https://appropriations.house.gov.

USDA Rural Development Program (dollars in millions)	FY10 Approp.	FY11 Approp. (a)	FY12 Admin. Budget	FY12 Hse. Subcmte. Proposal
Loans and Payments
502 Single Fam. Direct	$1,121	$1,121	$211.4	$845.6
502 Single Family Guar.	12,000	24,000	24,000	24,000
504 Very Low-inc. Rpr.	34.4	23.4	0	0
514 Farm Labor Hsg.	27.3	(b)	27	(d)
515 Rental Hsg. Direct	69.5	69.5	95.2	58.6
538 Rental Hsg. Guar.	129.1	30.9	0	0
Rental Prsrv. Revlg. Lns.	1.8	1	0	0
Grants
504 Very Low-inc. Rpr.	31.6	(c)	11.5	32
516 Farm Labor Hsg.	9.9	(b)	9.8	(d)
523 Self-Help TA	41.9	37	0	22
533 Hsg. Prsrv. Grants	9.4	(c)	0	0
521 Rental Assistance Preservation RA New Constr. 515 RA New Constr. 514/516 RA	980 (6) (2.03) (3.4)	955.6 0 (2.03) (3)	906.7 0 (3) (3)	890 0 (1.5) (2.5)
542 Rural Hsg. Vouchers	16.4	14	16	11
Rental Prsrv. Demo. (MPR)	25	15	0	0
Rural Cmnty. Dev’t Init.	6.3	5	8.4	3

a. Figures shown do not include 0.2% across the board reduction.
b. Budget authority (BA, the cost to the government) in the farm labor housing account would remain at FY10 levels, but loan costs have risen as interest rates have risen, so the 514/516 program levels could be somewhat lower.
c. The Rural Housing Assistance Grants pool, which funds Section 504 grants, Section 533, and some other smaller programs, is reduced by $1.1 million from FY10 levels.
d. The BA for Section 514 and 516 would fall from $19.7 million in FY11 to $12.5 million for FY12, but the bill does not allocate amounts specifically for loans or grants.

House subcommittee considers moving USDA rural housing to HUD. On May 25 the House Financial Services Committee’s Subcommittee on Insurance, Housing and Community Opportunity held a hearing on a draft bill entitled the “FHA-Rural Regulatory Improvement Act,” which would move USDA’s rural housing programs to a new office in HUD headed by a new Deputy Assistant Secretary for Rural Housing. The bill would also institute fees to make the Section 538 program self-supporting and make changes in FHA and Ginnie Mae. The draft bill is posted at https://financialservices.house.gov/UploadedFiles/fha_rural.pdf and hearing witnesses’ testimony is at http: //financialservices.house.gov/Calendar/EventSingle.aspx?EventID=241957.

Section 538 loan guarantees available. The May 26 Federal Register will announce that lenders can apply by Dec. 30 for multifamily rental housing loan guarantees. Funds will be committed first to approved applications from prior years. See Federal Register, 5/26/11, or https://www.grants.gov. Contact an RD State Office, https://www.rurdev.usda.gov/recd_map.html, or Monica Cole, USDA, monica.cole@wdc.usda.gov, 202-720-1251.

HUD offers FY11 funds for lead hazard programs, asthma interventions, HOPWA, Section 811. Visit https://www.hud.gov/offices/adm/grants/fundsavail.cfm or https://www.grants.gov.

HOME program under scrutiny. Washington Post articles criticizing HOME for incomplete projects and unused funding are online at https://www.washingtonpost.com/2010/07/08/AFxelh3G_page.html. HUD’s response was posted May 19 at https://blog.hud.gov/. The House Financial Services Committee will hold an oversight hearing May 31, and the Senate Banking Committee is expected to schedule a hearing.

HOUSE PASSES BUDGET RESOLUTION WITH SIGNIFICANT CUTS. H.Con.Res. 34, the FY12 budget guidelines introduced by Budget Committee chair Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin), passed the House on April 15. See HAC News, 4/13/11, for a summary and https://thomas.loc.gov for the bill’s text. A Center on Budget and Policy Priorities analysis of how these guidelines might affect housing and community development programs is at https://www.cbpp.org/files/4-26-11hous-pc.pdf.

FY11 NOFAS RELEASED FOR INDIAN CDBG, FSS, ROSS. Visit https://www.hud.gov/offices/adm/grants/fundsavail.cfm or https://www.grants.gov. Deadline for Indian Community Development Block Grant applications is June 15; contact is Roberta L. Youmans, roberta.l.youmans@hud.gov, 202-402-3316. Deadline for Housing Choice Voucher Family Self-Sufficiency program is June 8; contact HUD’s Public and Indian Housing Resource Center, 800-955-2232. Apply by June 29 for Public and Indian Housing FSS or by July 13 for the ROSS Service Coordinators program; contact Anice S. Chenault, anice.s.chenault@hud.gov, 202-402-2341.

HUD EXPLAINS HOUSING COUNSELING PROGRAM FUNDING. A “frequently asked questions” document says that although the program was funded in the continuing resolutions covering the first half of FY11, the elimination of funding in the final CR means there is no HUD housing counseling appropriation for FY11. FY10 grants, announced in December, are not affected. HUD hopes to make available “limited funding” from previous years. See https://www.nlihc.org/doc/FY11-Housing-Grant-Cuts-FAQ.pdf.

USDA REQUESTS COMMENTS ON SIMPLIFYING REGULATIONS. USDA is reviewing its existing regulations to identify areas where it can simplify and reduce the reporting burden on the public, while also reducing its administrative and operating costs. RD is particularly interested in hearing how to streamline application procedures to reflect the size and risk of certain types of loans and grants. The notice includes a list of questions for commenters. Deadline for comments is May 20. See Federal Register, 4/20/11 or https://www.regulations.gov. Contact Julie Hetrick, USDA, 202-720-1269.

RENTAL AFFORDABILITY PROBLEMS WORSENING, STUDY SAYS. America’s Rental Housing: Meeting Challenges, Building on Opportunities reports a record number of renters are paying more than half their incomes for housing and predicts economic recovery will further tighten rental markets, especially for those with the lowest incomes. The report, by Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies with support from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, is free at www.jchs.harvard.edu. Contact the Joint Center, 617-495-7908.

HUD RESEARCH FINDS ADDING ASSISTED HOUSING REDUCES WORST CASE NEEDS. An analysis of data for metro areas concluded that when units of assisted housing are added to a market, there is a commensurate reduction in the number of households with worst case needs (unassisted renter households with very low incomes who pay more than 50% of income for housing or live in severely inadequate conditions or both). Various methods found that 68 to 94 of every 100 newly assisted units went to tenants with worst case needs. Reduction of Worst Case Housing Needs by Assisted Housing is free at https://www.huduser.org. Contact HUD User, 800-245-2691.

EXPANDED WEBSITE PROVIDES TAX CREDIT INFORMATION. Research and resources on state and federal Earned Income Tax Credits, Child Tax Credits, Child and Dependent Care Tax Credits, and Property Tax Circuit Breakers are collected at https://www.taxcreditsforworkingfamilies.org.

FORECLOSURE RISK SCORES AVAILABLE BY ZIP CODE. Data developed by the Local Initiatives Support Corporation showing relative risk of foreclosures throughout each state and metro area are posted at https://www.foreclosure-response.org/maps_and_data/lisc_data.html. Additional delinquency and foreclosure data are also available at https://www.foreclosure-response.org.

2011 ADVOCATES’ GUIDE TO HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT POLICY AVAILABLE. The National Low Income Housing Coalition’s annual publication covers federal programs and issues and is free at https://nlihc.org/template/page.cfm?id=274. For print copies, contact Sarah Brundage, NLIHC, sarah@nlihc.org.

U.S. WEALTH DISTRIBUTION MORE UNEQUAL THAN DISTRIBUTION OF WAGES OR INCOME. An Economic Policy Institute study reports the top 5% of U.S. households hold 63.5% of the country’s wealth. From 2007 to 2009, average annualized household declines in wealth were 16% for the richest fifth of Americans and 25% for the other four-fifths. The median net worth of black households was $2,200 in 2009, the lowest ever recorded. EPI writes that the imbalance explains why the economic recovery is affecting different income levels differently. The State of Working America’s Wealth and related reports are free at https://www.epi.org/pages/epinews.

https://appropriations.house.gov (go to the Agriculture Subcommittee page and click “Related Documents”). Written testimony from others will be accepted until April 14. Submission instructions are at https://appropriations.house.gov, or call staff, 202-225-2638.

GAO SUGGESTS IMPROVEMENTS IN FARM LABOR HOUSING PROGRAM. The Government Accountability Office examined demand for the Section 514/516 program, RD’s oversight processes, and existing properties’ financial status. Rural Housing Service: Opportunities Exist to Strengthen Farm Labor Housing Program Management and Oversight (GAO-11-329) is available free at https://www.gao.gov or for a fee from GAO, 866-801-7077.

DONATED MANUFACTURED HOMES FOR NATIVE AMERICANS ELIGIBLE FOR SECTION 502 LOANS. HUD is transferring free homes, donated by FEMA, to tribes. Section 502 loans can be used to cover transportation and set-up costs. An Unnumbered Letter dated March 14, 2011 reminds RD offices of requirements for manufactured homes and is available at https://www.rurdev.usda.gov/SupportDocuments/ulmarch11.pdf or from RD offices.

RD ENCOURAGES LOCAL OFFICES TO PARTNER FOR REPLACEMENT OF OLD MOBILE HOMES. Local offices are urged to support efforts by nonprofits and government entities to provide new manufactured housing to replace mobile homes built before the HUD Code came into effect in 1976. See Unnumbered Letter (March 15, 2011), available at https://www.rurdev.usda.gov/SupportDocuments/ulmarch11.pdf or from RD offices. Contact Christopher Ketner, RD, 202-690-1530, christopher.ketner@wdc.usda.gov.

USDA SECRETARY APPOINTS MINORITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE. The Minority Farmer Advisory Committee will help implement outreach and assistance efforts to socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, promote their participation in USDA programs, and support civil rights activities within the department. USDA’s press release is at https://content.govdelivery.com/bulletins/gd/USDAOC-52d34.

OMB REQUESTS COMMENTS ON COSTS AND BENEFITS OF REGULATIONS. Draft 2011 Report to Congress on the Benefits and Costs of Federal Regulations and Unfunded Mandates on State, Local, and Tribal Entities is available for review at https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/inforeg_regpol_reports_congress/. Comments are particularly requested on how to improve retrospective analysis of existing rules, and are due May 16. See Federal Register, 4/1/11. Contact OMB, 202-395-3741.

RENTAL HOUSING DATA PROFILES FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS UPDATED. The National Low Income Housing Coalition has added new data to provide snapshots of housing needs in each congressional district and state. The profiles include renter cost burden levels, overcrowding and incomplete plumbing rates, and more. Visit https://www.nlihc.org/detail/article.cfm?article_id=3810&id=61.

RURAL VOICES FEATURES SELF-HELP SUCCESSES. A special edition of HAC’s quarterly magazine describes the benefits of USDA’s Section 523 self-help housing program coupled with Section 502 direct mortgages. Current and past issues of Rural Voices are free at https://ruralhome.org. One print subscription per organization is free from Dan Stern, HAC, 202-842-8600, dan@ruralhome.org.

GET THE HAC NEWS SOONER – GET IT BY EMAIL. To subscribe, visit https://lists.ruralhome.org/lists/info/hac_news. To be removed from the postal mailing list, send a request to dan@ruralhome.org.

FY11 SPENDING CONTINUES UNTIL MARCH 18. President Obama is expected to sign H.J. Res. 44, approved by the House on March 1 and by the Senate on March 2. This latest in a series of Continuing Resolutions will extend most FY11 spending at FY10 levels through March 18. It provides no funding for earmarks and for some programs that were targeted for elimination in the Administration’s budget, including HUD’s Economic Development Initiative and Neighborhood Initiatives. HAC will post updates at https://ruralhome.org.

IDA FUNDING AVAILABLE. The Assets for Independence Program run by the Department of Health and Human Services offers grants to nonprofits, state and local governments, community development credit unions, and CDFIs to provide Individual Development Accounts and supportive services. Deadlines are March 31 and May 25. For details and to register for applicant webinars, visit https://www.IDAresources.org. Contact the AFI Resource Center, HHS, info@IDAresources.org, 1-866-778-6037 (toll free).

USDA SEEKS COMMENTS ON DRAFT ACTION PLAN FOR TRIBAL CONSULTATION AND COLLABORATION. The final policy will guide all USDA agencies as they work with tribes. Comments are due March 25. Visit https://www.tinyurl.com/usdatribal. Contact USDA’s Office of Tribal Relations, tribalconsultation@usda.gov, 202-205-2249.

HUD REQUESTS INPUT ON REVIEWING REGULATIONS. Comments are due May 2 regarding HUD’s development of a plan for periodically analyzing significant HUD regulations and identifying specific regulations that may be outdated, ineffective, or excessively burdensome. See Federal Register, 3/2/11 or https://www.regulations.gov. Contact Camille E. Acevedo, HUD, 202-708-1793.

INTERIM RULE REVISES PHAS. Changes are intended to enhance the efficiency and utility of HUD’s Public Housing Assessment System. Comments are due April 25. See https://www.regulations.govor https://www.hud.gov/offices/reac/. Contact Claudia Yarus, HUD, 202-475-8830.

USDA OFFERS CLAIMS PROCESS FOR HISPANIC AND WOMEN FARMERS AND RANCHERS. Those who believe they were unjustifiably denied farm loan program benefits between 1981 and 2000 because of their ethnic background or gender may file claims with USDA. Call 1-888-508-4429 (toll free) or visit https://farmerclaims.gov.

GAO SAYS DUPLICATION CAN BE REDUCED IN FEDERAL HOMELESSNESS PROGRAMS AND OTHERS. A new Government Accountability Office report identifies 81 areas where federal efforts are duplicated or fragmented, or where costs could be reduced or revenues increased, including homelessness: seven agencies administer over 20 housing or shelter programs, and others fund supportive services for people experiencing homelessness. Past GAO research addressing this overlap included a July 2010 study of rural homelessness (see HAC News, 8/18/10). No other housing programs are mentioned. The report also notes efforts in multiple depart-ments to meet water needs in the U.S.-Mexico border region and to enhance economic development (including HUD and USDA RD programs), and problems with FEMA’s coordination of disaster preparedness grants. Opportunities to Reduce Potential Duplication in Government Programs, Save Tax Dollars, and Enhance Revenue (GAO-11-318SP) is available free at https://www.gao.gov or at cost from GAO, 1-866-801-7077 (toll free).

USDA MAPS RURAL COUNTY CHARACTERISTICS. An online, interactive Atlas of Rural and Small-Town America maps unemployment, population data, homeownership, and many other characteristics. Specific data are shown by clicks on the map. Visit https://ers.usda.gov/data/ruralatlas/.

HUD LAUNCHES NEW HOME TA WEBSITE, INCLUDING INFORMATION ON CONFERENCE. HOME funding recipients can find information about training and technical assistance resources, including the program’s 20th anniversary conference, May 2-4 in Washington, DC, at https://www.hometa.info/.

EVIDENCE SUMMARIZED ON ECONOMIC IMPACT OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING. The Role of Affordable Housing in Creating Jobs and Stimulating Economic Development is free from the Center for Housing Policy, https://www.nhc.org/The-Role-of-Affordable-Housing-in-Creating-Jobs-and-Fostering-Economic-Growth.html.

HAC UPDATES FORECLOSURE RESEARCH. New Neighborhood Stabilization Program data provide information about delinquency and foreclosure rates in each census tract. HAC’s research note entitled Foreclosure in Rural America: An Update includes recommendations for rural homeowners with conventional loans, manufactured home loans, and USDA loans, and is free at https://ruralhome.org or $2.00 from Janice Clark, HAC, 202-842-8600.

HAC EXAMINES MANUFACTURED HOME COMMUNITY CONVERSION TO RESIDENT OWNERSHIP. Preserving Affordable Manufactured Home Communities in Rural America: A Case Study is free at https://ruralhome.org or $2.00 from Janice Clark, HAC, 202-842-8600.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/02/01/.

ADMINISTRATION BUDGET TO BE PUBLISHED FEBRUARY 14. The process of developing federal funding levels for fiscal year 2012 will begin when the Obama Administration issues its budget proposals in less than two weeks. Watch for details on HAC’s website, https://ruralhome.org.

HUD OFFERS FUNDS FOR ASSISTED LIVING, SERVICE COORDINATORS, AND RESEARCH. • The Assisted Living Conversion Program aids private nonprofits that own properties with specific types of federal assistance, including Section 515 with Section 8, or Section 202. Deadline is March 29. Contact Katina Washington, Katina.X.Washington@hud.gov, 202-708-3000. • Service Coordinators in Multifamily Housing funds are available for specified types of HUD-assisted properties. Deadline is March 24. Contact HUD field staff. • The Transformation Initiative: Natural Experiments Grant Program supports scientific research that makes use of natural experiments to evaluate the impacts of local, state, and federal policies. HUD is particularly interested in helping policymakers spend effectively and efficiently, but will consider other projects as well. Deadline is February 21. Contact Michael T. Morse, Michael.T.Morse@hud.gov, 202-402-5901. • All HUD NOFAs are posted at https://www.hud.gov/offices/adm/grants/fundsavail.cfm and https://www.grants.gov.

MATERIALS ON HUD RURAL INNOVATION FUND NOFA POSTED ON HAC’S SITE. A recording of a HAC webcast discussing the application process, slides, and other resources are available at https://ruralhome.org. Application materials are at https://www.hud.gov/offices/adm/grants/fundsavail.cfm or https://www.grants.gov. Deadline remains February 23. Contact Robert Duncan, HUD, 202-402-4681 or 1-877-787-2526.

HUD PROPOSES PROTECTIONS FOR SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND GENDER IDENTITY. Owners and operators of HUD-assisted and FHA-insured housing would be prohibited from discriminating against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. The notice explains that a separate rule will add the same protections to HUD’s Native American housing programs. Comments are due March 25. See Federal Register, 1/24/11 or https://www.regulations.gov. Contact Kenneth J. Carroll, HUD, 202-708-2333.

FHFA REQUESTS ALTERNATIVES TO CREDIT RATINGS FOR GSE OVERSIGHT. The Federal Housing Finance Agency seeks alternatives to replace the use of credit ratings for securities in its regulations overseeing Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Home Loan Banks. Comments are due March 17. See www.fhfa.gov/Default.aspx?Page=89 or https://www.regulations.gov. Contact Scott Smith, FHFA, 202-414-8922.

RD PROVIDES GUIDANCE ON SECTION 515 PROPERTIES FUNDED BETWEEN 1979 AND 1989. An Unnumbered Letter dated January 4, 2011 explains the status of properties included in a litigation settlement agreement and those that were not included. Contact Cynthia L. Johnson, RD, 202-720-1940, cynthial.johnson@wdc.usda.gov. Visit https://www.rurdev.usda.gov/RD_UnnumberedList.html.

CAPITAL NEEDS ASSESSMENT GUIDELINES UPDATED. An Unnumbered Letter dated January 7, 2011 compiles information from several sources for USDA-financed multifamily properties’ CNAs. Contact Carlton Jarratt, RD, 804-287-1524, carlton.jarratt@wdc.usda.gov. Visit https://www.rurdev.usda.gov/RD_UnnumberedList.html.

HUD REPORTS WORST CASE NEEDS INCREASED 20% FROM 2007 TO 2009. Worst case housing needs – defined as very low-income renter households who paid more than half their monthly income for rent, lived in severely substandard housing, or both – were 7.10 million in 2009 (41% of very low-income renters), up from 5.91 million (37%) in 2007. Every racial/ethnic group experienced increases, with Hispanics having the largest increase. The report suggests the rise is tied to the economic recession and homeownership crisis. Worst Case Housing Needs 2009: A Report to Congress is free at https://www.huduser.org.

ONLINE MAP SHOWS POVERTY RATES FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS. An interactive map provides total poverty rates and rates for children. Visit https://halfinten.org/issues/articles/poverty-data-by-congressional-district/.

STUDY ANALYZES HPRP, SUGGESTS IMPROVEMENTS. On the Edge: How HUD Can Improve the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program, published by the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, is based on a survey of service providers and is available at https://www.nlchp.org.

MISSED THE LAST HAC NEWS? The January 19 issue of the HAC News may not have reached all print subscribers because of a mailing glitch. It is available (along with other back issues) on HAC’s website, https://ruralhome.org. HAC apologizes for any problems.