HAC News Archives

If you need information on affordable rural housing and rural America in a quick, easy-to-digest format, you need the HAC News.

HAC News: November 03, 2016

November 3, 2016/in HAC News

HAC News Formats. pdf

November 3, 2016
Vol. 45, No. 21

• November is National Native American Heritage Month • November 12-20 will be Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week • USDA pilot hopes to increase nonprofit preservation of Section 515 housing • New platform for USDA multifamily data launched • Section 184 annual premium to increase • GAO again evaluates Section 502 guarantee program and FHA guarantees • Changes suggested for HUD enhanced vouchers • FHFA requests comments on diversity regulations • Some provisions in new HOTMA statute effective immediately • Deadline extended for small CDBG grantees to file Assessments of Fair Housing • HUD proposes altering floodplain requirements • Long-term subsidies yield best outcomes for homeless families • REGISTER BEFORE NOV. 18 FOR THE 2016 HAC RURAL HOUSING CONFERENCE! The national conference will be held November 30-December 2 in Washington, DC with pre-conference activities on November 29. Information about registration, scholarships, exhibiting, and more is online.

HAC News Formats. pdf

November 03, 2016
Vol. 45, No. 21

November is National Native American Heritage Month. Visit the federal government website about the observance.

November 12-20 will be Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week. The annual event is sponsored by the National Coalition for the Homeless and the National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness.

USDA pilot hopes to increase nonprofit preservation of Section 515 housing. An Unnumbered Letter (September 16, 2016) will allow nonprofits to earn a return on investment and make other changes. It takes effect on March 1, 2017. USDA hopes its staff and interested nonprofits will use the intervening time to identify preservation deals. Nonprofits can reach out to USDA Rural Development state offices for additional information and assistance.

New platform for USDA multifamily data launched. USDA has posted data designed to help analyze timeframes in which USDA RD mortgages could be paid off and properties could leave the agency’s multifamily portfolio. Users can manipulate this information in ways not available through complementary data resources released earlier this year, including its rural housing investment data, program exit data, and mapped data with other indicators in PolicyMap.

Section 184 annual premium to increase. HUD is raising the annual premium for borrowers using the Section 184 Indian Housing Loan Guarantee program from 0.15% to 0.25% of the remaining loan balance. The new premium will apply to all new loan guarantees, including refinances, effective December 1. For more information contact Heidi J. Frechette, HUD, 202-401-7914.

GAO again evaluates Section 502 guarantee program and FHA guarantees. Home Mortgage Guarantees: Issues to Consider in Evaluating Opportunities to Consolidate Two Overlapping Single-Family Programs (GAO-16-801) expands on a 2012 GAO analysis. Researchers found that USDA-guaranteed mortgages were more affordable than FHA loans but also had higher delinquency and default rates. The report notes that at least 36% of RHS Section 502 guarantee borrowers in 2010-2014 could have met FHA’s criteria, including its downpayment requirement. GAO repeats a 2012 recommendation “that RHS and FHA should evaluate and report on opportunities to consolidate their similar housing programs.”

Changes suggested for HUD enhanced vouchers. HUD proposes to codify its existing policy concerning the eligibility criteria for enhanced vouchers, as well as provide rental payment standards and subsidy standards applicable to enhanced vouchers, the right of enhanced voucher holders to remain in their units, procedures for addressing over-housed families, and the calculation of the enhanced voucher housing assistance payment. Comments are due December 27. For more information contact Rebecca Primeaux, HUD, 202-708-0477.

FHFA requests comments on diversity regulations. The Federal Housing Finance Agency is proposing amendments to its regulations on minority and women inclusion by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Home Loan Banks. The changes are intended to clarify the entities’ obligation to promote diversity in all business and activities, require them to develop strategies, and improve the usefulness of the information they report. Comments are due December 27. For more information contact Sharron P. A. Levine, FHFA, 202-649-3496.

Some provisions in new HOTMA statute effective immediately. A HUD notice lists provisions of the Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act of 2016 that are effective without further HUD action, and those that become effective after HUD issues rules or notices. It does not include the provisions impacting USDA’s Section 502 guaranteed loan program.

Deadline extended for small CDBG grantees to file Assessments of Fair Housing. Consolidated Plan program participants or HOME consortium members that received CDBG grants of $500,000 or less in FY15 or later will submit AFHs in the program year that begins on or after January 1, 2019 instead of 2018. For more information contact Adam Norlander, HUD, 202-402-3778.

HUD proposes altering floodplain requirements. Comments are due December 27 on a proposed rule that would apply to projects that are assisted, financed, or insured by HUD and involve new construction or substantial improvement, and to one-to-four unit buildings under HUD mortgage insurance and public housing programs. For more information contact Elizabeth Zepeda, HUD, 202-402-3988.

Long-term subsidies yield best outcomes for homeless families. HUD’s Family Options Study tracked more than 2,200 families in cities over three years. Rapid rehousing was the least costly of the four interventions studied, while the cost of longer-term subsidies such as Section 8 vouchers fell between rapid rehousing and “usual care” (emergency shelter plus services and non-priority eligibility for housing programs). The long-term subsidy recipients did not receive additional services but experienced significantly less homelessness and housing instability, as well as better non-housing outcomes including improved adult and child well-being, increased food security, and decreased economic stress.

REGISTER BEFORE NOV. 18 FOR THE 2016 HAC RURAL HOUSING CONFERENCE! The national conference will be held November 30-December 2 in Washington, DC with pre-conference activities on November 29. Information about registration, scholarships, exhibiting, and more is online.

HAC News: October 20, 2016

October 20, 2016/in HAC News

HAC News Formats. pdf

October 20, 2016
Vol. 45, No. 20

• USDA RD showed strong performance in FY16 • HUD requests comments on utility benchmarking • Assets for Independence IDA program funds available • USDA RD offers webinar on Limited English Proficiency compliance • 2017 DDA and QCT designations announced • CFBP amends mortgage servicing rules • Some USDA Community Facilities loans to be made by intermediaries • HUD previous participation review rule changed • Long waiting lists for HUD vouchers and public housing reported by NLIHC • HAC issues disaster guide supplement for Hurricane Matthew survivors • Register now for the 2016 HAC Rural Housing Conference

HAC News Formats. pdf

October 20, 2016
Vol. 45, No. 20

USDA RD showed strong performance in FY16. Funds for most of the rural housing programs were fully obligated in fiscal year 2016, which ended September 30. Section 502 direct used not only its entire $900 million loan total, but also an additional $58.3 million that was not being used in other programs. Obligations to very low-income borrowers comprised 40% of the total, compared to 31.8% last year. (See HAC News, 8/25/16.) There were also 127 Multifamily Housing Preservation and Revitalization program loans or grants ($96.1 million) obligated, a decrease of $9.5 million (22 loans or grants) over last year. Details are in HAC’s monthly Program Obligation Report for September.

HUD requests comments on utility benchmarking. The department proposes to require owners of HUD-assisted multifamily properties to report data for utility benchmarking, which means tracking the utility consumption of a development on an on-going basis, calculating the energy and water efficiency of the development, and comparing its efficiency to similar developments. The mandate would apply to Section 202 and 811 properties, those with project-based Section 8 contracts, and those with FHA insurance. Data reporting would be required for properties with 21 units or more, while smaller properties would be encouraged to submit data. Owners would provide the figures every three years or when similar information is required. Comments are due December 5. Contact Stan Houle, HUD, 202-708-2572.

Assets for Independence IDA program funds available. Nonprofits can apply by October 31, 2016 or April 3, 2017 for grants to administer projects that provide individual development accounts and related services to low-income individuals. State, local, and tribal governments, as well as CDFIs and credit unions, are also eligible in specific situations. Participants can use savings for a first home, a business, or post-secondary education or training. Request an application package at https://idaresources.acf.hhs.gov/apply or from info@IDAresources.org.
USDA RD offers webinar on Limited English Proficiency compliance. Free webinars covering the same content will be held on October 25 at 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. Register at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/usda-rural-development-limited-english-proficiency-lep-compliance-tickets-28539845446. Attendee groups and those needing special accommodations should email Darren Kaihlanen at USDA.
2017 DDA and QCT designations announced. HUD’s annual designation of DDAs and QCTs for the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit will be effective January 1, 2017. Contact Michael K. Hollar, HUD, 202-402-5878.

CFBP amends mortgage servicing rules. A final rule from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau alters parts of its regulations under the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act and the Truth in Lending Act. CFPB has also issued an interpretive rule to clarify how some of its mortgage servicing rules interact with the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, providing safe harbors from liability for mortgage servicers in some situations. Contact CFPB’s Office of Regulations, 202-435-7700.

Some USDA Community Facilities loans to be made by intermediaries. Twenty-six community development organizations were recently approved to re-lend long-term, low-interest financing to local entities to build, acquire, maintain, or renovate community facilities in rural places. For more information, contact a USDA RD State Office.

HUD previous participation review rule changed. Amendments to HUD’s regulations for multifamily housing programs and healthcare funding are intended to clarify and simplify the process for reviewing the previous participation of participants that have decision-making authority over their projects. Contact Danielle Garcia, HUD, 202-402-2768.

Long waiting lists for HUD vouchers and public housing reported by NLIHC. Housing Spotlight: The Long Wait for a Home explains a National Low Income Housing Coalition survey of public housing agencies showed 53% of Housing Choice Voucher waiting lists were closed to new applicants and another 4% were open only to specific populations, such as homeless individuals and families, veterans, persons with a disability, or local residents. HCV waiting lists had a median wait time of 1.5 years and public housing lists had a nine-month median wait. The survey included PHAs of all sizes in metro and nonmetro areas, though the results are not reported by size or location.

HAC issues disaster guide supplement for Hurricane Matthew survivors. The special update provides targeted information in addition to HAC’s general natural disaster guide, Picking Up the Pieces.

REGISTER NOW FOR THE 2016 HAC RURAL HOUSING CONFERENCE! The national conference will be held November 30-December 2 in Washington, DC with pre-conference activities on November 29. Information about registration, scholarships, exhibiting, and more is online.

HAC News: October 06, 2016

October 6, 2016/in HAC News

HAC News Formats. pdf

October 06, 2016
Vol. 45, No. 19

• Federal government funded through December 9 • Temporary preference given to certified packaged 502 loans • USDA suggests above-code standards for single-family housing • Administration housing toolkit addresses local barriers • GAO recommends improvements for services in HUD Section 202 properties • RAD may not be reaching rural places well • Black-white wage gaps are larger today than in 1979 • Register by October 21 for the 2016 HAC Rural Housing Conference!

HAC News Formats. pdf

October 06, 2016
Vol. 45, No. 19

Federal government funded through December 9. A continuing resolution, passed along with the full Military Construction/VA appropriations bill and emergency funding for the Zika virus, provides FY16 funding levels for federal programs and an 0.5% across-the-board cut. As expected (see HAC News, 9/8/16), it allows USDA to spend a disproportionate amount of Section 521 Rental Assistance funds early in the fiscal year in order to renew contracts when they expire. Congress is now in recess until November 14, after the election.

Temporary preference given to certified packaged 502 loans. USDA is temporarily classifying Section 502 direct applications submitted through the certified loan application packaging process as its fourth funding priority because funds are insufficient to serve all program-eligible applicants. This reclassification will remain in effect until further notice. The priority does not apply to certified packaging bodies working without an intermediary. Contact Tammy Repine, USDA, 360-753-7677.

USDA suggests above-code standards for single-family housing. In an Unnumbered Letter dated October 4, 2016, RD recommends – but does not require – that Section 502 and 504 homeowners, lenders, and others use building standards that exceed building codes. It provides information about standards that could be used for wind hazard resistance and water efficiency, and also discusses “location efficiency.” That refers to a home’s nearness to jobs, schools, and essential goods and services, impacting the greenhouse gas emissions generated by transportation. Contact a USDA RD state office.

Administration housing toolkit addresses local barriers. A Housing Development Toolkit issued by the White House focuses on ways states and localities can “promote healthy, responsive, affordable, high-opportunity housing markets.” It provides examples of “modern housing strategies” such as taxing vacant land or donating it to nonprofit developers, streamlining permitting processes and timelines, eliminating off-street parking requirements, allowing accessory dwelling units, employing inclusionary zoning, and using property tax abatements.

GAO recommends improvements for services in HUD Section 202 properties. To review how Section 202 properties connect residents to services and HUD’s related monitoring efforts, the Government Accountability Office researched the presence of service coordinators, how properties without coordinators connect residents with services, and HUD’s monitoring of Section 202 properties’ efforts to connect residents with supportive services. Elderly Housing: HUD Should Do More to Oversee Efforts to Link Residents to Services(GAO-16-758) recommends that HUD improve the accuracy of relevant data, develop written guidance on assessing compliance with supportive services requirements, and develop procedures for verifying and analyzing performance data.

RAD may not be reaching rural places well. HUD’s Rental Assistance Demonstration program, which began in 2012, allows PHAs to convert public housing units to project-based Section 8 contracts in order to attract additional financing. An interim report on RAD by HUD consultant Econometrica presents early results on subjects such as PHAs’ choices whether to participate and what external capital sources they used. Small PHAs had a low participation rate. Among the reasons given for not taking part were lower area rents and a perceived lack of investor interest in small towns and rural areas. Econometrica recommended HUD offer examples of successful use of RAD in rural places. A final report will be issued in three years, after RAD has been in effect long enough for its impacts to be studied.

Black-white wage gaps are larger today than in 1979. Research by the Economic Policy Institute found that the gaps grew during the early 1980s, shrank in the late 1990s – due in part to tighter labor markets and minimum wage increases – and have grown again since 2000. As of 2015, relative to the average hourly wages of white men with the same education, experience, metro status, and region of residence, black men make 22.0% less, and black women make 34.2% less. Black-White Wage Gaps Expand with Rising Wage Inequality notes the gaps have expanded most for college graduates, so education alone is not a solution. EPI attributes the increase to discrimination and the growth in income gaps in general, and suggests policy solutions. Another study on this topic was covered in the HAC News, 8/10/16.

Register by October 21 for the 2016 HAC Rural Housing Conference! Registration fees rise after October 21. The national conference will be held November 30-December 2 in Washington, DC with pre-conference activities on November 29. Information about registration, scholarships, exhibiting, and more is now online.

HAC News: September 22, 2016

September 22, 2016/in HAC News

HAC News Formats. pdf

September 22, 2016
Vol. 45, No. 18

• Continuing resolution likely to run to December 9 • Census Bureau surveys yield differing conclusions about nonmetro economic growth • USDA releases database of rural multifamily loans and projected “exit” dates • Final rule addresses harassment in housing • HUD mandates program access based on gender identity • House and Senate hearings consider HUD changes • Tenant services are not allowable RD project expenses • Nonprofits and public bodies can buy some Section 502 homes • Report addresses rural affordable housing credit • Research finds disconnect between experts’ and public’s understandings of healthy housing • Guidance set for independent students’ access to Section 8 • REGISTRATION IS OPEN FOR THE 2016 HAC RURAL HOUSING CONFERENCE!

HAC News Formats. pdf

September 22, 2016
Vol. 45, No. 18

Continuing resolution likely to run to December 9. Congressional leaders are still working to resolve differences regarding the contents of a CR to keep the government operating when the fiscal year ends on September 30. The measure will also fund other items such as Zika virus control and Louisiana flood relief; a letter from OMB Director Shaun Donovan to key members of Congress requests $2.6 billion in emergency CDBG funding for Louisiana.

Census Bureau surveys yield differing conclusions about nonmetro economic growth. On September 13 the Census Bureau released Income and Poverty in the United States: 2015, showing improvements in poverty rates and median incomes from 2014 to 2015 both nationwide and in metro areas, but no statistically significant change in nonmetro areas. The data came from the Current Population Survey, which used different boundaries for metro and nonmetro areas in 2014 than in 2015, making the year-to-year comparison unreliable. On September 16, a Center on Budget and Policy Priorities analysis of data from the American Community Survey, a larger sample that used consistent boundaries, showed incomes grew 3.4% in nonmetro areas and 3.6% in metro. CBPP found poverty rates dropped by almost 1% in both, to 17.2% in nonmetro places and 14.3% in metro areas.

USDA releases database of rural multifamily loans and projected “exit” dates. HAC recently published an analysis of data on maturity dates of mortgages in USDA’s multifamily portfolio and an interactive map of the properties (see HAC News, 9/8/16). Now USDA has released the loan level data to the public in spreadsheet form.

Final rule addresses harassment in housing. HUD has set formal standards in its fair housing regulations to be used when someone complains of harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, familial status, or disability. The rule specifies how HUD will evaluate complaints of quid pro quo harassment and hostile environment harassment under the Fair Housing Act, defines the terms, and clarifies direct and vicarious liability in the Fair Housing Act context. Contact Lynn Grosso, HUD, 202-402-5361.

HUD mandates program access based on gender identity. A final rule, effective on October 21, requires providers that operate single-sex projects using funds from HUD’s Office of Community Planning and Development to provide all individuals with access to programs, benefits, services, and accommodations in accordance with their gender identity without being subjected to intrusive questioning or being asked to provide documentation. Contact Norm Suchar, HUD, 202-708-4300.

House and Senate hearings consider HUD changes. On September 21 the House Financial Services Committee’s Housing Subcommittee held a session called “The Future of Housing in America: A Better Way to Increase Efficiencies for Housing Vouchers and Create Upward Economic Mobility,” and a Senate Transportation-HUD Appropriations Subcommittee hearing was entitled “Housing Vulnerable Families and Individuals: Is There a Better Way?” Both focused largely on ways to reduce administrative costs and facilitate tenant self-sufficiency. Some members pointed out that small rural PHAs may face particular challenges to consolidating or forming consortia.

Tenant services are not allowable RD project expenses. In an August 8, 2016 Unnumbered Letter USDA RD reminds stakeholders that tenant services cannot be charged against project income in the operating budgets of Section 514 and 515 properties. It encourages service provision using other funding sources. Contact an RD State Office.

Nonprofits and public bodies can buy some Section 502 homes. An Unnumbered Letter dated August 26, 2016 explains when these organizations can purchase in voluntary short sales by homeowners or RD REO sales. Community Facilities financing may be an option for properties in communities with populations up to 20,000. Contact Barry Ramsey, RD, 202-720-5378.

Report addresses rural affordable housing credit. “Opportunities for Promoting Credit for Affordable Housing in Rural America” follows a May roundtable convened by the White House Rural Council and USDA’s Rural Housing Service and facilitated by the Center for American Progress. HAC was among the participants. Identified opportunities fell into categories such as addressing issues of scale, providing capital, preserving and producing affordable rental housing, providing rental assistance, promoting manufactured housing, supporting CDFIs, and distributing more information to affect outcomes.

Research finds disconnect between experts’ and public’s understandings of healthy housing. The complex set of cultural models the public uses to make sense of housing does not always match experts’ views, according to the FrameWorks Institute’s “A House, a Tent, a Box”: Mapping the Gaps Between Expert and Public Understandings of Healthy Housing. Experts in the field explain housing problems based on structural or systemic factors, FrameWorks reports, while members of the public focus on individual responsibility. The researchers suggest that a change in how the media portrays and frames the issue of housing could foster better understanding of housing issues, raise the salience of these issues in public thinking, and generate support for needed policies.

Guidance set for independent students’ access to Section 8. HUD’s revisions to guidance issued in 2006 expand the definition of “independent student” consistent with the Department of Education’s definition. Contact Rebecca L. Primeaux, HUD, 202-402-6050.

REGISTRATION IS OPEN FOR THE 2016 HAC RURAL HOUSING CONFERENCE! This year’s national conference will be held November 30-December 2 in Washington, DC with pre-conference activities on November 29. Information about registration, scholarships, exhibiting, award nominations, and more is now online.

HAC News: September 08, 2016

September 8, 2016/in HAC News

HAC News Formats. pdf

September 08, 2016
Vol. 45, No. 17

•National Hispanic Heritage Month is September 15-October 15 • Congress returns as end of fiscal year nears • USDA supports transitional housing for substance use recovery • Private Section 8 owners may now offer Family Self-Sufficiency programs • HUD proposes changes to “elevated blood lead levels” regulation • Party platforms support broadband access • Broadband’s impacts are not always positive, research finds • Data options limited for determining low- and mod-income population for CDBG, says GAO • HAC publishes update on USDA maturing mortgages • Rural Voices looks at the future of rural housing finance

HAC News Formats. pdf

September 08, 2016
Vol. 45, No. 17

National Hispanic Heritage Month is September 15-October 15. The federal government’s website for the occasion is https://www.hispanicheritagemonth.gov/.

Congress returns as end of fiscal year nears. Congress, which reconvened this week, is expected to develop a continuing resolution to fund the government for the first part of fiscal year 2017, beginning October 1. Without a CR, the government will shut down. Media reports indicate the parties disagree whether a CR should last three months or six months. The Obama Administration has requested some “anomalies,” or changes from FY16 funding levels, for the CR. No anomalies are sought for HUD, and only one for USDA rural housing: like last year (see HAC News, 9/2/15), it asks for permission to spend a disproportionate amount of Section 521 Rental Assistance funds early in the fiscal year because about 40% of RA contracts will need to be renewed in the first quarter.

USDA supports transitional housing for substance use recovery. RD will take several steps to help address the opioid epidemic by improving housing options for people in recovery. It will encourage the use of Community Facilities financing for transitional housing projects. It will sell or lease vacant USDA single- and multifamily housing properties to nonprofits for transitional housing; an Unnumbered Letter dated August 26, 2016 provides details on this process. A pilot project in MO, NH, NV, and VT will provide Rental Assistance for USDA-financed multifamily units rented to tenants participating in drug court programs. Finally, recently released data (see HAC News, 8/10/16) can be used to locate and map facilities and housing. Contact a USDA RD office.

Private Section 8 owners may now offer Family Self-Sufficiency programs. HUD will now allow owners of rental properties under Section 8 contracts to use funding from residual receipt accounts to hire service coordinators and develop their own Family Self-Sufficiency programs. Eligible landlords include owners of USDA Section 515 properties that have Section 8 vouchers. Participation is voluntary for owners and families. Service coordinators will guide participants in developing and achieving self-sufficiency goals. Contact Danielle Garcia, HUD.

HUD proposes changes to “elevated blood lead levels” regulation. Comments are due October 31 on a proposed rule that would formally adopt a revised definition of “elevated blood lead levels” in children under the age of 6. It would also establish more comprehensive testing and evaluation procedures for federally owned or assisted housing built before 1978. Contact Warren Friedman, HUD, 202-402-7698. AN 4800 (see HAC News, 5/4/16) applies HUD and EPA lead regulations to USDA-financed housing.

Party platforms support broadband access. An analysis by the Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition compares the Democratic and Republican platform positions on the issue. The coordinator of the National Rural Assembly’s Rural Broadband Policy Group writes for the Daily Yonder that neither party goes far enough to ensure rural broadband access.

Broadband’s impacts are not always positive, research finds. Economists found that from 2000 to 2011 increased broadband access in rural counties correlated with reduced proportions of entrepreneurs, though the correlation was positive in 2012. They theorize that entrepreneurs may have used broadband to find better employment opportunities elsewhere, while those who remained viewed broadband as a positive factor. They also note there is strong evidence that broadband can have other positive economic impacts. “Does Broadband Matter for Rural Entrepreneurs and Creative Class Employees?” is published in The Review of Regional Studies and summarized in the Daily Yonder.

Data options limited for determining low- and mod-income population for CDBG, says GAO. Because 70% of CDBG funds must benefit low- and moderate-income persons, HUD provides potential recipients with local income data from the American Community Survey. Nonentitlement communities that disagree with their ACS-based CDBG eligibility determinations can present alternative data. Community Development Block Grants: Sources of Data on Community Income Are Limited (GAO-16-734) reports there are few alternatives besides conducting local income surveys, which can be costly and challenging.

HAC publishes update on USDA maturing mortgages. HAC’s analysis of USDA data shows that at the end of March 2016 there were about 13,830 Section 515 properties with over 416,000 rental units. Over the next 12 years (through 2027) an average of 74 properties (1,788 units) per year will leave the program as their mortgages end. In 2028, the number of properties exiting the program will increase significantly with an average loss of 556 properties (16,364 units) per year through 2032. Beginning in 2033, the numbers increase again, peaking in 2040. “Maturing USDA Rural Rental Housing Loans: An Update” and an interactive map of properties, including estimated exit dates for each property, are online.

Rural Voices looks at the future of rural housing finance. Articles in the August issue of HAC’s quarterly magazine address demographic and financing trends, the role of the secondary market, manufactured housing finance, the need for building nonprofit capacity, and more. Sign up online to receive email notices when new issues are published.

HAC News: August 25, 2016

August 25, 2016/in HAC News

HAC News Formats. pdf

August 25, 2016

Vol. 45, No. 16

•RD likely to spend all 502 direct funds in FY16 • Resource guides offered for Louisiana flood survivors • Rural places included in HUD Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program • Civil monetary penalties implemented for USDA multifamily housing • RD updates letter on reconciling Section 538 and Section 515 for preservation • FY17 Fair Market Rents to be released August 26 • Section 502 guarantee fees to decrease • Federal Interagency Reentry Council plans work on housing and other challenges • Online tool demonstrates affordable housing finance challenges • NLIHC offers updated congressional district and state rental housing profiles • SAVE THE DATES FOR THE HAC RURAL HOUSING CONFERENCE 2016!

HAC News Formats. pdf

August 25, 2016
Vol. 45, No. 16

RD likely to spend all 502 direct funds in FY16. USDA RD has told HAC and other stakeholders that it expects to be able to use all of this year’s available Section 502 direct loan monies and to meet the 40% requirement for very low-income borrowers. Last year it used all the funds, though 31.8% of the total went to very low-income borrowers rather than 40% (see HAC News, 9/30/15). Also, Section 504 loans are being obligated at a higher rate this year than last year. Anticipating exhaustion of Section 502 low-income funds before October 1, an Unnumbered Letter dated July 22, 2016 provides a form for field staff to notify eligible applicants with identified properties that funds are temporarily unavailable. The agency does not know yet the extent to which its income banding pilot (see HAC News, 6/15/16) has improved its ability to make loans to very low-income homebuyers.

Resource guides offered for Louisiana flood survivors. Federal agencies including FEMA, USDA, and HUD have information available online, and HAC has issued a special update to its natural disaster guide, Picking Up the Pieces. To apply for federal assistance, survivors can visit disasterassistance.gov, call 800-621-3362 (toll free), or visit a Disaster Recovery Center. For aid with damaged USDA-funded housing (single-family or multifamily), call the Louisiana state RD office, 866-481-9571 (toll free).

Rural places included in HUD Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program. HUD will select up to 10 communities, four of them rural, to participate in the YHDP to develop and execute coordinated community approaches to preventing and ending youth homelessness. Nonprofits and government entities designated as Collaborative Applicants by CoCs in their FY16 registrations are eligible and must apply by November 30. Contact Ebony Rankin, HUD.

Civil monetary penalties implemented for USDA multifamily housing. A new regulation, to be implemented December 21, gives USDA the option to charge monetary penalties for owner defaults, rather than accelerating or foreclosing on mortgages. (See HAC News, 1/10/13.) Since most owners comply with statutes, regulations, and loan documents, USDA estimates that less than 5% of the multifamily portfolio will be affected by this rule. Contact Stephanie White, RD, 202-720-1615.

RD updates letter on reconciling Section 538 and Section 515 for preservation. An Unnumbered Letter dated July 29, 2016 revises one dated July 14, 2015 addressing the procedural differences between the two programs when a Section 538 guaranteed loan is being used to preserve a property with a Section 515 loan. Contact Tammy S. Daniels, RD, 202-720-0021.

FY17 Fair Market Rents to be released August 26. FMRs will be posted at https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/fmr.html and will take effect in 30 days unless “interested parties” request reevaluations and then provide data. This notice also requests feedback on what “material changes” in methodology would require future opportunities for comment. Contact local HUD program staff with questions.

Section 502 guarantee fees to decrease. On October 1, the first day of FY17, USDA’s fees for Section 502 guaranteed purchase and refinance loans will drop. The upfront fee will fall from 2.75% to 1%, and the annual fee from 0.5% to 0.35%. The conditional commitment date of issuance (not the loan closing date) determines the fee schedule for loan requests. Contact a guaranteed loan coordinator or Joshua.Rice@wdc.usda.gov.

Federal Interagency Reentry Council plans work on housing and other challenges. The Council, comprised of over 20 federal agencies including USDA and HUD, works to ensure that individuals returning to the community from prison or jail have a meaningful chance to rebuild their lives and reclaim their futures. A recent report reviewing its work since 2011 says next steps related to housing include providing training and technical assistance to HUD field staff, providing housing assessment and discharge planning guidance to correctional institutions, and distributing information.

Online tool demonstrates affordable housing finance challenges. “The Cost of Affordable Housing: Does It Pencil Out?” was developed by the National Housing Conference and the Urban Institute. As the tool’s website explains, “there is a huge gap between what [affordable rental] buildings cost to construct and maintain and the rents most people can pay. Without the help of too-scarce government subsidies for creating, preserving, and operating affordable apartments, building these homes is often impossible. This tool helps explain why.”

NLIHC offers updated congressional district and state rental housing profiles. The National Low Income Housing Coalition’s one-page profiles for each congressional district and state provide snapshots of housing affordability for renters, emphasizing those with extremely low incomes.

SAVE THE DATES FOR THE HAC RURAL HOUSING CONFERENCE 2016! This year’s national conference will be held November 29-December 2 in Washington, DC. The HAC News will announce when registration opens.

HAC News: August 10, 2016

August 10, 2016/in HAC News

HAC News Formats. pdf

August 10, 2016
Vol. 45, No. 15

• Additional $5.6 billion needed to preserve USDA rental housing • “Make Room” coalition launches campaign to end U.S. rental housing crisis • USDA launches online data and mapping • HUD issues new single-family property disposition regulations • Audit supplement issued for nonprofits and others • CDFI Fund seeks to shift incentives for Bank Enterprise Awards lenders • Mortgage servicing rules amended • Racial wealth divide is increasing, research finds • Veteran homelessness dropped by almost half since 2010 • Please nominate national or local rural housing leaders for HAC awards

HAC News Formats. pdf

August 10, 2016
Vol. 45, No. 15

Additional $5.6 billion needed to preserve USDA rental housing. The Comprehensive Property Assessment of the USDA Rural Development Multi-Family Housing Portfolio updates a 2004 assessment that covered Section 515 properties only. The new research, funded by USDA and conducted by consultants, also reviewed off-farm Section 514/516 farmworker housing properties, those with loans guaranteed under the Section 538 program, and those that have used the MPR preservation program. Researchers found that over the next 20 years, $5.6 billion will be needed, in addition to existing capital reserves, to cover capital costs. The report suggests USDA consider using available tools to reduce mortgage payments so property owners can put more money into capital reserves.

“Make Room” coalition launches campaign to end U.S. rental housing crisis. The partnership between Enterprise Community Partners, MacArthur Foundation, Ford Foundation, CohnReznick LLP, and others including HAC hopes to elevate rental housing on the national policy agenda. Make Room’s website offers information about rental affordability and suggestions for action by individuals and organizations.

USDA launches online data and mapping. Information about individual properties receiving loans, loan guarantees, and grants through RHS single-family housing, multifamily housing, and community facilities programs is now available online through a partnership with PolicyMap. Demographics, income levels, affordability, and more can be mapped. Data is also posted on USDA’s site. More data related to rental preservation is expected to become available.

HUD issues new single-family property disposition regulations. The rule governs sales of FHA homes to individuals, government entities, and nonprofits. Contact Thomas Kumi, HUD, 202-708-1672.

Audit supplement issued for nonprofits and others. OMB’s 2016 Supplement applies to 2 CFR Part 200, the regulation that replaced OMB Circulars including A-133, and applies to audits of nonprofits and state, local, and tribal governments that receive federal funding. Comments are due October 31. For more information, contact the federal agency that awarded or oversees the funding being audited.

CDFI Fund seeks to shift incentives for Bank Enterprise Awards lenders. When reviewing BEA participants’ activities in distressed communities, the CDFI Fund will look separately at consumer loans (which include loans for affordable housing purchase and home improvement) and at commercial loans and investments (which include loans for affordable housing development). Comments are due October 11. Contact Robert Ibanez, CDFI Fund.

Mortgage servicing rules amended. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau released a lengthy final rule amending mortgage servicing rules it issued in 2013. A CFPB blog post says the changes are intended to improve communication and availability of loss mitigation for homeowners, add protections for those who obtain property through death or divorce, and require information for those in bankruptcy proceedings. Contact CFPB’s Office of Regulations, 202-435-7700.

Racial wealth divide is increasing, research finds. The Ever-Growing Gap, released by CFED and the Institute for Policy Studies, reports that from 1983 to 2013, the average black family’s wealth grew by a little less than $20,000, Latino families’ increased by about $40,000, and white families’ wealth went up more than $300,000. If current trends persist, by 2043, when people of color are predicted to outnumber white people for the first time in the U.S., the racial wealth gap will double, leaving the average white family with over $1 million more in assets than black and Latino families. Recommendations include identifying government policies that contribute to the discrepancy, changing tax incentives, and addressing the growing concentration of wealth at the top.

Veteran homelessness dropped by almost half since 2010. Data released by HUD, VA, and the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness show a 17% decrease between January 2015 and January 2016, and a 47% drop since 2010. Nationwide, fewer than 40,000 veterans were experiencing homelessness on a given night in January 2016. Estimates for each state and Continuum of Care are online. Veterans who are homeless or at imminent risk of becoming homeless can speak to a homeless coordinator at a VA Medical Center or call 1-877-4AID-VET.

Please nominate national or local rural housing leaders for HAC awards! Nominations are due September 30 for the Cochran/Collings Award for national rural housing service and the Skip Jason Community Service Award. The honors will be presented at HAC’s Rural Housing Conference, November 29-December 2. Complete the online nomination form on HAC’s website. Questions? Contact Lilla Sutton, HAC, 202-842-8600.

HAC News: July 27, 2016

July 27, 2016/in HAC News

HAC News Formats. pdf

July 27, 2016
Vol. 45, No. 14

• Senate passes housing act unanimously • Major party platforms approach affordable housing differently • HUD requests input on CoC distribution formula • Data and factsheets available on federal rental assistance in U.S. and each state • Early research results show housing counseling’s benefits • CRA questions and answers revised by regulators • HUD creates AFFH listserve • Brief summarizes impact of homelessness on children’s health and education • SAVE THE DATES FOR THE HAC RURAL HOUSING CONFERENCE 2016!

HAC News Formats. pdf

July 27, 2016
Vol. 45, No. 14

Senate passes housing act unanimously. On July 14 the Senate approved H.R. 3700, the Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act, passed by the House in February (see HAC News, 2/3/16). When signed by President Obama, the bill will become law. It imposes a fee on each Section 502 guarantee, with the proceeds to be used to enhance RD’s single-family IT and automated underwriting. It also authorizes USDA to delegate Section 502 underwriting to approved lenders. Most of its provisions (summarized here by the National Low Income Housing Coalition) deal with HUD programs.

Major party platforms approach affordable housing differently. Adopted at the parties’ conventions this month, both the Republican platform and the Democratic platform support homeownership, an end to homelessness among veterans, and expansion of broadband service in rural areas. Both recognize tribal sovereignty. In other ways, the two documents are very different.

The Republican platform emphasizes the need to avoid another housing crisis. “We must scale back the federal role in the housing market, promote responsibility on the part of borrowers and lenders, and avoid future taxpayer bailouts. Reforms should provide clear and prudent underwriting standards and guidelines on predatory lending and acceptable lending practices. . . . We call for a comprehensive review of federal regulations, especially those dealing with the environment, that make it harder and more costly for Americans to rent, buy, or sell homes.” It criticizes Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, the Dodd-Frank Act, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, as well as “lending quotas to specific groups” and the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing regulation.

The Democratic platform cites the CFPB, as well as fair housing law and regulations, as factors contributing to the strong housing market it hopes to foster. It also supports existing federal housing programs that address both homeownership and affordable rental housing, committing to expand them and increase their funding. It specifically mentions additional monies for the National Housing Trust Fund.

To solve veteran homelessness, the Republican platform pledges better health care, including mental health care, and discusses the importance of employment. The Democratic platform calls for “robust [federal] funding” to end homelessness, mentioning families and veterans specifically.
Rural housing is not mentioned separately in either platform, but the rural economy is in both. The Republican platform strongly supports agriculture. The Democratic platform backs “a stronger rural and agricultural economy.” It also calls for “stronger agricultural worker protections including regulation of work hours, elimination of child labor, ensuring adequate housing for migrant workers, and sanitary facilities in the field.”

Native Americans are covered in both platforms. The Republican document promises to reduce federal regulations relating to Indian Country, while the Democratic commits to “strengthen the operation of tribal housing programs, and reauthorize the Indian Housing Block Grant Program. We will increase affordable and safe housing and fight to significantly reduce homelessness on and off Indian reservations, especially among Native youth and veterans.”

Both documents also address poverty. The Republican platform describes current safety net programs as “the false compassion of the status quo,” and proposes to replace them with “the dynamic compassion of work requirements in a growing economy.” It calls for “removal of structural impediments which progressives throw in the path of poor people: Over-regulation of start-up enterprises, excessive licensing requirements, [and] needless restrictions on formation of schools and day-care centers serving neighborhood families.” It urges “greater state and local responsibility for, and control over, public assistance programs.”

The Democratic platform “reaffirm[s] our commitment to eliminate poverty.” It pledges to focus on persistent poverty communities by, for example, using “the 10-20-30 model, which directs 10 percent of program funds to communities where at least 20 percent of the population has been living below the poverty line for 30 years or more.” It supports existing programs such as the Earned Income Tax Credit and the New Markets Tax Credit. It also acknowledges the “racial wealth gap” and says federal policy must help eliminate it.

HUD requests input on CoC distribution formula. Comments are due September 23 on proposed changes to the formula used to distribute Continuum of Care homeless assistance funds, and on ways to target funding to urban and rural areas most in need. Contact Norm Suchar, HUD, 202-708-4300.

Data and factsheets available on federal rental assistance in U.S. and each state. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities offers national and state factsheets, as well as data in Excel, and includes both HUD and USDA programs. Topics include who uses and who needs rental assistance, the metro/nonmetro distribution of assisted housing by state and program, and the impacts of sequestration on HUD’s Housing Choice Voucher program.

Early research results show housing counseling’s benefits. The First-Time Homebuyer Education and Counseling Demonstration: Early Insights reports that early findings from a large HUD study are encouraging and suggest homebuyer education and counseling may lead to favorable results for first-time homebuyers in terms of mortgage literacy and preparedness, homebuyer outcomes, and loan performance. Over 5,800 prospective buyers in 28 metro areas were randomly assigned to receive remote counseling (online and telephone-based), in-person counseling (in groups and individually), or neither. HUD found that 65% of those who were offered remote education and counseling initiated services, compared to 25% of those who were offered in-person services. Participants then performed better on a mortgage literacy quiz and had higher credit scores.

CRA questions and answers revised by regulators. The federal agencies that regulate banks and savings and loans publish Q&As to help explain their Community Reinvestment Act regulations. The most recent Q&A revisions were issued July 25. Agency contacts are listed in the document.

HUD creates AFFH listserve. The new list will provide information and updates on topics directly related to Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing, including HUD’s 2115 AFFH rule. To subscribe to this or any of HUD’s other mailing lists, visit the HUD Exchange. Additional AFFH information from HUD is also online.

Brief summarizes impact of homelessness on children’s health and education. A factsheet by the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness describes the short- and long-term impacts of family homelessness, along with solutions.

HAC News: July 13, 2016

July 13, 2016/in HAC News

HAC News Formats. pdf

July 13, 2016
Vol. 45, No. 13

• FY17 appropriations delayed • Republican officials promise to raise rental housing affordability at party convention • USDA RD launches new online data pages • Report documents severe housing shortfall for extremely low-income renters • Data charts illustrate impact of federal rental assistance • National Housing Trust Fund information posted for states • HUD proposes changes to Housing Choice Voucher administrative fees • Federal agencies define ending chronic homelessness • General section for FY17 HUD NOFAs published

HAC News Formats. pdf

July 13, 2016
Vol. 45, No. 13

FY17 appropriations delayed. The House and Senate have not agreed on any appropriations bills for FY17 and will be out of session from July 18 through Labor Day. During September Congress is expected to pass a continuing resolution or omnibus funding bill to keep the government running after FY16 ends on September 30.

Republican officials promise to raise rental housing affordability at party convention. In an opinion piece for Housing Wire, former Oklahoma governor Frank Keating and former Congressman Rick Lazio point out that rental affordability is a problem in rural places as well as cities. They say “all sensible ideas should be put on the table” and assert that “in Cleveland, we will be doing our best to raise the volume on America’s rental affordability crisis.”

USDA RD launches new online data pages. The Dataset Website offers spreadsheets the public can download and use. Currently available files include multifamily property and management information, entities receiving obligations from rural housing programs during specific months, and tenant characteristics for multifamily properties. Data covering additional months and also single-family housing will be added within the next few weeks.

Report documents severe housing shortfall for extremely low-income renters. The Gap, issued by the National Low Income Housing Coalition, describes a shortage of 7.2 million affordable and available rental units for households with income at or below 30% of their area median. Three-quarters of extremely low-income renters are severely cost-burdened, spending more than half their income on rent and utilities. Data is provided at the national, state, and metropolitan area levels.

Data charts illustrate impact of federal rental assistance. Rental Assistance Reduces Hardship, Promotes Children’s Long-Term Success, a Center on Budget and Policy Priorities chartbook, shows that aid to over 5 million low-income renter households sharply reduces homelessness, housing instability, and overcrowding. It also points out that, due to funding limitations, only one in four eligible households receives federal rental assistance.

National Housing Trust Fund information posted for states. The National Low Income Housing Coalition provides links for each state’s draft allocation plan, notices of public comment periods, submitted comment letters, and state-specific advocacy resources prepared by NLIHC. A calendar lists key dates and upcoming events: public hearings, deadlines for submitting comment periods, and advocacy meetings. Contact outreach@nlihc.org.

HUD proposes changes to Housing Choice Voucher administrative fees. Currently, administrative fees for PHA are based on the number of vouchers under lease and a percentage of the 1993 or 1994 local fair market rent, with an annual inflation adjustment. Based on recommendations of a study that measured actual costs, HUD suggests modifications. Ongoing fees would be based on six variables, and HUD could provide additional fees to address program priorities such as the HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing program and serving homeless households. Comments are due October 4. Contact Amy Ginger, HUD, 202-402-5152.

Federal agencies define ending chronic homelessness. In June the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness and its 19 federal agency members released criteria and a benchmark that describe and quantify ending chronic homelessness in a community. The criteria include effective outreach, access to shelter, a community-wide Housing First approach, and more. To account for those who do not accept repeated offers of assistance and for changes in individual situations, the benchmark acknowledges that a small proportion of a community’s population may continue to experience chronic homelessness.

General section for FY17 HUD NOFAs published. Its provisions will apply to notices of available FY17 funds, which will be issued after September 30, 2016.

Please nominate national or local rural housing leaders for HAC awards! Nominations are due September 30 for the Cochran/Collings Award for national rural housing service and the Skip Jason Community Service Award. The honors will be presented at the National Rural Housing Conference, November 29-December 2. Complete the online nomination form on HAC’s website. Questions? Contact Lilla Sutton, HAC, 202-842-8600.

HAC News: June 29, 2016

June 30, 2016/in HAC News

HAC News Formats. pdf

June 29, 2016
Vol. 45, No. 12

• Non-priority low-income Section 502 funds are fully committed • Housing bill introduced in Senate • Senate hearing reviews USDA RD aid to Native Americans • HUD adopts tribal consultation policy, considers creating advisory committee • USDA RD sets this year’s voucher policies and procedures • Continuum of Care NOFA published • Housing market recovery yields to affordability challenges, says State of the Nation’s Housing 2016 • Poll shows Americans agree affordable housing needs more attention • List of nonmetro areas to receive CRA community development credit released • Data on kids shows improvements in health and education but not poverty • Webinars set to cover RD’s Limited English Proficiency guidance • HAC offers webinar on VA grant program

HAC News Formats. pdf

June 29, 2016
Vol. 45, No. 12

Non-priority low-income Section 502 funds are fully committed. RD staff tell HAC that FY16 funds for direct Section 502 loans to low-income borrowers are being pooled on June 30 and will be used on a case-by-case basis for low-income applicants purchasing program REO properties or working with Section 523 self-help grantees or intermediary packagers. Direct Section 502 funds for very low-income borrowers will be re-distributed to states, as will Section 504 repair grants. Section 504 repair loans are available to obligate in all states/territories without restrictions. All unobligated funds will be repooled August 15. RD expects to use the Section 502 direct funds for very low-income borrowers (40% of the total) by late August or early September.

Housing bill introduced in Senate. S. 3083, filed last week by a bipartisan group of Senators, is a companion to H.R. 3700, which passed the House on Feb. 2 (see HAC News, 2/3/16). Both are named “the Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act” or HOTMA.

Senate hearing reviews USDA RD aid to Native Americans. On June 22 the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs held an oversight hearing on “Accessing USDA Rural Development Programs in Native Communities.” A witness who focused on housing praised RD’s past and current efforts, but identified tribal capacity and the amount of required documentation as barriers to better tribal use of the housing programs.

HUD adopts tribal consultation policy, considers creating advisory committee. The department is adopting without change the proposed Tribal Government-to-Government Consultation Policy published in 2015 (see HAC News, 4/29/15), outlining principles and procedures for HUD employees with regard to federally recognized Indian or Alaska Native tribes. HUD requests comments by July 25 on establishing a Tribal Intergovernmental Advisory Committee, consisting of tribal representatives, to help HUD further develop and maintain its Indian housing programs. Contact Heidi J. Frechette, HUD, 202-401-7914.

USDA RD sets this year’s voucher policies and procedures. The provisions of this notice govern the program in FY16. Section 542 vouchers are available to tenants when a property owner either prepays a Section 515 loan or USDA action results in a foreclosure after September 30, 2005. Contact Stephanie B.M. White, USDA, 202-720-1615.

Continuum of Care NOFA published. Applications for FY16 CoC funds are due September 14. Contact a local HUD CPD office.

Housing market recovery yields to affordability challenges, says State of the Nation’s Housing 2016. The Joint Center for Housing Studies’ annual study includes an interactive mapping utility and analyzes demographic drivers, rental and owner-occupied housing, and housing challenges for communities across the U.S. It examines how the strengthening market has led to affordability challenges that outstrip the availability of federal housing assistance. There are a record high 11.4 million severely cost-burdened renter households. The report also details ongoing challenges facing nonmetro and tribal areas.

Poll shows Americans agree affordable housing needs more attention. Nearly two-thirds of adults (63%) believe actions can be taken to solve problems of housing affordability. Poll respondents across political parties – 74% of Democrats, 66% of Independents, and 49% of Republicans – believe the issue has not received enough attention from the 2016 presidential candidates. The 2016 How Housing Matters Survey is the fourth annual national survey of housing attitudes commissioned by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, this year with additional support from the Kresge Foundation and the Melville Charitable Trust.

List of nonmetro areas to receive CRA community development credit released. The federal bank regulatory agencies’ 2016 list of distressed or underserved nonmetropolitan middle-income geographies, where revitalization or stabilization activities will receive Community Reinvestment Act consideration as community development, is based on local economic conditions, including unemployment, poverty, and population changes.

Data on kids shows improvements in health and education but not poverty. The 2016 Kids Count Data Book reports that nationwide, despite rising employment numbers, 22% of children lived in poverty in both 2013 and 2014, and almost one in three children live in families where no member of the household has full-time, year-round employment. In 2006-2010, 11% of children lived in high-poverty areas and now that figure is 14%. The Annie E. Casey Foundation publication offers data for every state.

Webinars set to cover RD’s Limited English Proficiency guidance. USDA RD’s Office of Civil Rights will host webinars on July 7 and 14 (each with the same content). They are open to all, and the agency particularly encourages attendance by those involved in the certified loan application packaging process and/or the self-help program. To register, email Darren.kaihlanen@wdc.usda.gov.

HAC offers webinar on VA grant program. “VA Housing Resources for Heroes Part II: An Overview on the VA Specially Adapted Housing Grant Program” will be on July 13 at 2:00 Eastern. The webinar is free but registration is required. Contact Shonterria Charleston, HAC, 404-892-4824.

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