TOP STORIES

Continuing resolution needed to keep government running

Before federal fiscal year 2022 ends on September 30, Congress will need to pass a continuing resolution holding most federal funding at current levels. The Biden administration requested a number of “anomalies” – variations from FY22 funding – in a CR, including added funding for CDBG-DR and FEMA disaster relief. A CR could last until mid-December, but nothing has been decided yet.

Poverty increased for rural residents and seniors in 2021, Census Bureau reports

On September 13 the Census Bureau released analyses of national-level income, poverty, and health insurance statistics for 2021, exploring year-over-year changes and other long-term trends. Income in the United States: 2021 did not report a statistically significant change in median household incomes, though the $53,750 median income outside metro areas is considerably lower than the $73,823 income in metro areas. Poverty in the United States: 2021 did not report a statistically significant change in year-over-year official poverty rates for the nation, but did note a statistically significant increase for places outside metro areas from 14.1% in 2020 to 15.0% in 2021, representing approximately 377,000 more people in poverty. There was also a statistically significant increase in the poverty rate for people age 65 or older and, given that rural populations tend to be older than others, that likely accounts for some part of the increase in the rural poverty rate.

Webinar to focus on preparing your organization for disaster

On September 21 HAC will present Preparing Your Organization for Disaster: A Guide to Rural Resilience. As disasters become more frequent, organizations will need to make themselves ready to address the associated housing challenges in their communities. Join HAC during National Preparedness Month to hear from local organizations that have experienced natural disasters from fires to flooding. Discover the value of being prepared and learn how to make your organization disaster resilient. We will also showcase our Rural Resilience in the Face of Disaster website and offer tools to help prepare your organization for disaster.

September is National Preparedness Month

FEMA has posted disaster preparedness resources online.

September is National Recovery Month

President Biden’s proclamation of September as National Recovery Month discusses the substance use disorder epidemic, affecting more than 20 million Americans, highlighting the amplified effects in rural communities. The president also mentions the importance of secure and reliable housing in the recovery process.

September 15 – October 15 is Hispanic Heritage Month

The federal government’s website for the observance states, “We celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month to recognize the achievements and contributions of Hispanic American champions who have inspired others to achieve success.”

RuralSTAT

During 2021, 6.7% of households living outside metro areas had low food security (difficulty providing enough food for all household members) and 4.1% had very low food security (reduced food intake by some members because of limited resources), slightly higher than the national rates of 6.4% and 3.8%. Source: USDA Economic Research Service.

OPPORTUNITIES

Healthy homes funding offered

State, local, and tribal governments, nonprofits, and consortia can use HUD’s Healthy Homes Production Grant Program funds to eliminate housing-related health and safety hazards in privately owned low-income rental or owner-occupied housing, conduct public education and outreach activities, build local capacity, and more. Applications are due October 18. For more information, contact Sacsheen Scott, 202-402-4370.

REGULATIONS AND FEDERAL AGENCIES

Housing aid won’t impact immigrants’ legal status under final “public charge” rule

U.S. immigration law provides that a noncitizen can be denied legal resident status if they are deemed likely to become a “public charge.” Until 2019, longstanding policy focused these determinations on receipt of cash assistance or long-term institutionalization. The Trump administration broadened the rule in 2019 to include non-cash assistance such as federal housing aid and Medicaid. The Biden administration cancelled that rule and resumed using the previous guidance in 2021 and has now issued its own final rule, which focuses on cash supports and takes effect December 23. The only programs considered in a public charge determination will be Supplemental Security Income, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, state, tribal, or locally funded cash assistance for income maintenance, and long-term institutional care paid for by Medicaid. Information in nine languages is posted by the Protecting Immigrant Families Coalition.

USDA multifamily budgeting information posted, service coordinators now a permitted expense

USDA Rural Development has posted a recording and slides from a training on proposed budgets for borrowers with multifamily housing loans, who must submit annual proposed budgets before their projects’ fiscal years begin. The agency also reminds borrowers that for FY2023, service coordination is a permitted budget expense for RD properties. Service coordinators help residents connect with services available in their community; RD suggests using the resources and information available from the American Association of Service Coordinators. For more information, contact the RD Servicing Specialist assigned to the specific property.

Lease-up reserve reduced for Section 538 rental housing guarantees

Effective immediately, USDA has lowered the amount of the lease-up reserve required for the Section 538 Guaranteed Rural Rental Housing Program. To cover costs while units are being leased to their initial occupants, borrowers are required to provide cash for the lease-up reserve in addition to their initial operating and maintenance contributions. The agency calculates the new calculation will save borrowers an average of around $100,000 per transaction. For more information, contact Tammy Daniels, USDA, 202-720-0021.

Comments requested on updated FEMA guide

FEMA seeks comments by September 23 on an update to its Hazard Mitigation Assistance Program and Policy Guide. The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funds state, local, tribal, and territorial governments to develop hazard mitigation plans and rebuild in a way that reduces future disaster losses. For more information, contact Jennie Orenstein, FEMA, 202-212-4071.

EVENTS

Senate subcommittee continues review of USDA rural housing programs

The Senate Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation, and Community Development will hold a hearing September 20 titled Examining the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Housing Service: Stakeholder Perspectives. This session follows one in May that featured Xochitl Torres Small, USDA’s Under Secretary for Rural Development.

Rural rental preservation policy webinar scheduled

Enterprise Community Partners’ Southeast Rural Rental Preservation Academy will hold a National Policy Summit on October 5 looking at how government, philanthropy, housing providers, and advocates can work together to preserve affordable rental homes in rural communities. Speakers will include Farah Ahmad, USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development.

Listening session to consider Federal Home Loan Bank system

The Federal Housing Finance Agency is conducting a comprehensive review of the Federal Home Loan Bank system. The process will include two public listening sessions and a series of regional roundtable discussions to consider and evaluate the FHLBanks’ role or potential role in addressing housing finance, community and economic development, affordability, and other related issues. The kick-off event and first listening session, FHLBank System at 100: Focusing on the Future, will be held on September 29, in-person in Washington, DC, and virtually. Written comments can also be submitted through October 21.

PUBLICATIONS AND MEDIA

Child poverty dropped more than half from 1993 to 2019

Child poverty in the U.S. fell from 28% in 1993 to 11% in 2019, according to a new study using the Supplemental Poverty Measure, which accounts for government aid and adjusts for local living costs, unlike the Official Poverty Measure. Still, over 8 million children live in poverty and, although the poverty rate fell for all racial and ethnic groups, Black and Hispanic children are far more likely than white children to be poor. (Data for Native American children were not robust enough to be included.) Lessons from a Historic Decline in Child Poverty, a study by Child Trends and the New York Times, found the drop was attributable to factors including lower unemployment, increased labor force participation among single mothers, increases in state-level minimum wages, and especially the expansion of government aid. The report includes a set of recommendations to further reduce child poverty.

Data released on sheltered homelessness in 2019 and 2020

Part 2 of HUD’s Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress, Estimates of Homelessness in the United States, provides national-level estimates of people experiencing sheltered homelessness during 2019 and 2020. It reports demographics and patterns of shelter use, including not only emergency shelters, safe havens, and transitional housing programs, but also permanent supportive housing and rapid re-housing rent subsidies. The data shows disproportionately low rates of shelter use in rural places for all demographic categories, but those findings seem likely to reflect the lower availability of shelters there rather than lower levels of need.

HUD offers important funding for rural and unsheltered homelessness

Kansas Reflector reports on the importance for rural places of HUD’s currently open initiative to address rural homelessness. Rural areas have few homeless programs and services and, while these areas may have vacant housing, it may not be safe to live in. Continuums of Care must apply for the available funding by October 20. For more information, visit HAC’s post about this initiative.

New maps show climate change risks in U.S.

• A Climate Mapping for Resilience and Adaptation portal compiles data from several federal agencies into a live dashboard to help communities see climate change hazards for the present and the future. The tool aims to help communities track real-time impacts and access federal resources for long-term planning.
• Hazardous heat is mapped by First Street Foundation, joining flood and fire dangers on the Risk Factor site, which provides property-level data about current and future dangers.

University students help rural town compile housing data

An article on UGA Today titled Students Help Gather Housing Data for Rural Community describes practicum work by University of Georgia Master of Public Administration candidates helping the city of Lyons perform a property assessment. The students got real life experience collecting data and turning it into useful information. Lyons, in turn, can use the information in planning and in applying for funds to address housing need.

HAC

HAC seeks Housing Specialist – Native American Communities and Community Placemaking Manager

• The Housing Specialist – Native American Communities is responsible for providing direct technical assistance, coaching, and training to tribal communities, tribal housing departments, tribal housing authorities, and nonprofit organizations serving tribal communities. Travel is required. This position is eligible for telecommuting.
• The Community Placemaking Manager helps rural residents use their unique artistic and cultural resources to guide local development and shape the future design of their communities. The manager will cultivate the capacity of partner organizations and local communities, facilitate peer-to-peer learning engagements, manage day-to-day program functions and activities, communicate program success, and prepare funding applications. Travel is required. This position is eligible for telecommuting.

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).

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TOP STORIES

Inflation Reduction Act includes housing energy provisions

On August 16, President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act, the scaled-back version of the Build Back Better Act. BBB would have put substantial funding into existing USDA and HUD housing programs, whereas the IRA’s housing provisions focus on increasing energy efficiency and climate resilience. They include creation of a new HUD-administered program that will make loans and grants to properties assisted by HUD’s Section 202, 811, and 236 programs, and those with Section 8 project-based vouchers.

Loan payment program for Black farmers replaced

The Inflation Reduction Act replaces the loan repayment program for Black and other disadvantaged farmers that was created in the 2021 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Implementation of the ARPA effort had been frozen pending the resolution of several lawsuits claiming that basing repayments on race was discriminatory. The IRA’s version will provide payments to anyone who experienced past discrimination in USDA farm lending programs. It also includes grants and loans “to improve land access (including heirs’ property and fractionated land issues) for underserved farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners.” Additional funds are allocated for outreach, education, research, equity commissions, and other aid.

Assistance available for transferring Section 515 properties

USDA recently awarded funding to technical assistance providers, including HAC, to help nonprofits acquire and preserve Section 515 rental properties. HAC will assist properties located in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Current owners of 515 properties who are interested in transferring ownership to a nonprofit organization, or nonprofits who are interested in acquiring one, can reach out to Kristin Blum, HAC. To find a TA provider in another state, click the Contact tab at this link. TA is also available for transfers of Section 514/516 farmworker properties in some states; click the Contact tab at this link.

Census estimates housing units undercounted in rural and Native areas, requests input

• Nationwide, there was no statistically significant undercount or overcount of housing units in the 2020 decennial census, the Census Bureau calculates. The bureau’s Post-Enumeration Survey report on the housing unit count does identify some statistically significant variations at the regional and state levels. It also estimates a 4.2% net undercount in the most remote rural places where internet and mail delivery are limited. It calculates a national net undercount of 7% for housing units on American Indian Reservations, though not in other types of Native lands. PES reports on the 2020 counts of population and of certain characteristics were published earlier this year.
• The Census Bureau requests comments on improving participation in the 2030 Census. It is particularly interested in ways to reach the Black, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Hispanic or Latino populations, as well as young children aged 0-4, because these groups were undercounted in 2020 and previous years. Comments are due November 15. For more information, contact Jennifer Reichert, Census, 301-763-6712.

RuralSTAT

With 39 confirmed deaths, the July floods in eastern Kentucky were the deadliest non-tropical flash floods in the U.S. since 1977. Source: The Weather Channel.

OPPORTUNITIES

Housing Stability Evaluation Incubator offers support

The Housing Stability Evaluation Incubator will assist housing service providers to increase their capacity to generate and utilize evidence about programs that aim to address homelessness or foster housing stability. The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab offers funding, training, and technical support for nonprofits, government agencies, and others to design randomized evaluations of their programs. An existing data collection infrastructure is not necessary, and sample sizes can be small for some projects. J-PAL will hold a webinar for potential applicants on August 25. Letters of interest are due October 17. For more information, sign up for a conversation with J-PAL staff or contact Bridget Mercier, J-PAL.

REGULATIONS AND FEDERAL AGENCIES

Fair lending data to be required for mortgage loans in secondary market

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will require lenders that service loans to obtain and maintain fair lending data on borrowers’ age, race, ethnicity, gender, and preferred language. The data will transfer with servicing throughout the mortgage term. Servicers must implement this change starting on March 1, 2023.

New multifamily benchmarks proposed for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac

The Federal Housing Finance Agency proposes to set 2023 and 2024 multifamily housing goals for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac based on percentages of loan purchases rather than number of units. Comments are due October 17. For more information, contact Ted Wartell, FHFA, 202-649-3157.

Ahmad becomes RD Deputy Under Secretary

Farah Ahmad, formerly Chief of Staff in the Office of the Under Secretary for Rural Development, was recently promoted to Deputy Under Secretary, after Justin Maxson left USDA.

PUBLICATIONS AND MEDIA

New tool maps environmental justice and health by location

An Environmental Justice Index from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides census tract level analysis ranking the cumulative impacts of environmental injustice on health. CDC suggests this tool can be used by organizations, researchers, and others to “identify and prioritize areas that may require special attention or additional action to improve health and health equity, educate and inform the public about their community, analyze the unique, local factors driving cumulative impacts on health to inform policy and decision-making, and establish meaningful goals and measure progress towards environmental justice and health equity.”

Treasury makes economic argument for racial equity

In the first of a planned series of blog posts detailing the strain that racial inequality places on the economy, Treasury Department officials outline the origins and persistence of racial inequality and its importance for U.S. economic growth. As an example of its impact, they note that up to 40% of growth in U.S. GDP per capita between 1960 and 2010 can be attributed to increases in the shares of women and Black men working in highly skilled occupations. “Our economy as a whole cannot be as productive as possible,” the authors write, “unless all individuals are given the opportunity to be as productive as possible.”

Survey finds CDBG Disaster Recovery program important to grantees

The Bipartisan Policy Center and the Council of State Community Development Agencies surveyed officials from 36 Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery program grantees about the program’s benefits and difficulties, as well as their priorities for reform. Almost all (94%) said CDBG-DR funding was very or somewhat important to their state or community’s recovery. A majority (69%) said that housing was the most important unmet need CDBG-DR addressed. Respondents strongly supported permanent statutory authorization of the program as well as more standardized program forms and templates.

Climate change brings higher temperatures

An analysis of current and future heat events released by First Street Foundation predicts that much of the middle of the U.S. will experience heat indices above 125 degrees by 2053. Find your home’s risk factors on First Street’s map. For a different perspective, Brown University’s Climate Opportunity Map shows local benefits that would result from investment in clean energy and climate solutions.

Annual Kids Count report focuses on mental health

The Annie E. Casey Foundation’s 2022 KIDS COUNT® Data Book presents annual data about economic well-being, education, health, and family and community at the national and state levels, and ranks states in overall child well-being. This year the report focuses on the mental health crisis in American children, linking it to poverty, housing cost burdens, and under-resourced communities. Challenges are greater for BIPOC children than for white children.

Most young adults stay close to home, even if wages are higher elsewhere

An interactive data tool created by the U.S. Census Bureau and Harvard University allows users to examine migration patterns from or to specific “commuting zones,” which are clusters of counties with strong commuting ties. An accompanying study, The Radius of Economic Opportunity: Evidence from Migration and Local Labor Markets, reports that 80% of young adults live within 100 miles of where they grew up. White young adults are more likely to leave their childhood CZ than their Black peers and to travel farther when they do leave. Those from higher-income families are also more likely to move. The researchers conclude that the individuals who benefit most from local wage growth are those who grew up nearby.

Paper examines links between housing justice and gender justice

The current housing crisis is based in underinvestment and policies that stripped wealth from women, people of color, and people with disabilities, says a report from the National Women’s Law Center, the Insight Center, and the Groundwork Collaborative. The Roots of Discriminatory Housing Policy: Moving Toward Gender Justice in Our Economy explains that before the coronavirus pandemic, women – particularly women of color – were more likely to rent their homes and to spend the majority of their income on housing. During the pandemic, Black and Latina women have been more likely than white, non-Hispanic men to be behind on rent and mortgage payments and to be at risk of eviction. The report’s recommendations for change are based on treating housing as a public good, not a commodity.

Dramatic overdose increases predicted for opioid epidemic’s fourth wave

Research from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine predicts that the historic high rates of overdose deaths will continue to grow exponentially in a coming fourth wave. The study’s primary author states that the combination of synthetic opioids and stimulants will continue to increase overdoses across both rural and urban counties.

HAC

HAC seeks Housing Specialist – Native American Communities; and Loan Officer, Rental Preservation

• The Housing Specialist – Native American Communities is responsible for providing direct technical assistance, coaching, and training to tribal communities, tribal housing departments, tribal housing authorities, and nonprofit organizations serving tribal communities. Travel is required. This position is eligible for telecommuting.
• The Loan Officer, Rental Preservation, conducts rental housing lending and preservation technical assistance activities. This work includes marketing, originating, and underwriting new loan transactions. The Loan Officer also provides hands-on technical assistance to nonprofits that are seeking to acquire and preserve existing USDA-financed (Section 515) rental developments. This position is eligible for telecommuting.

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 approves FY23 funding for USDA, HUD, others.

On July 20 the House passed a minibus appropriations bill, approving funding levels for several federal agencies including USDA and HUD. The Senate has not yet begun actions on FY23 appropriations, and a continuing resolution is expected to be needed to begin the fiscal year on October 1, 2022.

USDA considers Buy America waivers.

USDA proposes to waive Build America, Buy America (BABA) Act requirements for small awards, small parts of larger awards, and minor components of infrastructure projects financed by the department. Comments are due by August 2 to sm.OCFO.ffac@usda.gov. These waivers would be in effect for five years. USDA did not include any RD housing or community facilities programs on an initial list of programs that finance infrastructure, but it does mention multifamily housing and CF in the new waiver proposal, indicating it may be considering some of these activities to be infrastructure. (USDA has also requested the BABA requirements be suspended for all Rural Development-financed activities for six months.) For more information, contact Tyson Whitney, USDA, 202-720-8978. HAC has posted a summary of BABA requirements and their status, along with comments HAC submitted to HUD about its implementation of the law.

CDBG-Disaster Recovery authorization measure passes.

On July 14 when the House passed H.R. 7900, the FY23 National Defense Authorization Act, it included (p. H6599) an amendment that would permanently authorize HUD’s Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery program. Authorization could make the program’s funding more predictable and reliable. The provision must be adopted by the Senate as well in order to become law.

RuralSTAT

Sixty counties in metropolitan areas have limited banking options, compared to 399 counties outside metro areas. Source: HAC tabulation of FDIC data.

OPPORTUNITIES

Veterans housing repair grants available.

Nonprofit organizations offering nationwide or statewide programs that primarily serve veterans or low-income individuals are eligible for the Veterans Housing Rehabilitation and Modification Pilot Program from HUD and VA. Grants may be used to modify or rehabilitate eligible veterans’ primary residences or to provide grantees’ affiliates with technical, administrative, and training support related to those services. Apply by August 24. For more information, contact Jovette Bryant, HUD, 877-787-2526.

HAC offers rural creative placemaking grants.

HAC’s 2022 Creative Placemaking for Rural Initiative, under USDA’s Rural Placemaking Innovation Challenge Initiative, will provide support and technical assistance to create and implement innovative placemaking strategies. USDA RD defines placemaking as a collaborative process among public, private, philanthropic, and community partners to strategically improve the social, cultural, and economic structure of a community. For more information, contact HAC staff, cpr@ruralhome.org.

CDFI Fund extends Equitable Recovery Program deadline.

The CDFI Equitable Recovery Program will make awards to certified Community Development Financial Institutions to expand lending, grant making, and investment activity in low- or moderate-Income communities and to borrowers, including minorities, that have significant unmet capital or financial services needs and were disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and to enable CDFIs to build organizational capacity to accomplish these activities. Applications are now due September 22. For more information, contact CDFI Fund staff, erp@cdfi.treas.gov, 202-653-0421.

REGULATIONS AND FEDERAL AGENCIES

Housing advocates push for more fundamental changes to the Community Reinvestment Act.

Shelterforce offers a roundup of feedback about the proposed CRA rule. Including explicit references to race, imposing stronger requirements for small banks serving rural areas, and making bank data available to the public are suggested. The deadline to submit comments is August 5.

Updated FAQs address Emergency Rental Assistance.

The Treasury Department has updated its Frequently Asked Questions on Emergency Rental Assistance for pandemic-impacted tenants. Among the changes, new answer 44 makes clear that ERA administrators may not impose additional eligibility criteria, including employment or job training requirements, as a condition of providing ERA assistance. Other new posts on the ERA site include a notice regarding ERA1 recapture for Tribal governments.

HUD proposes temporary Fair Market Rent calculation changes.

HUD’s methodology for calculating Fair Market Rents relies on the American Community Survey, but the Census Bureau is not releasing 2020 ACS data because of the pandemic’s impacts on data collection, so HUD proposes to changes the way it calculates FMRs for FY23.  Comments are due August 12. For more information, contact Adam Bibler, HUD, 202-402-6057.

Manufactured home code amendments suggested.

HUD proposes to adopt amendments to the Federal Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards, along with relevant regulations and installation standards, recommended by the Manufactured Housing Consensus Committee. Comments are due September 19. For more information, contact Teresa B. Payne, HUD, 202-402-2698.

USDA announces fees for some guaranteed loans.

FY23 fee rates will be effective October 1 with applications for guaranteed loans under USDA Rural Development’s Community Facilities, Water and Waste Disposal, Business and Industry, and Rural Energy for America programs. These fees may be adjusted after passage of final FY23 appropriations. For more information, contact Michele Brooks, USDA, 202-690-1078.

PUBLICATIONS AND MEDIA

Report quantifies “housing underproduction.”

Housing Underproduction™ in the U.S. 2022, published by Up for Growth, reports that the U.S. needed 3.8 million more homes in 2019, twice as many as in 2012. The report includes some rural data and some at the state level – noting, for example, that the extent of underproduction and the reasons for it vary from place to place – although it emphasizes metropolitan areas. The writers propose policy changes, but say that “socially vulnerable communities” need different, more targeted approaches.

Recommendations offered for building rural outdoor recreation economies.

Rural Outdoor Recreation Economies: Challenges and Opportunities, from the Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group, suggests tactics including collaborations, careful planning, workforce training, and requiring short-term rentals to be owner-occupied.

Survey found rising evictions in HUD properties.

A National Housing Law Project survey of legal aid attorneys found that in many places evictions in HUD-assisted housing are returning to pre-pandemic levels or higher. Tenants with housing vouchers have fared worse than tenants in public housing. Although HUD provided ways to adjust rents quickly, it did not require PHAs to use them and also did not require PHAs or voucher holders’ landlords to apply for emergency rental assistance, so many did not. The survey report includes recommendations for improvement.

Rural prosperity lessons summarized.

Learning Through Collaboration: Field Leaders Drive Critical Conversations, a post on the Aspen Institute’s community development blog, describes the work and learnings on equitable rural prosperity developed through the Rural Opportunity and Development (ROAD) collaboration among the Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group, HAC, the Rural Community Assistance Partnership, Rural LISC, and the Federal Reserve Board. For more information, contact Devin Deaton, Aspen Institute.

Some LIHTC properties have below market rents after leaving the program.

Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) at Risk examines the risks of expiring LIHTC restrictions and the outcomes for properties that exit the program. Freddie Mac researchers found that about 61% of units that left the LIHTC program remained affordable for tenants with incomes at 60% of area median. The analysis did not include properties outside metropolitan areas because they were considered to have a lower risk of exiting.

HAC

HAC seeks Training Coordinator; Portfolio Manager, Self Help Housing; and Loan Officer, Rental Preservation.

• The Training Coordinator will support the successful management and delivery of HAC’s training activities as well as its biennial National Rural Housing Conference. The role requires strong logistical training events experience, exceptional attention to detail, and a passion for creating high-quality training events for attendees. This position is eligible for telecommuting.
• The Portfolio Manager, Self Help Housing, is responsible for asset management, monitoring, and reporting for a portfolio of primarily self-help housing loans made to rural affordable housing entities throughout the U.S. These responsibilities include SHOP grant management and compliance activities. This position is eligible for telecommuting.
• The Loan Officer, Rental Preservation, conducts rental housing lending and preservation technical assistance activities. This work includes marketing, originating, and underwriting new loan transactions. The Loan Officer also provides hands-on technical assistance to nonprofits that are seeking to acquire and preserve existing USDA-financed (Section 515) rental developments. This position is eligible for telecommuting.

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 increasing some rural housing funding.

On June 23, the House Appropriations Committee approved a bill to fund USDA for fiscal year 2023, which begins on October 1, 2022. The measure would provide less funding for several rural housing programs than the administration’s budget requested. It would increase the Section 515 rental housing program and the MPR rental preservation program above current levels, but not as much as the administration proposed. It would raise the Rural Community Development Initiative capacity building program from this year’s $6 million to $8 million in FY23 rather than the $12 million USDA requested. The House bill does not adopt USDA’s proposal to “decouple” the Section 521 Rental Assistance program from the Section 515 and 514/516 programs, a change that would allow properties to continue to receive RA after their USDA mortgages end. Like USDA’s budget, the House bill would expand USDA’s pilot program for Native American mortgage lending, which provides funds to Native CDFIs to be reloaned to homebuyers. More details are available on HAC’s website.

House HUD appropriations bill proposes new vouchers and new manufactured housing program.

The House’s draft FY23 HUD funding bill would increase the department’s total funding above both its FY22 level and the amount requested in the administration’s budget. The House Appropriations Committee estimates the bill would fund more than 140,000 new housing vouchers and approximately 5,600 new units for seniors and persons with disabilities. It would provide $500 million for a new Manufactured Housing Improvement and Financing Program to preserve and revitalize manufactured homes and their communities (including pre-1976 mobile homes). It would also set aside $50 million in HOME funds for down payment assistance for first-time, first-generation home buyers. More details are available on HAC’s website. The House Transportation-HUD appropriations subcommittee will hold a markup on June 23 and the full House Appropriations Committee is scheduled to consider the bill on June 30.

Rural setaside included in major new HUD homeless funding initiative.

On June 22 HUD announced a $365 million Initiative for Unsheltered and Rural Homelessness. The funds will be distributed through Continuums of Care and public housing authorities; the application deadline for COCs is October 20. The initiative includes $54.5 million in CoC program grants designated for rural communities, prioritizing places that have high need but a history of being unable to access CoC grants. HUD is using congressionally granted authority to expand the eligible uses for these funds. Another $267.5 million will be targeted to 20-40 communities with high incidences of unsheltered homelessness. Finally, $43 million – approximately 4,000 new incremental vouchers – will be allocated to PHAs with a priority for those that are partners in comprehensive community approaches to solve homelessness. More details are available on HAC’s site.

Inequality widening despite some good news in overall housing markets, says annual study.

Higher interest rates are cooling the demand for market-rate housing and rental construction is increasing, but the affordability crisis is not likely to improve for lower-income households and households of color, according to a new State of the Nation’s Housing 2022 report from the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University. Purchases of second homes add to the stress in rural areas, JCHS reports, although remote work is less common now than earlier in the pandemic. The paper also notes that the existing housing stock needs investment to meet the demands of the aging population and the threats posed by climate change.

Rural Voices celebrates HAC.

With the title 50 Years of HAC, the latest issue of HAC’s Rural Voices magazine celebrates this milestone anniversary by considering the past 50 years while focusing on the next 50. It revisits some of the many rural communities in which HAC has worked, and it features visions of the future from rural places and rural housing leaders around the country.

RuralSTAT

Seven of 10 rural bankers in the Midwest described their local economy as expanding at the beginning of 2022, while only 6.7% indicated that their local economy was in a modest economic downturn. Source: Survey by Creighton University’s Heider College of Business.

OPPORTUNITIES

USDA offers water system funding.

• The Rural Decentralized Water Systems Grant Program enables nonprofits and Tribal lending institutions to create revolving loan funds or make sub-grants to low-income homeowners who need assistance constructing, refurbishing, or servicing household water well or wastewater systems. This program can be used in places with populations of up to 50,000. Applications are due July 31. For more information, contact Lola Maratita, USDA, 615-714-8883.
• The Revolving Fund Program makes grants to nonprofits to create revolving loan funds to build and improve water and wastewater disposal systems operated by state and local governmental entities, nonprofits, and Tribes in places with populations of 10,000 or less. Applications are due July 31. For more information, contact a local USDA RD office.

Lead hazard reduction and research funds announced.

• HUD’s Lead Hazard Reduction Program funds efforts to identify and control lead-based paint hazards in privately owned rental or owner-occupied housing. Local governments, some state governments, and some Tribes are eligible, and consortium applicants may include nonprofits. Apply by August 8. For more information, contact Yolanda Brown, HUD, 202-903-9576.
• The Lead and Healthy Homes Technical Studies Grant Program funds state, local, and Tribal governments, nonprofit and for-profit entities, and others to conduct studies to improve knowledge of housing-related health and safety hazards and to improve or develop new hazard assessment and control methods. Applications are due July 17. For more information, contact Kofi Berko, Jr., HUD, 202-402-7696.

Creative placemaking grants available from NEA.

Our Town or Nuestra Ciudad, the creative placemaking grants program of the National Endowment for the Arts, offers grants from $25,000 to $150,000 with a 1:1 match requirement. The program supports activities that integrate arts, culture, and design into local efforts to advance local economic, physical, or social outcomes. These projects require a partnership between a nonprofit organization and a local government entity, with one of the partners being a cultural organization. The first part of the application is due August 4. For more information, contact NEA staff, OT@arts.gov.

USDA 502 packaging class offered online.

This upcoming Section 502 Direct Certified Loan Packager Course is full, but the waitlist remains open! HAC will present a virtual five-day advanced course on July 25-29 preparing participants to take the loan packaging certification exam for USDA’s Section 502 direct loan program. This course is for those experienced in utilizing Section 502 and/or other affordable housing mortgage products. The registration fee is $500. For more information, contact HAC staff, registration@ruralhome.org, 202-516-6271.

REGULATIONS AND FEDERAL AGENCIES

Input requested on proposed inspection standards.

Comments are due August 1 on inspection standards that will become part of implementing HUD’s proposed rule on National Standards for the Physical Inspection of Real Estate (NSPIRE), aligning housing quality requirements and inspection standards across programs. HUD is also suggesting changes to its previously proposed list of life-threatening conditions and incorporating them into the NSPIRE inspection standards. For more information, contact Marcel M. Jemio, HUD, 202-708-1112.

HUD to create Tribal advisory committee.

HUD requests comments on its planned creation of a Tribal Intergovernmental Advisory Committee, to be made up of duly elected Tribal leaders representing small, medium, and large federally recognized Tribes. The committee is intended to further communications between HUD and federally recognized Tribes on HUD programs, make recommendations and provide advice to HUD, and encourage peer learning and capacity building among Tribes and non-Tribal entities. Comments are due August 22. For more information, contact Heidi J. Frechette, HUD, 202-402-7598.

Changes in fair lending oversight recommended.

A Government Accountability Office review found problems in the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency’s oversight of national banks’ compliance with fair lending laws. Fair Lending: Opportunities Exist to Enhance OCC’s Oversight of Banks’ Lending Practices explains that OCC made major process changes in 2018, after which the number of fair lending exams of smaller banks dropped sharply. It also used outdated examination guidance, examiners sometimes followed procedures inconsistently, and it did not assess the effects of its process changes. GAO reports that OCC has planned actions to address its recommendations.

Pilot aims to assist farmworkers and employers.

USDA has announced it will work with other federal agencies to develop a pilot program that will address challenges both workers and employers face in using the H-2A visa program and will improve working conditions for both U.S. farmworkers and H-2A workers. USDA plans to consult stakeholders and the United Farm Workers of America as it develops a competitive pilot program for launch ahead of the growing season in early 2023.

PUBLICATIONS AND MEDIA

Interactive graphics show relief aided renters during pandemic but underlying issues remain.

Relief Measures Reduced Hardship for Renters During Pandemic, but Many Still Struggle to Pay Rent in Every State, developed by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, shows how relief measures such as the national eviction moratorium and the Emergency Rental Assistance program reduced hardship for renters, but only temporarily. People of color and families with children, as well as low-income residents in the Southeastern U.S., were most likely to fall behind on rent payments.

3D-printed homes to be developed in rural Virginia.

Project Virginia will develop 200 3D-printed homes in Virginia to serve as workforce housing. The first two are being built in Pulaski, in a region seeing high growth for tech jobs. Project developer Alquist 3D anticipates that 3D-printed homes will help ease affordability issues as more jobs move in.

HAC

HAC seeks Loan Officer for Rental Preservation and Housing Specialist – Native American Communities.

• The Loan Officer, Rental Preservation, conducts rental housing lending and preservation technical assistance activities. This work includes marketing, originating, and underwriting new loan transactions in the Loan Fund Division. The Loan Officer also provides hands-on technical assistance to nonprofits that are seeking to acquire and preserve existing USDA-financed (Section 515) rental developments. This position is eligible for telecommuting.
• The Housing Specialist – Native American Communities is responsible for providing direct technical assistance, coaching, and training to tribal communities, tribal housing departments, tribal housing authorities, and nonprofit organizations serving tribal communities. Travel is required. This position is eligible for telecommuting.

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).

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TOP STORIES

White House releases housing supply plan.

Citing burdensome housing costs and a shortfall of available units, on May 16 the Biden-Harris Administration released a Housing Supply Action Plan that includes administrative and legislative proposals to improve existing housing finance mechanisms. It also calls on Congress to establish a Housing Supply Fund and incentivize zoning reform to accelerate the building of more housing nationwide. HAC’s statement on the plan applauds the administration for designing and including several provisions specifically with rural markets in mind.

Rural homelessness bill passes House committee.

The House Committee on Financial Services approved several bills on May 18 including the Flexibility in Addressing Rural Homelessness Act, H.R. 7196. The bill, introduced by Reps. Cindy Axne (D-IA) and Frank Lucas (R-OK), would give rural Continuums of Care more flexibility in using their funding, allowing them to pay for short-term emergency lodging, including in motels or hotels; repairs to make existing housing habitable; and capacity building.

Senate subcommittee hears Torres Small on rural housing.

On May 25, USDA Under Secretary for Rural Development Xochitl Torres Small appeared at a hearing titled Examining the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Housing Service, held by the Senate Banking Committee’s Housing Subcommittee. Her testimony focused on the importance of the funds and actions proposed in the administration’s budget request, including the Rural Partnership Program and support for rental preservation efforts. USDA will need $10 billion in the MPR preservation program by 2033 to preserve 137,000 units, she said; without “robust funding,” USDA will lose 333,780 of its approximately 400,000 rental units by 2050. Questions from Senators attending the hearing recognized the need for these units, the positive potential of the Section 502 Single Family Housing Direct Loan Relending Program for Native Americans, and opportunities to improve agency processes, staffing, and technology.

Vilsack appears before Senate committee.

USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack was the only witness at a May 26 Senate Agriculture Committee hearing on Opportunities and Challenges Facing Farmers, Families, and Rural Communities, which focused primarily on agriculture topics. Responding to Senators’ questions, Vilsack expressed a commitment to equity for Black and underserved stakeholders, support for immigration reform including the H-2A visa program, and intentions to hire additional Rural Development field staff if Congress appropriates the necessary funding.

Manufactured housing hearing set for May 26.

The House Transportation-HUD Appropriations Subcommittee is holding a hearing May 26 on Manufactured Housing: Supporting America’s Largest Unsubsidized Affordable Housing Stock, with HAC’s Director of Research and information, Lance George, among the witnesses. His testimony explains the importance of manufactured homes as affordable housing in rural America and the challenges facing manufactured housing residents, owners, and communities. It suggests that new research is needed to inform evidence-based solutions and that Congress could help address pressing challenges by providing grants for land acquisition by resident owned cooperatives, other mission-focused nonprofits, and public sector housing agencies, as well as financing for individual homeowners.

RuralSTAT

More than half of all manufactured homes are located in rural areas around the country and manufactured homes make up 14% of all occupied homes in rural and small-town communities. Source: Housing Assistance Council tabulations of the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2016-2020 American Community Survey.

OPPORTUNITIES

Housing Preservation Grants available.

USDA will make Section 533 Housing Preservation Grants to nonprofits, state and local governments, and tribes for repair or rehabilitation of rental or owner-occupied housing for low- and very low-income rural residents. Preapplications are due July 11. For more information, contact a USDA Rural Development State Office.

HUD offers service coordinator funds.

Nonprofits, PHAs, tribes, Tribally Designated Housing Entities, and resident associations can apply by July 18 for Resident Opportunity and Self-Sufficiency Service Coordinator grants to hire staff who assess the needs of public and Indian housing residents and link them to training and supportive services. For more information, contact HUD’s ROSS Program Office, 202-402-3624, ROSS-PIH@HUD.gov.

Owners of USDA-funded properties invited to host summer meals.

Rental housing and Community Facilities sites funded by USDA Rural Development can host the Summer Food Service Program operated by the Food and Nutrition Service for low-income children and teens. Local sponsoring organizations prepare the meals and deliver them. For more information, contact USDA Summer Food Service Program staff.

REGULATIONS AND FEDERAL AGENCIES

Census reports on accuracy of state-level data.

The Census Bureau’s Post-Enumeration Survey, one of the tools used to evaluate the accuracy of the 2020 Census, estimated there were no statistically significant undercounts or overcounts of population in 36 states and D.C., undercounts in six states, and overcounts in eight. Reliable estimates are not available for demographic characteristics or geographic areas within states. In March, Census reported estimated national undercounts for renters and Black or African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, some other race, and Hispanic or Latino populations, as well as children under age 5 and working age men. The remainder of the PES estimates, including results for housing units, and undercount and overcount rates for Puerto Rico, are expected to be released this summer.

Family Self-Sufficiency program changes implemented.

HUD has published a final rule putting 2018 legislative changes into effect for the Family Self-Sufficiency program. Revisions include expanding the definition of eligible families to include tenants of privately owned multifamily properties with Project-Based Rental Assistance. PHAs and property owners must comply with this rule by November 14. For more information related to public and Indian housing, email questions to FSS@hud.gov; related to privately owned properties, email MF_FSS@hud.gov.

Thompson confirmed as FHFA director.

On May 25, the Senate confirmed Sandra L. Thompson to serve a five-year term as director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency. She has been the agency’s acting director since June 2021.

Placemaking toolkit offered.

USDA and the University of Kentucky’s Community and Economic Development Initiative of Kentucky have created a digital Rural America Placemaking Toolkit intended to help rural leaders build placemaking plans. It covers conducting assessments, provides examples of placemaking projects, and includes information about technical assistance providers, funders, and resources.

Guidance covers design/build and construction management for USDA Community Facilities.

Replacing earlier guidance that has expired, USDA explains the process of obtaining agency approval for use of design/build or construction management services for Community Facilities projects. While USDA allows for the contracting of such all-in-one services, when the contract exceeds $250,000 prior approval must be obtained from the National Office. For more information, contact a USDA Rural Development State Office.

USDA tenant data shows emergency aid dramatically reduced cost burden.

USDA’s annual report on the characteristics of tenants in Section 515 and 514 properties shows that in October 2021 there were 108 fewer Section 515 properties and 25 fewer farm labor housing properties than in 2020, a total reduction of 1,709 units. The average household income rose by 3.78% to $14,665. Tenant households receiving Section 521 Rental Assistance saw a 7.13% increase in income to $12,501. The number of resident households paying more than 30 percent of their income for rent fell sharply from 41,121 in 2020 to 3,227 in 2021. USDA attributed this 92% decrease to the emergency rental assistance funds made available because of the coronavirus pandemic.

PUBLICATIONS AND MEDIA

Wildfire risk calculated across the U.S.

First Street Foundation has developed a model to estimate the risk of wildfire on a property-by-property basis across the U.S. now and up to 30 years in the future. Reports by the New York Times and Washington Post use First Street’s data to create interactive maps and graphics. First Street’s online Risk Factor tool also includes information about flood risk.

Local nonprofit capacity impacted distribution of pandemic rent aid.

An Uneven Housing Safety Net: Disparities in the Disbursement of Emergency Rental Assistance and the Role of Local Institutional Capacity, published by the Terner Center for Housing Innovation at the University of California at Berkeley, explores county-level take-up of federal Emergency Rental Assistance funding along with data about local governmental and nonprofit capacity, preexisting economic hardship, and pandemic-related impacts on employment. Researchers found that, while ERA is reaching many eligible households, counties that had higher levels of economic distress before the pandemic and where local nonprofit networks are less resourced also had relatively lower ERA take-up rates. Many of these counties are outside metropolitan areas.

Rural data helps address persistent poverty.

Filling the Data Gap in Rural America, written by Partners for Rural Transformation and published by Forbes, highlights how HAC works to increase access to data about rural America to better address rural housing challenges and persistent poverty.

Study describes rural Missouri renters’ concerns.

The State of Missouri Tenants: Listening to Tenants in America’s Heartland and a related podcast report on interviews with rural renters around the state conducted by KCTenants in 2021. While physical housing conditions and costs were the problems mentioned most often statewide, researchers found differences based on type of housing. In privately owned apartment complexes and manufactured home parks, affordability was the biggest tenant concern. In public housing (where rents are limited based on income), housing conditions were the major problem. Tenants who were Black or other people of color reported a higher incidence of problems than those who were white.

Iowa county’s growth plan: increase Latino population.

A Rural County in Iowa That Supported Trump Turns to Latinos to Grow, a Washington Post story, describes efforts in rural Greene County, Iowa to address chronic population decline by recruiting Latino residents. The county has jobs available, is trying to address a shortage of housing, and plans to educate residents about their new neighbors.

Guide covers partnerships for rural healthcare.

A Playbook for New Rural Healthcare Partnership Models of Investments, released by the Build Healthy Places Network, is intended to assist healthcare organizations that want to pursue partnerships with local community and economic development and other sectors in rural areas to create the community conditions that support improved community health.

Preparing for weather emergencies saves lives.

10 Tips for Rural Dwellers to Prepare for Emergencies, an article from Next Avenue, provides advice for rural residents to get ready for natural disasters. In addition to stocking up on supplies, food, and equipment, the author recommends creating a communication plan for your family and networking with your community.

HAC

HAC seeks Housing Specialist and Community Placemaking Manager.

• The Housing Specialist is based primarily in either the Southwest or Western states (within two hours of a major airport) and works with local partner organizations to identify financial resources and funding opportunities to support the preservation and development of affordable housing and community and economic development strategies specifically throughout expanses of Southwest and/or Western rural America. This position is remote location eligible.
• The Community Placemaking Manager helps rural residents use their unique artistic and cultural resources to guide local development and shape the future design of their communities. The manager will cultivate the capacity of partner organizations and local communities, facilitate peer-to-peer learning engagements, manage day-to-day program functions and activities, communicate program success, and prepare funding applications. Travel is required. This position is telecommuting eligible.

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).