higher in rural areas than elsewhere, homeownership varies across demographic groups and regions within rural America. More than three-quarters of rural white non-Hispanics are homeowners compared to 57% of rural non-white households. Source: HAC tabulations of the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2017-2022 American Community Survey.

OPPORTUNITIES

HAC extends deadline to apply for capacity building

The OneRural Capacity Building Program is specifically designed for nonprofit organizations and Tribally Designated Housing Entities seeking to advance their mission of affordable housing and community development. Participants will receive customized technical support, a wealth of training materials and informational guides, and reimbursable scholarships for HAC-sponsored training events. Apply by June 14. For answers to questions, email apply@ruralhome.org and put OneRural Technical Assistance in the subject line.

HUD launches new manufactured home community loan product

The Federal Housing Administration’s Manufactured Home Community loan product will provide an FHA-insured financing option for the purchase, refinance, and revitalization of manufactured home communities. Mission-focused entities such as resident-owned manufactured home communities, cooperatives, nonprofits, state and local governments, CDFIs, and Indian Tribes will be eligible to use the program to finance the acquisition of or to improve existing communities, including making updates to common area resources and helping to maintain rent affordability. HUD’s announcement says this permanent financing tool complements the PRICE program, which offers competitive grants that can be used for investments in affordable manufactured home communities.

Funds offered for reentry housing

The Justice Department’s Smart Reentry Housing Demonstration Program will fund state, local, and Tribal governments, PHAs, and Tribal housing entities to expand or increase access to housing for people who are currently or formerly involved in the criminal justice system. Applicants may propose evidence-based or innovative reentry housing models; stand up new or expand existing models of reentry housing by adding program elements or expanding eligibility; or propose other projects that remove barriers and increase access to housing options for individuals returning to communities from prison or jail. All approaches should seek to facilitate access to wraparound services. Apply by July 18.

Indian Housing Block Grant competitive funds offered

Tribes and Tribally designated housing entities are eligible for grants from the Indian Housing Block Grant–Competitive Grant Program to carry out a range of affordable housing activities. Applications are due August 29.

Service coordinator grants available

Nonprofits, Tribes, PHAs and Indian housing entities, and resident associations are eligible to apply for HUD’s Resident Opportunity and Self Sufficiency Service Coordinator program, which enables them to hire service coordinators to link residents of public and Indian housing residents to local training and supportive services. Applications are due September 30.

REGULATIONS AND FEDERAL AGENCIES

July 29 deadline set for comments on HOME regulations

HUD’s proposed revisions to the HOME program regulations have been published in the Federal Register. Comments are due July 29.

Age limitation re-imposed for USDA’s disaster home repair grants pilot

USDA RD’s Section 504 Home Repair Loans and Grants in Presidentially Declared Disaster Areas pilot program waived some requirements of the regular Section 504 program, including the requirement for grant recipients to be age 62 or older. Now, because FY24 appropriations reduced Section 504 funding and also rescinded unobligated funds from past years, USDA cannot keep all the waivers in place and is reinstating the age limitation, effective on June 7. The remaining waivers for the pilot program will remain in place and are anticipated to continue until July 18, 2025.

Information requested on closing costs’ impact

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau seeks comments from consumers, industry participants, social services organizations, and others about the impacts of mortgage closing costs on homeowners and the mortgage market. CFPB asks for stories, data, and other information on topics including the extent of added costs and their impact on the ability to purchase a home, anticipate and afford monthly payments, or refinance an existing mortgage. Comments are due August 2.

Annual supplement on federal awards available

The Office of Management and Budget has issued its 2024 Compliance Supplement for guidance on uniform administrative requirements, cost principles, and audit requirements for federal awards. Comments are due August 5.

HUD corrects voucher rule

HUD published a notice correcting errors in the text of its May 7 final regulation implementing the Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act of 2016 for the Housing Choice Voucher and Project-Based Voucher programs.

EVENTS

HAC sets public hearing for June 26 on PRICE manufactured housing proposal

As an applicant for HUD’s new Preservation and Reinvestment Initiative for Community Enhancement program, HAC will hold a public hearing to obtain feedback on its proposal. HAC’s hearing will be a hybrid event, held at noon Eastern time on Wednesday, June 26, both online and at HAC’s office, 1828 L Street, NW, Suite 505, Washington, DC. Watch your email and HAC’s website for further information!

Manufactured housing solutions to be discussed

Manufactured Housing: Increasing Access and Preserving Affordability will be held in-person and online on June 25. The conversation, convened by the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia and the Pew Charitable Trusts Housing Policy Initiative, will highlight promising reforms, strategies, and innovations in the manufactured housing sector.

Webinar to look at HUD and USDA funding

The Campaign for Housing and Community Development Funding will hold a webinar June 12 to review final funding levels for FY24 and examine the outlook for HUD and USDA affordable housing funding in FY25. HAC’s Samantha Booth will cover the impact on rural housing.

Rural capacity building and collaboration webinar planned

The Power of Rural Collaboration and Coalition Building: Lessons Learned and Paths Forward, to be held June 17, will cover best practices and lessons learned on rural capacity development, collaboration, and coalition building. This event is the culmination of the multi-year Rural Opportunity and Development Sessions (ROADs), a partnership of the Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group, HAC, the International Economic Development Council, the Rural Community Assistance Partnership, Rural LISC, and the Federal Reserve Board with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

PUBLICATIONS AND MEDIA

Gaps persist in U.S. economic well-being

The Federal Reserve’s report on Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2023 reveals that nationwide financial well-being slightly decreased in 2023, with 72% of adults reporting being financially okay, one percentage point less than in 2022. Income gaps and racial gaps persist in homeownership rates. The median monthly rent payment, $1,100, increased by 10% from 2022. Approximately 27% of adults were renters, with Black, Hispanic, and disabled adults and adults living in low- and moderate-income communities more likely to be renters. People living outside metropolitan areas had lower levels of financial well-being than those living in metro areas, and fewer than 3 in 10 outside-metro-area residents rated their local economy as good or excellent. The Fed will hold a webinar about this report on June 20.

Native Americans are less economically secure

The Fed’s Economic Well-Being report, based on findings from its Survey of Household Economics and Decisionmaking, does not include data for American Indian and Alaska Natives because the sample size is limited. The Center for Indian Country Development at the Minneapolis Fed pooled nine years of SHED data to overcome the sample limitations. The resulting report, Shedding Light on Native American Households’ Financial Stress, reveals that from 2014 to 2022 American Indian and Alaska Native households were less likely than others to report living comfortably and less likely to cover an unexpected expense with cash.

HAC

HAC is hiring

HAC job listings, each with application instructions, are available on our website.

• Senior Loan Officer
• Portfolio Management Associate
• Research Associate
• Research Assistant

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

House to begin work on farm bill

The House farm bill, titled the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024, has been introduced as H.R. 8467. Like the Senate’s version, the House bill directs USDA Rural Development to provide technical assistance to build local capacity in underserved and distressed areas. It does not, however, include any funding for such work. The House Agriculture Committee is expected to mark up the bill on May 23, with discussion likely to focus on contentious issues such as changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. In the Senate, full bill text has not yet been released and a markup has not been scheduled.

Preliminary FY25 funding totals and markup schedule announced for House appropriations bills

House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK) released interim figures, known as 302(b) allocations, that set a total funding level for each FY25 appropriations bill. Defense spending would increase, while non-defense programs would be cut by 6%, with some departments receiving higher cuts and some lower. These preliminary caps may change. For specific programs, the House’s proposed funding levels will be set as each appropriations bill is drafted and reviewed. Cole’s markup schedule, which is also subject to change, calls for subcommittees to consider the USDA funding bill on June 11 and the Transportation-HUD bill on June 27, with the full committee reviewing both on July 10. The Senate Appropriations Committee has not yet announced 302(b)s or a schedule.

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau funding upheld by Supreme Court

On May 16 the Supreme Court, by a 7-2 majority, upheld the constitutionality of the CFPB’s funding mechanism, overturning a federal appellate court ruling and confirming the agency’s legitimacy. The 2010 Dodd-Frank Act created the CFPB with a funding mechanism outside the appropriations process in order to insulate the agency from political pressures. The payday lenders who brought the suit argued this was unconstitutional, but the Supreme Court held it was not. After the ruling, CFPB Director Rohit Chopra stated that enforcement actions put on hold while the case was pending will now move forward, along with agency efforts to address junk fees, credit reports, and more.

Is your organization prepared for summer disasters?

There is no off season for disasters, but the June 1 beginning of hurricane season – predicted to be above normal this year – makes this a good time for many to think about disaster readiness. 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.

RuralSTAT

Between 2020 and 2023, home prices rose by at least 40% in nearly one-third of counties outside of metropolitan areas. The average home-value-to-income ratio increased from 2.5 in March 2017 to 3.9 in March 2023. Source: Joint Center for Housing Studies, The Geography of Pandemic-Era Home Price Trends and the Implications for Affordability.

OPPORTUNITIES

PRICE manufactured housing notice revised, deadline extended

HUD published a modified funding announcement on May 20 for the new Preservation and Reinvestment Initiative for Community Enhancement (PRICE) manufactured housing program. Applications are now due on July 10. For more information, email PRICE@hud.gov.

Indian CDBG funds available

HUD is accepting applications from Tribes and Tribal organizations for the competitive Community Development Block Grant Program for Indian Tribes and Alaska Native Villages. The deadline is July 15. For more information, email ONAP-ICDBG@hud.gov.

ReConnect broadband application deadline extended

Due to technology performance issues, USDA has extended the deadline to apply for the ReConnect Program. Applications are now due May 28 rather than May 21. For more information, use the online contact form at https://www.usda.gov/reconnect/contact-us.

USDA offers summer meals for kids

The Summer Nutrition Programs for Kids offered by USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service can provide traditional congregate summer meals, meals “to go” for pick-up or home delivery, and SUN Bucks for groceries. Information for providers and participants is available online, along with a map to find state government contacts where FNS does not have information.

Rural Innovator nominations open

Through a new Rural Innovators Initiative, the White House will recognize innovators who are making a positive impact in their rural communities. Nominated individuals can be of any age and engaged in the public or private sector. The nomination form will close on June 14.

REGULATIONS AND FEDERAL AGENCIES

HOME program proposed rule released

HUD has posted a pre-publication version of proposed “modernized” regulations for the HOME Investment Partnerships Program. HUD says the rule includes provisions to expand access to community housing development organization (CHDO) set-aside funds by neighborhood-based nonprofits; clarify homeownership requirements; better align HOME rental housing with other federal programs; simplify requirements for small rental housing projects; make HOME tenant-based rental assistance work better for vulnerable populations; strengthen tenant rights and protections; establish a new method for determining maximum per-unit subsidy limits; and provide incentives to incorporate green building technologies. Comments will be due 60 days after the proposal is published in the Federal Register.

HUD considers extending Buy America waiver for Tribes

HUD’s waiver of the Build America, Buy America Act domestic content preference for Tribes, Tribally Designated Housing Entities, and other Tribal entities was scheduled to expire on May 22, but the department proposes to extend it to September 30. Comments on the extension are due June 17. For more information, email BuildAmericaBuyAmerica@hud.gov.

Comments sought on Federal Home Loan Bank System mission

The Federal Housing Finance Agency requests input on updating the Federal Home Loan Bank System’s mission statement to reflect the System’s role in housing finance, developing metrics and thresholds to evaluate mission achievement, and identifying incentives for FHLBank members. Comments are due July 15 through FHFA’s website (select “FHLBank Mission” from the menu) or by mail.

EVENTS

Webinar to address rural housing and health

Understanding Housing as a Social Driver of Health for Rural Residents will be presented on May 29 by the Rural Health Research Gateway at the University of North Dakota. Presenters will cover findings on rural/urban differences in housing cost burden and quality, as well as challenges and opportunities to improve housing as a social driver of health through policy and programming.

PUBLICATIONS AND MEDIA

Home prices increased more in rural areas during the pandemic

A new working paper from Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies, The Geography of Pandemic-Era Home Price Trends and the Implications for Affordability, highlights that while home prices rose across the country from 2020 to 2023, home price growth was disproportionately higher – averaging 36% – in counties outside metro areas, counties in smaller markets, and the lower-density suburbs of large metro areas with over 1 million people, compared to 21% growth in the higher-density urban counties of large metro areas.

Fact sheets connect housing to other sectors

The National Low-Income Housing Coalition’s Opportunity Starts at Home Campaign has posted 16 multi-sector fact sheets compiling evidence that demonstrates the links between safe, affordable housing and health, education, racial equity, and a host of other concerns.

Podcast series covers rural housing and homelessness

The Rural Impact podcast, which describes itself as “a podcast that connects the dots between policy and rural everything,” is airing a series of episodes on rural housing and homelessness. Four of these episodes have been released so far. HAC’s director of public policy, Jonathan Harwitz, was a guest on the first. The podcast is also available on YouTube.

Timeline examines how U.S. housing policy fostered inequities

A History of Housing Policy Through a Racial Equity Lens is an interactive timeline developed by Enterprise Community Partners. It describes how centuries of racist and exploitive housing and land policies fostered many of the socio-economic inequities currently borne by Black, Indigenous, and other people of color.

USDA blog features HAC’s Shonterria Charleston

HAC’s director of training and technical assistance, a member of the Rural Community Economic Development subcommittee of USDA’s Equity Commission, is profiled in a recent USDA blog post titled Shonterria Charleston: Serving Rural Communities Through Safe Housing.

CORRECTION

The May 9 HAC News provided an incorrect link to a USDA home repair program in its first story, titled “USDA warns of shortfalls in single-family programs.” HAC will post a corrected version of the story soon.

HAC is hiring

HAC job listings, each with application instructions, are available on our website.

• Loan Asset Management Intern
• Senior Loan Officer
• Portfolio Management Associate
• Research Associate
• Research Assistant

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!