Vol. 50, No. 15

TOP STORIES

FY22 housing funding to be considered in House before end of July.

The House of Representatives has rolled several appropriations bills, including the USDA and HUD bills, into a “minibus” for consideration during the week of July 26. The measures, as approved by the House Appropriations Committee, would increase some USDA rural housing programs and most HUD programs above their FY21 funding levels. The committee’s draft report on the USDA bill urges attention to farmworkers’ needs, while the draft report on HUD funding encourages support for Central Appalachian communities impacted by the downturn in the coal industry and gives HUD some specific instructions on its FY22 funding competition for Native American housing grants.

OCC will propose rescinding 2020 Community Reinvestment Act rule.

Acting Comptroller of the Currency Michael Hsu announced on July 20 that his office will propose reversing the CRA regulation it issued in June 2020, which has not yet gone into effect. He pledged to work with the Federal Reserve Board and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, which did not join the OCC’s 2020 rule, to develop a new proposal based on a Fed notice published in October 2020. HAC’s comments on the Fed’s notice and on an earlier draft of the OCC’s 2020 rule are posted online.

Bills outline House Democrats’ housing infrastructure priorities.

Three bills introduced by Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA), chair of the House Financial Services Committee, would provide new support for housing programs, including rural housing. Although the administration included housing funds in its American Jobs Plan infrastructure proposal, housing is not covered in the Senate’s $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill and it is not yet clear what housing provisions will be in the Senate Democrats’ $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill, which will also address healthcare, climate change, and more. The three Waters bills are intended to mark the Chairwoman’s housing priorities for the reconciliation package, with negotiations not expected to begin in earnest until this fall after the bipartisan package is completed.

Waters’s Housing is Infrastructure Act would invest over $600 billion in housing infrastructure, including vouchers, public housing capital needs, the National Housing Trust Fund, HOME, and other HUD programs. Many of the HUD provisions include a 10% setaside for areas of persistent poverty. Additionally, the bill would provide $5 billion to fully address the capital needs backlog of the Section 515 and 514 rural housing programs, $500 million for Section 504 homeowner repair grants (not restricted to elderly owners, as the grant program usually is), $2 billion for Native American and Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grants, and setasides of $2 billion and $250 million in CDBG funds to address the housing and community infrastructure needs of colonias and resident-owned manufactured housing communities, respectively. A $10 billion program for neighborhood revitalization would include $250 million for SHOP and a $500 million setaside for communities outside metropolitan areas.

The Ending Homelessness Act would transform the Housing Choice Voucher program into a federal entitlement and the Downpayment Toward Equity Act would provide $100 billion to help first-generation homebuyers.

Housing costs remain out of reach throughout the country.

There is no state, county, or metropolitan area in the U.S. where a full-time minimum-wage worker can afford a modest two-bedroom rental home, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition’s Out of Reach: The High Cost of Housing 2021 report. Data is available by county, zip code, state, and metro area on NLIHC’s site.

OMB will not raise population threshold for metro areas.

On January 19, 2021, OMB published a proposal to change its definition of metropolitan statistical areas so that an area would need a population of at least 100,000 rather than 50,000 to be considered metropolitan. After receiving more than 800 comments, the vast majority of them – including HAC’s – opposing the change, OMB has decided to keep the metro area threshold at 50,000 and to conduct further research on the subject. Delineations of areas based on the 2020 standards and 2020 Census data will be published in 2023. For more information, contact Bob Sivinski, OMB, 202-395-1205.

House committee advances rural broadband bill.

On July 14 the House Agriculture Committee approved H.R. 4374, the Broadband Internet Connections for Rural America Act, which would revise USDA’s broadband programs and increase available funding.

OPPORTUNITIES

Self-Sufficiency Service Coordinator funds available.

Resident Opportunity and Self-Sufficiency Service Coordinator funding enables nonprofits, PHAs, TDHEs, tribes, and resident associations to assess HUD-assisted residents’ needs and link them to training and services. Applications are due September 17. For more information, contact HUD staff, ROSS-PIH@hud.gov.

Pandemic-related fair housing enforcement opportunity opens.

The Fair Housing Initiatives Program – Private Enforcement Initiative American Rescue Plan will fund experienced fair housing enforcement organizations to conduct new projects relating to discrimination arising in connection with the pandemic or to sustain core fair housing enforcement and education activities. Apply by August 18. For more information, contact Kimberly Harley, HUD, 202-402-4753.

HAC seeks 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 is a two-year position and is eligible for telecommuting.

RuralSTAT – UPDATE AND RETRACTION.

HAC has received several questions and comments regarding the RuralSTAT on ‘USDA Exited Properties’ published in the July 22 edition of the HAC News. While we believe the analysis is substantively accurate, there have been some concerns and discrepancies identified with the underlying data used for that RuralSTAT analysis. Therefore, HAC is retracting this item and we will work to provide an updated analysis as soon as possible.  We greatly thank the robust body of experts and practitioners who alerted HAC to these issues. HAC strives to provide the most accurate data and information, and we thank you for assisting us in this effort. If you have questions or need any assistance, please contact Lance George at lance@ruralhome.org.

CORONAVIRUS

Rent aid to tenants increased in June, researchers suggest ways to improve distribution.

As the July 31 end of the federal eviction moratorium approaches, the Treasury Department reports that over $1.5 billion in federal assistance was delivered to 290,000 households in June, about 85% more households than in May. Census Bureau data shows that in late June and early July 3.6 million households believed they were “somewhat likely” or “very likely” to be evicted in the next two months. Resources discussing ways to improve distribution of these funds and prevent evictions include:

• Alliance Resource Series: Using COVID-19 Federal Funding to End Homelessness, National Alliance to End Homelessness;
• Designing for Housing Stability: Best Practices for Court-Based and Court-Adjacent Eviction Prevention and/or Diversion Programs, American Bar Association & the Harvard Negotiation and Mediation Clinical Program;
• Direct-to-Tenant Payment Implementation: Increasing Flexibility and Equity in Emergency Rental Assistance Programs, National Low Income Housing Coalition;
• Eviction Diversion Diagnostic Tool, National Center for State Courts;
• Eviction Prevention and Stability Toolkit (for PHAs and Housing Choice Voucher landlords), HUD Office of Public and Indian Housing;
• Three Ways States and Localities Can Get Rental Assistance to People Faster, Urban Institute.

GAO reports on effectiveness of pandemic protections for homeowners.

A new Government Accountability Office report, COVID-19 Housing Protections: Mortgage Forbearance and Other Federal Efforts Have Reduced Default and Foreclosure Risks, details the impact of pandemic housing protections on federally backed mortgages. The report, accompanying podcast, and summary blog post highlight that foreclosures declined significantly during the pandemic because of federal moratoriums.

REGULATIONS AND FEDERAL AGENCIES

USDA extends comment period on advancing racial justice and equity.

Responses are now due August 14 to USDA’s request for comments to help identify barriers that people of color and underserved communities and individuals may face in accessing, enrolling in, and participating in any of USDA’s programs and services, and engaging with USDA staff. USDA has also scheduled online listening sessions on July 28 and 29. For more information, contact Liz Archuleta, USDA, 202-720-7095. HAC has submitted comments addressing actions needed to build capacity, improve access to capital, increase flexibility, and engage with stakeholders.

HAC supports fair housing regulation.

HAC recently submitted comments strongly supporting HUD’s proposal to restore part of a previous affirmatively furthering fair housing regulation.

Timeline set for Section 538 final inspections.

Effective immediately, USDA Rural Development requires lenders using the Section 538 rental housing guarantee program to notify RD staff at least 30 days before the final inspection date. Contact information and details are included in RD’s notice.

PUBLICATIONS AND MEDIA

Farmworker wage gap persisted in 2020.

Although farmworkers were deemed essential to sustain food supply chains during the pandemic, their average hourly wage in 2020 was only $14.62, the Economic Policy Institute reports. That is just under 60% of what comparable non-agricultural workers made, a wage gap that was virtually unchanged since the previous year. The average nationwide wage for farmworkers with H-2A visas was $13.68 per hour. In Florida and Georgia, where a quarter of all H-2A jobs were located in 2020, they were paid $11.71 per hour.

Lack of clear title to heirs property leads to disaster aid denials.

A Washington Post story, ‘The Real Damage’: Why FEMA is Denying Disaster Aid to Black Families That Have Lived for Generations in the Deep South, reports that FEMA has rejected up to one-quarter of applicants for disaster aid in rural counties in the deep South because survivors cannot prove they own their land. Their ownership passes informally from one generation to another without deeds or wills.

Wealth gap and other structural inequities addressed in State of Black America report.

The 2021 edition of the National Urban League’s State of Black America report looks at “three pandemics”: economic collapse, health inequities, and structural racism. Increasing homeownership to build wealth is one of many strategies proposed in the report, titled “The New Normal: Diverse, Equitable & Inclusive.”

Hispanic homeownership rate rose in 2020.

Latinos are the only demographic in the U.S. to increase their rate of homeownership for each of the past six years, according to the 2020 State of Hispanic Homeownership Report, just released by the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals and the Hispanic Wealth Project. Latino homeownership rates vary widely from state to state and are lower in places with higher home prices. Almost 70% of Latino homebuyers have an annual household income below $100,000. Financing designed to serve first-time homebuyers and low wealth borrowers is important for this population, the report notes.

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).

Vol. 50, No. 14

TOP STORIES

Federal agencies extend many housing protections to July 31.

The Centers for Disease Control eviction moratorium for renters was extended through July 31. USDA, VA, FHA, and Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have extended their foreclosure moratoriums for homeowners through July 31. Homeowners with loans made, insured, or guaranteed by those agencies can also request forbearance (a delay in making mortgage payments) at least through July 31 and in some cases after that. The administration has stated that it does not expect to issue further extensions.

State, local, and tribal agencies have funds available to cover rent and other housing needs from two rounds of the Emergency Rental Assistance Program, as well as other federal relief. The Treasury Department updated its ERA guidance on June 24.

Information is available from many sources, including these:

• The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau offers information online in several languages for homeowners, renters, and landlords.
• Free help by phone, online, or in person is available from HUD-certified housing counseling agencies. To locate a housing counselor, visit HUD’s site or call 1-800-569-4287.

Supreme Court leaves eviction moratorium in effect.

On June 29 the Supreme Court issued an opinion keeping the CDC moratorium operational while a federal appeals court considers a challenge to its constitutionality.

House committee approves USDA FY22 appropriations bill.

On June 30 the House Appropriations Committee approved its USDA funding bill, making no changes to the rural housing figures supported by a subcommittee on June 25. The bill proposes to increase funding levels above FY21 levels, and in some cases above the amounts proposed in the administration’s budget, for Section 502 direct and guaranteed mortgage loans, Rental Assistance, self-help housing, the Multifamily Preservation and Revitalization program, and others. Details are posted on HAC’s website, along with language from the committee’s draft report urging USDA to pay particular attention to the needs of farmworkers.

RuralSTAT

In counties outside metropolitan areas, the unemployment rate continued a declining trend to 4.7%. Source: HAC Tabulations of May 2021 Bureau of Labor Statistics LAUS data.

OPPORTUNITIES

Arts organizations from rural areas and Indian Country encouraged to apply for NEA grants.

The National Endowment for the Arts is actively seeking first-time applicants that work in rural America and Indian Country to apply for American Rescue Plan grants to cover salaries, stipends, and general operating costs. Nonprofit arts and culture organizations, local governments, federally recognized tribal communities or tribes, and local arts agencies are eligible, regardless of whether they have received NEA funding in the past. The NEA offers a webinar on July 8 for rural and Indian Country applicants. The deadline for most applicants is August 12. The deadline for arts agencies that will make subgrants is July 22.

Online training will cover energy efficient, affordable housing.

Strategies for Achieving Energy Efficient, Affordable Housing, a HAC webinar scheduled for July 14, will provide insight into energy efficient construction practices, including how to maximize energy efficiency while keeping costs in check. Learn the role of Home Energy Raters in the design and construction process and see the specifications for homes that are achieving varying levels of energy efficiency. Finally, you will see what it takes to achieve a net-zero home – one that produces as much energy as it uses on an annual basis.

Webinar to highlight rural climate-smart solutions.

On July 16, Pathfinders: Climate-Smart Solutions from Rural America and Native Nations will address innovations, including ways rural organizations build and retrofit more energy-efficient homes and offer new community energy options intentionally designed to build more financial stability for low-wealth people. This is the latest in the Rural Opportunity and Development (ROAD) Sessions, virtual exchanges co-designed and hosted by the Aspen Institute Community Strategies Group, HAC, the Rural Community Assistance Partnership, Rural LISC, and the Federal Reserve Board.

HAC seeks 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 is a two-year position and is eligible for telecommuting.

REGULATIONS AND FEDERAL AGENCIES

Comments requested on fair lending policy statement.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency seeks input on a policy statement that is intended to guide the entities it regulates – Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Home Loan Banks – on their compliance with fair lending laws and regulations. Comments are due September 7. For more information, contact Annalyce Shufelt, FHFA, 202-649-3416.

Administration pledges to address housing for people returning from prisons and jails.

HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge recently clarified that people who are at risk of homelessness after leaving incarceration are eligible for temporary Emergency Housing Vouchers. She noted that recent incarceration and homelessness are often connected and that, because of the racial disparities in the criminal justice system, addressing reentry housing needs helps advance equity. HUD also plans to review regulations, develop new tools, and publish best practices on reentry housing. These actions are part of an administration strategy to address gun crime and ensure public safety.

USDA and others to coordinate broadband funds.

USDA, the Federal Communications Commission, and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration have signed an interagency agreement to share information and coordinate the distribution of broadband deployment funds.

HAC recommends federal actions for rural equity.

HAC recently submitted comments in response to an Office of Management and Budget request for input on whether federal agency policies and actions equitably serve all eligible individuals and communities, including rural residents. Noting that rural and persistently poor places have historically been and continue to be underserved by federal programs, HAC recommended a focus on capacity building, access to capital, and proactive and deliberate tailoring of federal programs to produce lasting rural equity.

PUBLICATIONS AND MEDIA

Guide covers affordable housing providers’ role in addressing natural disasters.

Affordable Housing and Natural Disasters: A Practitioner’s Guidebook, published by the California Coalition for Rural Housing, is intended as a primer on the current state of disaster issues for affordable housing practitioners and a means of familiarizing disaster planners with innovations from the affordable housing sector. It covers the four major phases of the disaster cycle – mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery – and includes case studies from rural California.

Researchers skeptical about remote work’s economic impact on heartland.

Secondary tech centers and metropolitan areas away from the coasts, rather than distressed smaller places, seem to be benefitting from recent corporate relocations out of major cities, Brookings Institution researchers suggest in an article titled Remote Work Won’t Save the Heartland. Their analysis of data on individual moves shows also that only a fraction of people who moved out of the largest metro areas in 2020 moved to Heartland or Mountain West states.

Hot housing market changes rural community.

The Daily Yonder reports on the positive and negative impacts of the booming demand for market-rate housing in Short-Term Rentals and High-End Buyers Wipe Out Affordable Housing in Joshua Tree, Say Residents.

Need-tested benefits cut child poverty in half, research concludes.

To examine the likely situation after temporary pandemic-related supports end, the Congressional Research Service used data from 2017, a year of economic growth, to estimate the impact of assistance such as housing and food aid that are provided to recipients based on their incomes. Need-Tested Benefits: Impact of Assistance on Poverty Experienced by Low-Income Families and Individuals reports that this aid improves family economic wellbeing by reducing both the prevalence and degree of poverty, particularly for families with children.

Survey finds homeownership disparities largely unchanged over the past year.

NeighborWorks America’s 2021 Housing and Financial Capability Survey, conducted in April, found more Americans said they need guidance on building credit and reducing debt than one year earlier, and more were interested in financial planning classes. Among those who were financially challenged by the coronavirus pandemic, 73% said it would take six months or more to recover, and 46% said it would take a year or more. Socioeconomic disparities in homeownership rates were unchanged over the year, as were obstacles to homeownership.

32% of federally assisted housing at high risk from natural hazards.

In a new report, the Public and Affordable Housing Research Corporation and the National Low Income Housing Coalition examine the risk of harm to project-based federally assisted properties from climate-related events. A larger proportion of these households than of those without housing aid are at high risk of the negative impacts of these hazards and are less likely to have the supplies and resources to evacuate or prepare. The danger is greatest for households of color in assisted housing.

Low-income disaster survivors get less help from FEMA.

Why FEMA Aid is Unavailable to Many Who Need it the Most, a story from National Public Radio, covers FEMA’s failure to equitably serve marginalized racial groups and low-income people after disasters. An internal FEMA analysis of aid requests between 2014 and 2018 found that the poorest renters were 23% less likely than higher-income renters to get housing help. The poorest homeowners received about half as much as higher-income homeowners to rebuild their homes, a disparity greater than the difference in repair costs.

Lack of affordable housing leaves Latinx residents vulnerable to wildfires.

The shortage of affordable housing forces a disproportionate number of Latinx residents in the western U.S. to live in places seriously threatened by wildfire, according to a data analysis summarized by Politico in Wildfires Threaten All of the West – And One Group More Than Others. Latinx people are about 18% of the U.S. population but 37% of those who live in the areas identified as facing the most extreme wildfire risks.

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).