HAC News Formats. pdf

April 1, 2021

Vol. 50, No. 7

 

TOP STORIES

Eviction moratorium extended through June 30.

The Centers for Disease Control has extended the nationwide eviction moratorium through June 30, with some changes in wording. CDC also posted a new checklist version of the Eviction Protection Declaration for tenants to use. USDA RD announced that the moratorium applies to tenants in USDA-assisted properties. For more information, property owners and management agents can contact their RD servicing representative (on the linked page, click the Contact tab). Tenants can request information from HUD-certified housing counseling agencies.

Agencies announce eviction moratorium enforcement.

After the eviction moratorium was extended on March 29, the Federal Trade Commission and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau warned they “will not tolerate illegal practices” by landlords or property managers trying to evict tenants who cannot pay rent for reasons related to the pandemic. Their joint statement asserts that “both agencies will be monitoring and investigating eviction practices, particularly by major multistate landlords, eviction management services, and private equity firms, to ensure that they are complying with the law.” Evictions that violate the moratorium, as well as other unlawful debt collection practices, can be reported to the CFPB at www.consumerfinance.gov/complaint/ or 855-411-2372.

Infrastructure proposal includes housing, broadband and a new Rural Partnership Program.

The administration released a summary of its sweeping infrastructure proposal on March 31, including several provisions relevant to HAC News readers. HAC supports the inclusion of increased rural housing resources in the infrastructure plan, especially around USDA multifamily preservation and capacity building.

• Acknowledging the severe shortage of affordable housing options in the United States, the White House would invest $213 billion to produce, preserve and retrofit affordable homes, including 500,000 for low- and middle-income homebuyers. The summary does not indicate how most of these funds would be administered, though it does allocate $40 billion for public housing capital needs.
• The administration proposes a new $5 billion Rural Partnership Program “to help rural regions, including Tribal Nations, build on their unique assets and realize their vision for inclusive community and economic development” by supporting locally led planning and capacity building efforts through flexible funding mechanisms.
• The proposal calls for building high-speed broadband infrastructure to reach everyone in the country.
• Rural, tribal and underserved areas are mentioned throughout the proposal, including in the housing section.

HUD withdraws proposed rule on mixed-status families.

In 2019 HUD proposed to change its regulations regarding assistance to families with mixed immigration status. Instead of continuing to allow such families to live in HUD-assisted housing and prorating the amount of their assistance to cover only the eligible family members, the proposal would have prohibited aid to the entire family. The rule was never finalized, and HUD has now withdrawn it.

HAC and NEA present rural photography exhibit.

With support from the National Endowment for the Arts, HAC launched There is More Work to Be Done, a virtual exhibition celebrating the work of acclaimed photographer George “Elfie” Ballis (1925-2010), a long-time friend of HAC and rural housing, along with photos and stories from contemporary photographers who worked with community-based housing organizations in California, Kentucky and Mississippi to capture collective progress while exposing the work that must continue.

HAC celebrates SHOP’s 25th anniversary.

March 26 was the 25th anniversary of HUD’s Self-Help Homeownership Opportunity Program. Over these 25 years, HAC has received and invested over $120 million through SHOP to build 9,896 self-help homes. As the only national SHOP grantee with a specific focus on rural homes, we’re proud of the difference our SHOP investments make in rural America. To celebrate this anniversary, HAC featured a story about the impact of one of our SHOP grantees: Northwest Regional Housing Authority in Harrison, Arkansas.

April is Fair Housing Month.

HUD’s theme for the month is Fair Housing: More Than Just Words. Scheduled events include a virtual celebration on April 7.

 

RuralSTAT

From 2019 to 2020, the number of people experiencing unsheltered homelessness in largely rural Continuums of Care increased by 8.3%, higher than in other geographies and higher than the 7.5% increase nationwide. Source: 2020 Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress, HUD.

 

OPPORTUNITIES

Paycheck Protection Program extended.

The PPP Extension Act of 2021, signed into law by President Biden on March 30, sets May 31 as the new deadline for small businesses to request PPP loans.

Health hazard reduction funds available for PHAs and IHAs.

The deadline is May 25 for public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities to apply for competitive grants to evaluate and reduce housing-related hazards, including carbon monoxide and mold, in public housing. For more information, contact HUD staff.

Equipment makers encouraged to partner with rural nonprofits.   

The Association of Equipment Manufacturers has released a Workforce Solutions Toolkit designed to improve manufacturers’ approach to workforce development. It includes a section on specific challenges in rural places and recommends partnering with local nonprofits to maximize impact. For more information, contact Julie Davis, AEM.

HAC job opening: Community Facilities Housing Specialist.

The Community Facilities Housing Specialist identifies and engages community stakeholders and provides direct technical assistance to rural organizations that are developing facilities such as parks, community centers, public libraries and childcare centers. This includes helping them identify, utilize and apply for financial resources such as USDA Community Facilities grants and loans. This a two-year position and is eligible for telecommuting.

 

REGULATIONS AND FEDERAL AGENCIES

Input sought on new Rural Energy Pilot Program.

USDA RD requests comments by April 29 on its new Rural Energy Pilot Program, which received $10 million in USDA’s FY 2021 appropriation to help rural communities develop renewable energy. RD will hold an online listening session on April 22. For more information, contact Anthony Crooks, USDA, 202-205-9322.

House hearing examines the state of Black farmers in the U.S.

A House Agriculture Committee hearing on March 25 included testimony from six farmers and farmer advocates as well as Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, covering USDA’s history of discrimination and advice for the $5 billion in debt relief and other aid provided by the American Rescue Plan Act.

Mortgage data collection required for 2021.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has ended several policies, put in place near the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, that allowed banks and other lenders flexibility in complying with a variety of requirements, including the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act. HMDA data on applications and approvals for mortgage finance will be required again beginning with transactions finalized in 2021. For more information, contact Zixta Q. Martinez, CBPP, 202-435-7204.

USDA revises domestic violence guidance for rental properties.

A March 15, 2021 Unnumbered Letter revises guidance published in November, correcting errors and omissions in the earlier version.

 

PUBLICATIONS AND MEDIA

HUD reports homelessness increased before the pandemic.

The just-released 2020 Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress shows about 580,000 people experienced homelessness in the U.S. on one night in January 2020, with about 18% of them in HUD-defined “largely rural” Continuums of Care. Unsheltered homelessness increased, as it has every year since 2015, although the total is still lower than it was in 2007. About 20% of people experiencing unsheltered homelessness were in largely rural CoCs. HUD has posted data at the national, state and CoC levels.

Guides offer fair housing tools for limited English proficiency.

A Language Access Guide prepared by the Intermountain Fair Housing Council in Idaho provides information and tools for housing providers and consumers, both with and without federal assistance. It explains what requirements apply and what remedies are available for persons with limited English proficiency. The guide is in English but links to numerous resources, some of which are available in other languages. HUD has also released a Housing Counseling Limited English Proficiency Toolkit for its counseling agencies.

“How to improve public health, the environment and racial equity all at once: upgrade low-income housing.”

An environmental health researcher argues that retrofitting and rehabilitating affordable housing saves money, improves the health of residents, and helps the environment.

 Fracking left Appalachian counties’ economies worse, research found.

Appalachia’s Natural Gas Counties: Contributing More to the U.S. Economy and Getting Less in Return reports the findings of an Ohio River Valley Institute analysis of data from the 22 counties that produce 90% of the region’s natural gas. While natural gas production increased economic output by 60%, little of the income benefited local economies. The data indicated scant job growth and a declining population in many of the counties involved.

“Census data delay scrambles plans for state redistricting.”

The delay in completing the 2020 Census and releasing the data has added cost, confusion and instability to the redistricting process and will likely come with legal challenges, this AP article explains. Each state will handle the delay in its own way – according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, only about half the states require using the census data for redistricting – but those with 2022 primaries face a time crunch.

 

HAC

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).

HAC News Formats. pdf

March 4, 2021

Vol. 50, No. 5

TOP STORIES
House passes coronavirus relief, Senate begins considering amendments.

On February 27 the House passed the American Rescue Plan Act (H.R. 1319). Beginning on March 4, the Senate will consider changes before it votes on the measure. Then its version will go back to the House for approval. The goal is to complete the process by March 14, when the enhanced unemployment benefits authorized in the December relief bill will expire.

CDC eviction moratorium still in effect despite court ruling.

The Justice Department has appealed a ruling by a federal district court in Texas, which held that the Centers for Disease Control’s eviction moratorium is unconstitutional. As Justice’s press release explains, the decision does not apply to any other landlords or tenants beyond this specific case and the moratorium remains in effect. A National Low Income Housing Coalition fact sheet cites three other federal district court decisions that upheld the moratorium. The National Housing Law Project provides a legal analysis of the Texas ruling.

Treasury updates FAQ on Emergency Rental Assistance program.

The Biden administration has revised the Treasury Department’s guidance on its program to provide pandemic relief rental assistance to state and local governments. The new document removes or modifies onerous requirements added by the previous administration.

HAC webinar to discuss proposed change to metropolitan area definition.

On Tuesday, March 9 at 2:00 Eastern time HAC will offer a webinar titled Redefining “Nonmetro”: What Does the Proposed Metropolitan Area Definition Change Mean for Rural America? The Office of Management and Budget’s definition of outside metropolitan areas, often used as a proxy for “rural” areas, is also frequently used by federal and state agencies to distribute billions of dollars in federal resources and to make policy decisions. Comments are due March 19 on proposed modifications to the metropolitan area definition that could substantially impact rural communities.

365 days of COVID-19 in rural America.

The first case of COVID-19 outside metropolitan areas was reported on February 20, 2020. One year later, there are more than 4 million reported cases of COVID-19 and 78,500 associated deaths in communities outside metropolitan areas. All counties outside metro areas have reported COVID cases and 96% have COVID-related deaths. HAC’s most recent analysis of data on the coronavirus pandemic’s impact includes illness and death rates, geographic distribution, economic and employment impacts and housing implications.

March is Women’s History Month.

Information and federal events are posted here.

RuralSTAT

From February 20, 2020 through February 20, 2021, approximately 14.4% of total reported COVID-19 cases in the U.S. and 15.7% of deaths were in rural communities. Source: HAC tabulations of New York Times data. For more information, visit HAC’s most recent update on the pandemic’s impact in rural America.

OPPORTUNITIES

HUD offers grant funds to modify homes for seniors.

Nonprofits, state and local governments, and PHAs can apply by May 4 for the Older Adult Home Modification Program to improve living conditions for low-income homeowners age 62 or older. Half the total funds available will go to “substantially rural” places, defined generally as places with populations under 50,000. For more information, contact  Yolanda A. Brown, HUD, 202-402-7596.

Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design applications due March 12.

Up to four communities will be selected for a local Design Workshop and up to 15 communities will join CIRD’s expert-led online Design Learning Cohort program. Rural communities with populations less than 50,000 are eligible. CIRD encourages applications from nonprofits, tribal or municipal governments, regional planning organizations and other community partners. More details are available in recordings of a Facebook LIVE session and an informational webinar.

HAC job openings: Housing Specialist, Community Facilities Housing Specialist.

For details, visit HAC’s website.

• The Housing Specialist 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. At least four years of relevant nonprofit or tribal organization work experience is required. Bilingual proficiency in English and Spanish is preferred.
• The Community Facilities Housing Specialist identifies and engages community stakeholders and provides direct technical assistance to rural organizations that are developing facilities such as parks, community centers, public libraries and childcare centers. This includes helping them identify, utilize and apply for financial resources such as USDA Community Facilities grants and loans. This a two-year position and is eligible for telecommuting.

CORONAVIRUS

New reports examine rental assistance programs and racial equity.

COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance: Analysis of a National Survey of Programs reviews the characteristics of 220 coronavirus-related state and local rental assistance programs, explores their outcomes and describes lessons learned for the future. Advancing Racial Equity in Emergency Rental Assistance Programs highlights lessons about strategies states and localities can use to make their emergency rental assistance programs more equitable. Both reports were prepared by the NYU Furman Center, the Housing Initiative at Penn and the National Low Income Housing Coalition.

11 million households significantly overdue on rents and mortgages.

Housing Insecurity and the COVID-19 Pandemic, a new report from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, examines households at heightened risk of losing their homes to foreclosure or eviction. African-American and Hispanic households were more than twice as likely to report being behind on their payments as white households, and over 28% of manufactured home residents could not make their housing payments in December 2020.

Approaches to vaccinating farmworkers vary widely.

Three stories published on March 1 demonstrate the uncertainties about vaccinations for these essential, high-risk laborers. In Thousands of Farmworkers Are Prioritized for the Coronavirus Vaccine, the New York Times describes how the Riverside County, Calif. health department is vaccinating Coachella Valley farmworkers at their worksites without long waits in line or issues around citizenship. California is shifting its program away from county agencies, however, the Los Angeles Times says in Vaccine Rollout for Farmworkers is Fraught with Confusion and Bad Timing. A report by Documented is titled New York Farmworkers Removed From Vaccine Eligibility Without Explanation. An earlier article by the Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting, The CDC Recommended States Prioritize Farmworkers for the COVID-19 Vaccine. A Few Large Agricultural States Have Not, describes the approaches taken in Florida and Texas.

“How are Rural Areas Doing with COVID-19 Vaccinations? A Look at 3 Regions.”

This Healthline article discusses some of the challenges with administering the COVID vaccines in rural areas, highlighting interviews in Ohio, the Navajo Nation and North Carolina.

Rural public transit struggling during the pandemic.

More than a million rural households do not own vehicles and often depend on informal arrangements, ridesharing and public transportation to get around. The coronavirus pandemic has placed a strain on public transit options as services are contracted to accommodate shrinking budgets and ridership. The Institute for Policy Studies recommends increasing the amount of federal funding for transportation and changing the way that funding is allocated to create a more equitable system.

REGULATIONS AND FEDERAL AGENCIES

Senate approves Vilsack for USDA, committee holds hearing on Chopra for CFPB.

Tom Vilsack has been sworn in as Secretary of Agriculture after the full Senate approved his nomination on February 23. The Senate has not yet voted on the nomination of Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-OH) for Secretary of HUD. On March 2 the Senate Banking Committee held a hearing with Rohit Chopra, President Biden’s nominee to direct the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Census proposes revising urban definition.

The Census Bureau invites input on changing its criteria for defining urban areas to focus on housing unit density rather than population density. An area would qualify as urban if it contains at least 4,000 housing units or has a population of at least 10,000 – increasing the current population threshold of 2,500. Places that do not fit the urban definition are considered rural.  Comments are due May 20. For more information, contact  Vincent Osier, Census, 301-763-1128.

USDA requests comments on Rural eConnectivity broadband program.

A final rule for the Rural eConnectivity Program (ReConnect), which provides loans, grants and loan/grant combinations to facilitate broadband deployment in rural areas, goes into effect on April 27, the same date comments are due. For more information, contact  Laurel Leverrier, RUS, 202-720-9556.

RD clarifies priority access to rental properties after disasters.

An email from USDA RD’s multifamily housing office reminds stakeholders that tenants displaced by disasters are eligible for priority access to available units at RD rental properties. Their status may be documented by either an RD-issued Letter of Priority Engagement (for tenants from RD properties) or a registration letter issued by FEMA (for tenants from any properties). For more information, or to request a temporary waiver, property owners and management agents should contact their RD servicing representative (on the linked page, click the Contact tab). Tenants impacted by disasters can locate RD properties here and register with FEMA here or at 800-621-3362.

PUBLICATIONS AND MEDIA

“Philanthropy’s rural blind spot.”

This article in the spring 2021 issue of the Stanford Social Innovation Review examines the disparity between philanthropic giving in rural and urban areas and ways to address the gap. The authors define distressed communities as those with shortages of both human capital and economic advantage. They note that places without human capital are less likely to apply for philanthropic funding, so “if funders evaluate their grantmaking by considering only grant applications received, they are likely overestimating their equity in giving.” Many rural communities fall in this “blind spot.” Several examples show how funders can successfully modify their operations and programming to better serve these places.

“Tulare County’s homeless to be thrown off their levee sanctuary.”

This story and accompanying photographs published by Capital & Main describe law enforcement removals of encampments in Tulare County, Calif. where other affordable housing is not available. Author David Bacon is a California-based independent journalist and photographer who worked recently with HAC on a National Endowment for the Arts funded photography project. HAC will announce additional details on the photography exhibit soon.

“‘One thing after another’: Rural Texans faced the same storm – with unique hardships.”

The Texas Tribune describes how rural residents experienced a loss of water, power and heat after February’s storm, as well as issues from being isolated and having to care for livestock and crops.

HAC

Need capital for your affordable housing project?
HAC’s loan funds provide 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, farmworker, senior and veteran housing. HAC loan funds can be used for pre-development, site acquisition, site development and construction/rehabilitation. 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).

HAC News Formats. pdf

February 4, 2021

Vol. 50, No. 3

TOP STORIES

Jamal Habibi named Chief of Staff for the Rural Housing Service.

Habibi was most recently a Senior Associate at the Opportunity Finance Network. During the Obama Administration, he served as Outreach Director at the Department of Treasury and as a Special Assistant at USDA. The Biden administration has not yet named an Administrator for RHS or an Under Secretary for Rural Development.

Vilsack and Fudge nominations move forward.

On February 2 the Senate Agriculture Committee held a hearing on former USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack’s nomination to head the department again and then voted to send the nomination to the full Senate, which may hold its vote this week. Housing was not discussed during the hearing, but Vilsack and Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) agreed that capacity building is important for rural development, specifically mentioning areas of persistent poverty. The Senate Banking Committee is scheduled to vote February 4 on Rep. Marcia Fudge’s nomination to become Secretary of HUD, after a hearing on January 28.

PPP forgiveness rules revised.

A Treasury Department interim rule implementing changes to the forgiveness and review of Paycheck Protection Program loans will be published in the Federal Register on February 5. The rule is effective immediately, but public comments are invited and will be due in early March. For more information, contact the Small Business Administration’s call center, 833-572-0502, or an SBA field office.

Biden addresses fair housing, tribal consultation and immigration public charge restrictions.

Actions taken by the new administration since January 20 include the following.

• A Memorandum on Redressing Our Nation’s and the Federal Government’s History of Discriminatory Housing Practices and Policies recognizes serious inequities in housing, their impact on other areas, and the role of the federal government in creating them. It orders HUD to review the Trump administration’s regulations on affirmatively furthering fair housing and disparate impact.
• A Memorandum on Tribal Consultation and Strengthening Nation-to-Nation Relationships gives federal departments and agencies 90 days to develop, in consultation with tribes, detailed plans of actions they will take to implement a November 2000 executive order that requires agencies to engage in regular, meaningful, and robust consultation with tribal officials in the development of federal policies that have tribal implications.
• An Executive Order on Restoring Faith in Our Legal Immigration Systems and Strengthening Integration and Inclusion Efforts for New Americans focuses on several issues related to immigration, including directing federal agencies to review the Trump administration’s public charge rules and “address concerns about the current public charge policies’ effect on the integrity of the Nation’s immigration system and public health.”

Eviction moratorium official documentation published.

On January 29 the Centers for Disease Control moratorium on evictions was formally extended through the end of March. USDA implemented the longer moratorium and extended some other flexibilities for multifamily properties with USDA financing. HUD extended its moratorium for residents with assistance through its Public and Indian housing programs. Federal Housing Administration moratoriums on foreclosure and eviction of homeowners were also extended through March 31.

February is Black History Month.

RuralSTAT

There are 647 rural and small-town census tracts where African Americans make up the majority of the population. Source: Housing Assistance Council tabulations of the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2014-2018 American Community Survey.

OPPORTUNITIES

Section 514/516 farmworker housing funds available.

USDA’s funding notice provides the schedule for three application rounds in 2021 and 2022. Pre-applications are due April 1, 2021 for the first round and November 1, 2022 for the third round. For more information, contact Jonathan Bell, USDA, 254-742-9764.

Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design now open for applications! 

This year, the CIRD program is being led by the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with HAC and the design lead, Omar Hakeem of TBD Studio. CIRD will offer four local Design Workshops that address specific community challenges, and an online Design Learning Cohort program that will allow up to 15 communities to engage in peer learning and expert-led sessions online. Communities of 50,000 or less are eligible to apply for the programs by March 12. CIRD encourages applications from nonprofits, tribal or municipal governments, regional planning organizations and other community partners. Click here to view the request for applications and register here for a February 9 informational webinar to learn more and ask questions.

Native homeownership development training offered.

Enterprise Community Partners’ Rural and Native American Program will select 25 participants for Enhancing and Implementing Homeownership Programs in Native Communities training. The curriculum consists of 12 online sessions beginning March 25, including nuts and bolts of homeownership and other topics. Tribes, tribally designated housing entities, community development organizations, and Native CDFIs are eligible to apply by the February 22 deadline.

Project engages youth in exploring their town’s past and thinking about its future.

Rural communities can apply by March 15 for Coming Home: Stories from Main Street, a new collaboration between the Rural Community Assistance Partnership and the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum on Main Street program. The program is flexible, to work with each organization’s existing resources with the goal of helping strengthen or develop new relationships, particularly with kids, youth groups, teachers or schools. For more information, contact the MoMS Youth Program Coordinator, 973-617-7485.

HAC job openings: Community Facilities Housing Specialist, Loan Officer, Senior Portfolio Manager.

For details, visit HAC’s website.

• The Community Facilities Housing Specialist identifies and engages community stakeholders and provides direct technical assistance to rural organizations that are developing facilities such as parks, community centers, public libraries and childcare centers. This includes helping them identify, utilize and apply for financial resources such as USDA Community Facilities grants and loans. This a two-year position and is eligible for telecommuting.
• The Loan Officer represents HAC in its lending activities – to include loan underwriting, marketing, and research and product development – and originates new loan transactions. This position is based in HAC’s Washington, DC headquarters and is eligible for telecommuting.
• The Senior Portfolio Manager provides leadership and oversight to a team that performs a range of lending activities – closing, disbursement, monitoring, servicing and asset management of single-family and multifamily housing development loans. This position is based in HAC’s Washington, DC headquarters and is eligible for telecommuting.

CORONAVIRUS

Research and recommendations issued for emergency rental assistance programs.

In a January 25 letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, HAC provided suggestions to ensure that rural areas are equitably served in the Emergency Rental Assistance program. COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance: Analysis of a National Survey of Programs, a research brief from the University of Pennsylvania, the NYU Furman Center and the National Low Income Housing Coalition, presents the results of an in-depth survey of 220 COVID-19 rental assistance programs across the country and extracts lessons learned that should inform such programs in the future. Emerging Best Practices for COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance Programs, a slide deck produced by the Aspen Institute, lays out best practices for the design and administration of these programs.

“Additional Covid-19 vaccines bring choices – and complications – to the rollout.”

This article in STAT, produced by Boston Globe Media, explains that the Johnson and Johnson vaccine requires only one dose, is cheap, and is easier to store and transport than other approved vaccines, making it possible to vaccinate residents in hard-to-reach areas. There is concern of inequity if this less effective vaccine (66%) is the only option in rural areas, although experts advise that its effectiveness meets requirements.

REGULATIONS AND FEDERAL AGENCIES

Comments requested on changes that would redefine size of metropolitan areas.

The Office of Management and Budget requests public input on recommendations for changes to the standards it uses to delineate and update metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas as new data becomes available. It would change the threshold size of metropolitan areas’ central cities from 50,000 to 100,000 so places with populations up to 100,000 would be considered outside metro areas. Comments are due March 19. For more information, contact James D. Fitzsimmons, OMB, 301-763-1465.

CORRECTION: USDA Strategic Economic and Community Development setasides apply to housing programs.

The January 21, 2021 HAC News incorrectly identified the USDA Rural Development programs in which funds will be set aside for projects that support multi-jurisdictional and multi-sectoral strategic community investment plans. The setaside has been expanded to include Section 514/516 farm labor housing, Section 523 self-help technical assistance, Section 523 and 524 site loans, Section 533 Housing Preservation Grants, Section 538 multifamily guarantees and RCDI. To apply for the setaside, applicants must include a specific form and other information with their program application. For more information, contact a USDA RD State Office.

USDA sets area loan limits for single-family direct programs.

Loan limits that will be used in fiscal year 2021 for the Section 502 direct homeownership loan program and the Section 504 home repair program are now available online. For more information, contact a USDA Rural Development service center.

PUBLICATIONS AND MEDIA

National poverty rate rising even as unemployment falls.

Using calculations that provide poverty data with a lag of only a few weeks, economists at Zhejiang University, the University of Chicago and the University of Notre Dame found that poverty declined in the first half of 2020, but rose sharply from 9.3% in June to 11.8% in December. At the same time, the unemployment rate fell from 11.1% in June to 6.7% in December. An interactive chart allows comparisons across categories such as race, age and education and a report with interim data explains the research.

Data suggests immigrants avoiding coronavirus assistance.

Immigrant Families Continued Avoiding the Safety Net during the COVID-19 Crisis, a fact sheet from the Urban Institute, reports that “the prior administration’s changes to the ‘public charge’ rule intensified immigrant families’ reluctance to participate in public benefit programs and supports that address basic health, nutrition, and housing needs. … The continued chilling effects experienced by immigrant families in 2020 are alarming in the context of the pandemic, during which people of color, many of whom are part of immigrant families, have disproportionately experienced economic and health hardships.”

HAC

Need capital for your affordable housing project?
HAC’s loan funds provide 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, farmworker, senior and veteran housing. HAC loan funds can be used for pre-development, site acquisition, site development and construction/rehabilitation. 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).

HAC News Formats. pdf

January 7, 2021

Vol. 50, No. 1

TOP STORIES 

Eviction moratorium and rent aid included in final coronavirus relief package.

• The coronavirus relief legislation enacted in late December extends through January 31 the Centers for Disease Control’s nationwide moratorium on evictions of tenants for non-payment of rent. CDC has updated its declaration for tenants and its Frequently Asked Questions document to reflect the new expiration date. The revised FAQ also now points out that state or local law may allow a landlord to challenge the truthfulness of a tenant’s declaration. USDA issued a reminder about the moratorium’s applicability to USDA-financed rentals.
• The law also provides $25 billion for a new Emergency Rental Assistance program. The Treasury Department will distribute ERA funds to states, local governments with populations of at least 200,000 and tribes. Eligible government entities must submit information to Treasury by January 12 in order to receive funds.
• Among its other provisions, the law extends the deadline for states, localities and tribes to use CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Funds to December 31, 2021; revives the Paycheck Protection Program and other aid for small businesses (more information under Opportunities below); and provides funding for broadband and for CDFIs.

Agencies extend housing relief into 2021.
Federal housing agencies are again extending special provisions that were put into effect early in 2020 to help people deal with the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, including moratoriums on foreclosures and evictions, forbearance for owners of single-family or multifamily properties, and waivers of some requirements. HAC has posted a table showing the status of these extensions, and will update it as more are announced.

Most rural housing programs have level funding for FY21.
The final omnibus appropriations measure for fiscal year 2021, signed into law on December 27 as part of the package that also included coronavirus relief, holds most USDA rural housing programs at FY20 levels. It provides increases for Section 521 Rental Assistance and Section 542 vouchers. HUD’s HOME, CDBG, SHOP and Native American housing programs also receive the same funding as last year or small increases. Dollar levels for homeless assistance, HUD vouchers, Section 202, Section 811 and fair housing are increased.

Permanent floor set for 4% Low-Income Housing Tax Credit.
The legislative package that includes the coronavirus relief bill and omnibus appropriations also establishes 4% as the minimum rate for the 4% Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, effective immediately. LIHTC experts at Novogradac estimate this change could finance an additional 130,000 rental units in the next ten years.

RuralSTAT
In 2020, from February 20 – the first reported case of COVID-19 outside a metropolitan area – to December 31, there were 3 million reported cases and over 52,000 reported deaths from the coronavirus in rural America. Source: Housing Assistance Council tabulations of New York Times COVID-19 data.

OPPORTUNITIES

HAC seeks proposals for Affordable Housing for Rural Veterans Initiative.
HAC’s Affordable Housing for Rural Veterans initiative supports local nonprofit housing development organizations that meet or help meet the affordable housing needs of veterans in rural places. Grants typically range up to $30,000 per organization and must support bricks-and-mortar projects that assist low-income, elderly and/or disabled veterans with home repair and rehab needs, support homeless veterans, help veterans become homeowners and/or secure affordable rental housing. AHRV is funded through the generous support of the Home Depot Foundation. Applications are due by February 1. For more information, contact HAC staff,  ahrv@ruralhome.org. No phone calls please.

Rural microenterprise loans offered by USDA.
USDA is seeking nonprofit entities, institutions of higher education and tribes to serve as partners for its Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program (RMAP). It will provide loans and technical assistance grants for applicants to support rural microenterprises. Deadlines are March 31 and June 30. For additional information, contact a USDA RD state office.

HAC job openings: Community Facilities Housing Specialist, Loan Officer, Senior Portfolio Manager.
For details, visit HAC’s website.

• The Community Facilities Housing Specialist identifies and engages community stakeholders and provides direct technical assistance to rural organizations that are developing facilities such as parks, community centers, public libraries and childcare centers. This includes helping them identify, utilize and apply for financial resources such as USDA Community Facilities grants and loans. This a two-year position and is eligible for telecommuting.
• The Loan Officer represents HAC in its lending activities – to include loan underwriting, marketing, and research and product development – and originates new loan transactions. This position is based in HAC’s Washington, DC headquarters and is eligible for telecommuting.
• The Senior Portfolio Manager provides leadership and oversight to a team that performs a range of lending activities – closing, disbursement, monitoring, servicing and asset management of single-family and multifamily housing development loans. This position is based in HAC’s Washington, DC headquarters and is eligible for telecommuting.

Paycheck Protection Program to restart.
A summary of the new coronavirus relief bill’s Paycheck Protection Program provisions is available on HAC’s site. The maximum loan amount will be $2 million, down from $10 million for the first PPP. Loans will be available for businesses that qualified under the CARES Act but did not receive a PPP loan, those that did receive one but need additional funding, and those that returned all or part of one. The Treasury Department and Small Business Administration have developed two interim regulations (here and here) to govern the second PPP round. Comments will be due 30 days after the rules are published in the Federal Register. The two agencies also have a new PPP document titled “Guidance on Accessing Capital for Minority, Underserved, Veteran and Women-Owned Business Concerns.”

CORONAVIRUS

Delivering vaccinations through pharmacies disadvantages some rural places.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services plans to increase access to COVID-19 vaccinations through partnerships with large chain pharmacies and networks that represent independent pharmacies and regional chains. A recent Rural Policy Research Institute study found, however, that in 750 (out of a total of 1,962) counties outside metropolitan areas there are no pharmacies affiliated with one of HHS’s partnerships. In 110 counties there are no eligible pharmacies at all.

“Rural Downtowns Were on the Mend. Then Came Covid.”
This Bloomberg opinion piece explains that certain rural areas, particularly those involved in tourism, experienced considerable economic growth by investing in their downtown areas, but the coronavirus pandemic set them back. The author suggests that attracting people relocating from urban areas, along with well planned and targeted investment, can help them recover.

REGULATIONS AND FEDERAL AGENCIES

USDA releases annual tenant data.
Characteristics of tenants in USDA’s Section 515 rental and Section 514/516 farmworker housing properties changed very little from September 2019 to September 2020, according to USDA’s annual summary of tenant data. Average annual income of Section 515 tenants rose from $13,551 in September 2019 to $13,640 in September 2020, while the average income for Section 515 tenants receiving Section 521 Rental Assistance was $11,380 in 2020. About 10.6% of all tenants in USDA’s portfolio remain rent burdened and almost 70% of tenants continue to receive rental assistance of some sort. Elders and people with disabilities comprise 65.3% of Section 515 households.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac affordable housing goals and Duty to Serve plans set for 2021.
The Federal Housing Finance Agency has announced Fannie Mae’s and Freddie Mac’s 2021 goals for purchases of affordable housing mortgages. It has also published their Duty to Serve plans for this year, which address activities related to rural housing, rental housing preservation and manufactured housing. A third notice requests public comments by February 28 on potential changes to the housing goals regulation. FHFA asks a number of specific questions and invites comments on any other issues commenters think should be addressed. For more information, contact Ted Wartell, FHFA, 202-649-3157.

PUBLICATIONS AND MEDIA

Health data available for all geographies.
The PLACES Project from the CDC and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation links health to place by providing census tract estimates for chronic disease risk factors, health outcomes and clinical preventative services. Access the data for a local area here.

HAC

Need capital for your affordable housing project?
HAC’s loan funds provide 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, farmworker, senior and veteran housing. HAC loan funds can be used for pre-development, site acquisition, site development and construction/rehabilitation. 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).

HAC News Formats. pdf

December 3, 2020

Vol. 49, No. 24

TOP STORIES
Coronavirus relief discussions continue.
Media reports about negotiations change daily, but there is still at least some possibility that additional coronavirus relief measures will be passed before the CDC eviction moratorium and the remaining CARES Act provisions, such as added unemployment payments, expire at the end of this month. Coronavirus provisions could be included in a broader federal government funding bill or could be considered separately.

Federal funding ends December 11.
Before that date Congress and the Administration must agree on either another continuing resolution to extend government funding at FY20 levels or appropriations to cover the remainder of FY21.

2020’s challenges have exacerbated housing challenges, Harvard reports. 
The coronavirus pandemic, social unrest sparked by racial injustice and climate change have worsened affordability problems and highlighted inequities in housing, according to the 2020 State of the Nation’s Housing report by Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies. The study’s authors call for “a comprehensive re-envisioning of national housing policy.”

Attend HAC’s virtual symposium on December 3 or view it later.
HAC’s Virtual Rural Housing Symposium: Recovery Through Resiliency kicks off today, December 3, at 11 am Eastern and registration will remain open throughout the event. Join us online from wherever you are for a day filled with engaging speakers, invaluable rural practitioner perspectives and a vast array of information on rural issues. The event will be live-streamed on HAC’s YouTube channel and the recording will be available there afterwards. Questions? Contact  registration@ruralhome.org.

CORONAVIRUS
Extensions and update from Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and HUD.
Residents of single-family homes backed by or owned by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac are now protected through January 31, 2021. The secondary market entities will continue their moratorium on foreclosure through that date, as well as their moratorium on eviction of residents in single-family homes acquired by Fannie or Freddie through foreclosure or a deed-in-lieu of foreclosure transaction. In November,  HUD updated its guidance on the CDC moratorium for tenants using its voucher, public housing or Indian housing programs.

Links between eviction and COVID-19 examined in new studies.
“Expiring eviction moratoriums and COVID-19 incidence and mortality” and “Pandemic housing policy: examining the relationship among eviction, housing instability, health inequity, and COVID-19 transmission,” authored by teams of academic researchers, report how evictions harm renters during the pandemic, while eviction moratoriums and supportive measures help to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Data highlighted online for “Latinos in the Time of Coronavirus.”
Using data from the Census Bureau’s biweekly Household Pulse Survey, this UnidosUS dashboard shows trends nationally and in six key states for the total population, Hispanic/Latinos and non-Hispanic whites. The data include missing a mortgage or rent payment, losing employment income, having food insecurity and more.

RuralSTAT
Between 2010 and 2018, the non-white and Hispanic population increased in 92% of all U.S. counties. Source: HAC Tabulations of the U.S Census Bureau’s 2006-2010 and 2014-2018 American Community Survey.

REGULATIONS AND FEDERAL AGENCIES
Domestic violence guidance for USDA rental housing updated.
An Unnumbered Letter dated November 23, 2020 provides guidance applicable to the Section 515 rental, 514/516 farmworker, 538 guaranteed rental and 533 Housing Preservation Grant programs. It explains property owners’ and managers’ responsibilities in implementing the Violence Against Women Act’s protections for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault or stalking and members of their households. For more information, contact a USDA RD field office.

OCC asks for comments on CRA measurements.
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency requests input on the approach it proposes to establish benchmarks and thresholds for measuring banks’ CRA performance under the revised Community Reinvestment Act regulations it issued earlier this year. Comments are due in early February. For more information, contact Ioan Voicu, OCC, 202-649-5550.

USDA suggests requiring Section 502 guarantee lenders to use electronic systems.
Comments are due January 19, 2021 on a proposal to require lenders participating in the Section 502 Single-Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program to use the Guaranteed Underwriting System and the Lender Loan Closing System. For more information, contact  Ana Placencia, USDA, 254-721-0770.

PUBLICATIONS AND MEDIA
Newest issue of Rural Voices magazine focuses on design.
HAC’s fall edition of Rural Voices, Cultivating Citizen-led Design, covers perspectives on design, architecture, and creative placemaking in rural America with contributions by Rural Studio, Cheyenne River Youth Project, the National Endowment for the Arts and others.

“The heavy toll of the Black Belt’s wastewater crisis.”
A New Yorker article describes the dire consequences of inadequate sewage disposal for Black residents in Lowndes County, Alabama.

“A ‘public option’ for low-income homeownership?”
A Shelterforce article by Joe Belden and Michael Feinberg, former and current HAC staff, looks at the USDA Section 502 direct loan program as a potential model for providing broader homeownership opportunities for lower-income borrowers.

New resources on creative placemaking available.
For communities interested in getting started with a creative placemaking project, the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies published a new guide to accessing state agency funding, project planning and more. Additionally, creativeplacemakingresources.org identifies federal public resources.

HAC
Need capital for your affordable housing project?
HAC’s loan funds provide 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, farmworker, senior and veteran housing. HAC loan funds can be used for pre-development, site acquisition, site development and construction/rehabilitation. 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).