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HAC News: November 11, 2015

November 11, 2015/in HAC News

HAC News Formats. pdf

November 11, 2015
Vol. 44, No. 23

• HAC NEWS GOING FULLY DIGITAL • November is National Native American Heritage Month • Congress and USDA agree to fund Rental Assistance shortages • Two rural housing supporters resigning from Congress • USDA issues new standards for underwriting MPR preservation deals • BIA amends Housing Improvement Program rule • Public housing smoking ban proposed • Interim rule requires new tracking for CDBG grantees • Clean Power Plan can help fund energy efficiency in affordable housing • Unnumbered Letter on TRID now available • HUD reports on homelessness • A few spaces still available for HAC’s November 19-20 trainings

HAC News Formats. pdf

October 11, 2015
Vol. 44, No. 23

HAC NEWS GOING FULLY DIGITAL. Beginning in 2016, the print version of the HAC News will no longer be available. The News will still be published every two weeks, will still provide the same concise updates on issues important to rural housers, and will still be free. Back issues will continue to be available online at http://ruralhome.org.

November is National Native American Heritage Month. Read President Obama’s proclamation here.

Congress and USDA agree to fund Rental Assistance shortages. On November 5 the chairs and ranking members of the House and Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittees – Reps. Robert Aderholt (R-AL) and Sam Farr (D-CA), and Sens. Jerry Moran (R-KS) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) – met with USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack. The parties agreed to provide Section 521 Rental Assistance funds for properties that were short funded in FY15, either because they used up RA funds before their one-year contracts expired or because their contracts expired near the end of the fiscal year and USDA had run out of contract renewal monies (see HAC News, 10/28/15). At least some property owners have been told they are about to receive back payments. Congress will need to increase the $1.167 billion for RA provided in the FY16 funding bills that passed both Appropriations Committees in July 2015 (see HAC News, 6/25/15).

Two rural housing supporters resigning from Congress. Rep. Sam Farr (D-CA) has served as chair and ranking member of the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee. Rep. Rubén Hinojosa (D-TX) co-founded the Congressional Rural Housing Caucus.

USDA issues new standards for underwriting MPR preservation deals. An Unnumbered Letter dated October 26, 2015 replaces a UL dated September 30, 2013 that emphasized reducing costs to the government. The new policy stresses long-term property viability, meeting tenants’ needs for affordable housing, and completing transactions in a timely and efficient manner. Contact multifamily housing staff in an RD State Office.

BIA amends Housing Improvement Program rule. A final rule issued by the Interior Department’s Bureau of Indian Affairs is intended to align HIP with other federal requirements, allow leveraging of funds, and give tribes more flexibility. Contact Les Jensen, BIA, 907-586-7397.

Public housing smoking ban proposed. HUD suggests requiring PHAs to ban smoking in all indoor areas, including living units, and in outdoor areas within 25 feet of buildings. HUD’s press release says more than 228,000 public housing units are already smoke-free, and this proposal would cover another 940,000 homes. Comments will be due 60 days after publication in the Federal Register. Contact Leroy Ferguson, HUD, 202-402-2411.

Interim rule requires new tracking for CDBG grantees. Community Development Block Grant grantees will have to track their obligations and expenditures of CDBG funds by specific fiscal years. HUD also makes some technical corrections in CDBG regulations. The new rule takes effect December 14 and comments are due January 11, 2016. Contact Stanley Gimont, HUD, 202-708-3587.

Clean Power Plan can help fund energy efficiency in affordable housing. A proposed federal plan published by EPA offers opportunities to fund energy efficiency in affordable housing as part of state implementation plans. Several organizations joined to offer a primer for affordable housing advocates, as well as other resources and more information at https://energyefficiencyforall.org/. Comments on the proposed federal plan are due January 21.

Unnumbered Letter on TRID now available. The UL (dated October 6, 2015) offers guidance on compliance with new mortgage disclosure requirements for direct Section 502 and 504 loans (see HAC News, 10/14/15).

HUD reports on homelessness. The 2014 Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) Part 2 says homelessness declined by 6.3% since 2007, then increased by 4.6% from 2013 to 2014 although homeless people without shelter fell by 10% during that year. 70% of those who used shelter in 2014 were in major cities. Between 2007 and 2014, the number of people in families with children using shelters increased by 48.1% in suburban and rural areas from 2007 to 2014 and decreased by 5% in cities. Part 1 was released in October 2014 (see HAC News, 11/12/14).

A few spaces still available for HAC’s November 19-20 trainings. The cost is $75 each for these courses in North Charleston, SC. Register online for either Sharpening Your Skills: Financial Management for Rural Nonprofits or Utilizing the Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program: Creating and Preserving Affordable Housing. These are concurrent sessions; register for only one. Contact Shonterria Charleston, HAC, 404-892-4824.

20 Years of Rural Voices

October 30, 2015/in About HAC, About HAC - Annual Reports, Rural Voices

What a Difference 20 Years Makes

This edition, “20 Years of Rural Voices,” highlights and revisits a selection of articles published over the past two decades.

View from Washington

Let’s Recommit to Rural America
by Congressman Bennie Thompson

Rep. Bennie Thompson challenges his colleagues in Congress to re-engage in the fight to keep successful federal rural housing programs alive.s

FEATURES

Self-Help Housing on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation: Alive and Well
by Leslie Newman

There is more than one way to design a self-help housing program, and collaboration between community organizations helps.

Still Ticking After All These Years: Low-Income Housing Tax Credits in Washington State
by Kim Herman

Tax credits have remained important in rural Washington, financing the production of thousands of homes.

Rural Midwest Housing Remains Complex
by Ann Ziebarth and Jeff Crump

Whether growing, stable, or declining, rural communities in the Midwest face challenges in providing housing for low-income residents.

The Housing Trust Fund Movement Spans the Country
by Mary Brooks

State and local housing trust funds continue to offer flexible funding for affordable housing across the country, and a national fund has been created as well.

Where You Live Matters: Fair Housing is Still the Law and Even Stronger
by Shanna Smith

The Fair Housing Act has been law since 1968, and new developments in 2015 have strengthened it.

Reflections on Cushing Dolbeare and Eleven Years of Housing Change
by Sheila Crowley

Cushing Dolbeare founded the National Low Income Housing Coalition; her legacy guides the organization years after her death.

20 Years Do Make a Difference
by Joe Belden

Many things have changed since 1995, says a veteran rural houser, but rural housing needs and solutions have never been partisan issues, and should not be now.

Rural Voices would like to hear what you have to say about one, or all, of these issues. Please feel free to comment on this story by sending a tweet to #RuralVoicesMag discuss on the Rural Affordable Housing Group on LinkedIn, or on our Facebook page.

Let’s Recommit to Rural America

October 30, 2015/in 20 Years of Rural Voices

View from Washington

by Congressman Bennie G. Thompson

A member of Congress challenges his colleagues to re-engage in the fight to keep successful federal rural housing programs alive.

This story appears in the 2015 Fall Edition of Rural Voices

Rural America is still a fundamental part of the fabric that holds this great nation together. Unfortunately, the pace of our economic growth and quality of life continue to lag behind those of our urban neighbors. People in rural America are still more likely to reside in substandard housing, receive inadequate education, and live in a community that is medically underserved.

View from Washington

by Congressman Bennie G. Thompson

A member of Congress challenges his colleagues to re-engage in the fight to keep successful federal rural housing programs alive.

This story appears in the 2015 Fall Edition of Rural Voices

Despite these challenges, people in rural America remain resilient and hopeful that better times are ahead. We, the federal government, can help them if we refocus our efforts to improve their quality of life through programs that have proved to be effective and economical.

With the current crazed obsession with reducing government programs dominating the narrative in Washington, it is more important than ever that we continue to vocalize the need for continued investment in affordable housing options in this country. Nowhere is this more important than in rural America where a quarter of our children live in poverty.

A look at some of our more successful programs shows that rural housing programs are under attack and need more advocates to fight for their survival. The Section 502 direct loan program is USDA’s flagship housing loan program and is designed to help low-income families purchase houses specifically in rural areas. Funds can be used to build, repair, or renovate a house, including providing water and sewage facilities. The program provides fixed-interest mortgage financing to low-income families who are unable to obtain credit elsewhere. The program also provides “supervised credit” including pre-loan and post-loan credit counseling to its borrowers to help them maintain their homes during financial crises. To date, this program has assisted more than two million families to increase their wealth by $40 billion. The program has seen a significant decline in enacted loan authorizations over the past decade, however. The fiscal year 2005 authorization was $1.14 billion. Today, the program is authorized at $900 million.

Unfortunately, the pinch doesn’t stop there. The Section 523 mutual self-help grant program allows low- and very low-income rural Americans to use “sweat equity” to reduce the costs of homeownership. Nonprofit organizations and local governments may obtain grant funds to enable them to provide technical assistance to groups of families that work cooperatively to build their houses. Typically, future homeowners use the aforementioned Section 502 direct loans to finance their mortgages and, through their own labor on constructing the houses, are able to reduce costs by 10-15 percent. This cherished program has seen its budget reduced from $34 million in fiscal year 2005 to $27.5 million in fiscal year 2015.

Rural rental housing is also at risk. USDA’s Section 515 loan program has not been able to fund any new rental units since 2011. The Section 521 Rental Assistance program, which helps low- and very low-income tenants pay their rent, ran out of funding in August or September 2015, leaving some landlords without reimbursement for the last month of the fiscal year. Because of the way funds are allotted to specific properties, some will fall short on several months of funding.

For the sake of our constituents, this trend has to stop.

The federal government has always been on the forefront of investments in rural America. From the Tennessee Valley Authority bringing electricity to lower Appalachia to the construction of a sophisticated network of levees that has kept flood waters out of the Mississippi Delta, the federal government has always been there making forward-thinking investments that foster economic stability and advancement. Now is not the time to reverse course and simply leave opportunity for progress in our country to the profit-driven private sector.

Rural America possesses an abundance of untapped potential. Sure, the challenge is great but our dreams can be realized with wise investment by the federal government. It is time to recommit ourselves to building a nation for all Americans. I am ready to continue the good fight, and I know that you are, too. Hopefully, more of my colleagues will join us in improving housing conditions in rural America.

Mr. Thompson, formerly Mayor, Town of Bolton, MS and Supervisor, District Two, Hinds County, Bolton, MS, is currently the U.S. Representative of the 2nd Congressional District of Mississippi. He is the top Democratic member of the House Committee on Homeland Security. A lifelong activist in the civil rights struggle, Rep. Thompson has received honors from the National Conference of Black Mayors, USDA Rural Development Fellows, Mississippi Chapter of the NAACP, and the Ford Foundation. Directorships include the American Civil Liberties Union, the Housing Assistance Council, the Southern Regional Council, and the National Rainbow Coalition.

Self-Help Housing on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation: Alive and Well

October 30, 2015/in 20 Years of Rural Voices

There is more than one way to design a self-help housing program, and collaboration between community organizations helps.

by Leslie Newman

This story appears in the 2015 Fall Edition of Rural Voices

“Self-help is not a new concept for us. We were always self-help, traditionally. We always built our own homes. We didn’t wait. We have to get away from this dependence and go back to protecting our own assets. A long time ago, if a teepee tore, they didn’t wait for someone else to come sew it up. We had to have that shelter.” –Pinky Clifford, Executive Director, Oglala Sioux Tribe Partnership for Housing

There is more than one way to design a self-help housing program, and collaboration between community organizations helps.

by Leslie Newman

This story appears in the 2015 Fall Edition of Rural Voices

In fall 2003, we looked at a new self-help housing program on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, developed by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Partnership for Housing (OSTPH). We looked at what it took to create the program, some challenges to self-help housing on tribal trust land, and ingredients for success.

Now, going back to Pine Ridge more than ten years later, we find that self-help is alive and well. While the OSTPH is no longer operating a USDA Rural Development self-help program, it is still committed to the self-help concept, and another organization, Thunder Valley Community Development Corporation, has recently been awarded Section 523 funding from Rural Development to develop and launch a self-help pilot. Through a unique collaborative effort, the Sustainable Home Ownership Program (SHOP) collaborative, the two organizations and other partners are working together to promote homeownership on Pine Ridge and support each other’s efforts.

The Oglala Sioux Tribe Partnership for Housing’s Commitment to Self-Help

The Oglala Sioux Tribe Partnership for Housing is a private, nonprofit organization promoting homeownership and developing viable housing options for people on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Over the past 16 years, OSTPH has worked to promote homeownership there, providing homeownership education and counseling, assisting families in applying for home mortgages, and building homes to meet the severe housing shortage on the reservation. The organization has assisted over 90 families in purchasing homes. Through its self-help program, a total of 24 families worked together to build their own homes. These homes are scattered in different districts around the reservation, an area spanning approximately 40,000 square miles (the size of the state of Connecticut).

After these 24 families constructed their homes, the organization determined that it would pursue self-help housing in other ways. According to executive director Pinky Clifford, “Self-help with Rural Development is one thing, but there are other options to look at.” OSTPH is currently working with partners to design and develop a “tiny house” program, enabling families to work together to build a home that could be moved easily on a flatbed truck to a location of their choice (it would not require special house-moving equipment). Learning from their experience working simultaneously with multiple families across the reservation, the OSTPH envisions that with its new self-help programming, participating families will completely build one home, and then start building the next. “We’re looking at self-help, one family at a time,” explains Clifford. The OSTPH sees the “tiny house” program as a key to long-term asset-building, as families can build onto the small house over time, or sell a house to another family and use the equity as a down payment to buy another home.

In order to address the need for improvements to existing homes, the OSTPH is also looking at a self-help rehab program. According to Clifford, “there are hundreds and hundreds of homes that need to be rehabbed. We’re looking for innovative ways to access resources to make this happen.”

Thunder Valley Community Development Corporation’s Self-Help Pilot Program

Thunder Valley Community Development Corporation is an Oglala-led, Native American 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based out of the Thunder Valley community of the Porcupine District on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Its mission is “empowering Lakota youth and families to improve the health, culture, and environment of our communities, through the healing and strengthening of cultural identity.” Thunder Valley is currently implementing a comprehensive community development initiative, which includes the creation of homeownership opportunities, a youth shelter, an empowerment center, community gardens, a walking/hiking/biking trail, a business incubator, commercial space, a bunkhouse for volunteers and students, and powwow grounds.

Thunder Valley sees the self-help approach as an important piece of its comprehensive efforts to build a community, and emphasizes that its program builds on the work and experience of the OSTPH. According to executive director Nick Tilsen, “We don’t believe that Thunder Valley would be afforded the opportunity to take on self-help on Pine Ridge if Pinky and the [Oglala Sioux Tribe] Partnership hadn’t done it before and paved the way. They showed that self-help can be done. We wanted to take it on because it works.”

In developing its self-help pilot program, one of Thunder Valley’s first steps focused on learning about the OSTPH efforts. Liz Welch, Thunder Valley’s director of advancement, explains that “the Partnership was transparent and open to share their experience, both what worked and what was really challenging. Without that, we wouldn’t have taken it on.”

Rather than scattered sites, Thunder Valley self-help participants will be building homes in the Thunder Valley development in Porcupine. According to Tilsen, community and relationship building is a major reason that Thunder Valley believes in the self-help model: “Because we’re building an actual physical community – beyond building homes, we’re trying to build relationships between the families. By helping one another build their houses, we’re building positive, healthy relationships between neighbors.”

Architectural rendering of Thunder Valley’s Regenerative Community Development Plan, courtesy of Thunder Valley CDC

Like many self-help programs around the country, Thunder Valley recognizes that sweat equity is key to making homeownership affordable for low-income families and to long-term asset building. Affordability also underlies the organization’s commitment to green building and energy-efficient construction. “We’re on a pathway,” Tilsen explains. “Our end goal is to build affordable housing with net-zero energy costs. We strongly believe that low-income families shouldn’t be dumping their limited resources into utility bills and high energy costs. Instead, we want them to put their resources into building assets.” Thunder Valley’s energy efficient construction includes using passive solar design (orientation of homes, placement and size of overhangs), as well as solar panels and solar thermal systems.

Thunder Valley is currently focusing on infrastructure development for its new community (roads, water, sewer) and preparing its first group of six self-help families. Through its pilot program, a total of 12 families will build their new homes in the development; the first six are scheduled to begin construction in the spring/summer of 2016.

The Sustainable Home Ownership Program Collaborative

In looking at self-help housing in Pine Ridge back in 2003, it was clear that collaboration was key to the success of homeownership efforts. In speaking with the OSTPH and Thunder Valley today, this spirit of partnership is still apparent, if not stronger. Through the SHOP collaborative, Thunder Valley and the OSTPH are working with other partners to streamline the homeownership process on Pine Ridge and support one another’s efforts. Through the collaborative, partners have developed a shared training calendar, make IDA program homeownership referrals, and share other homeownership opportunities. Tilsen explains, “We are working to support and promote each other’s efforts. Even if a potential homebuyer isn’t a good fit for our program, we can refer them to one of our partners. The only way we know about other opportunities and what our partners can offer is by collaborating and working together.”

Joint Efforts

Back in 2003, we saw that developing self-help housing on Pine Ridge was not an easy task, and this has not changed. The joint efforts and partnerships we see today are a critical part of successful self-help housing efforts and providing homeownership opportunities for tribal members, and a model for other communities around the country.

Leslie Newman is a founder and co-manager of Seven Sisters Community Development Group, which focuses on community development in Native communities. She has been working to support affordable housing and asset building on the Pine Ridge Reservation since 1999.

Still Ticking After All These Years

October 30, 2015/in 20 Years of Rural Voices

Low-Income Housing Tax Credits in Washington State

by Kim Herman

This story appears in the 2015 Fall Edition of Rural Voices

Tax credits remain important in rural Washington, financing the production of thousands of homes.

Low-Income Housing Tax Credits in Washington State

by Kim Herman

This story appears in the 2015 Fall Edition of Rural Voices

Tax credits remain important in rural Washington, financing the production of thousands of homes.

That statement was in the opening paragraph of a 2003 article for Rural Voices I wrote about the use of housing tax credits in rural Washington. Without a doubt, it is just as true today as it was then, if not more so. In the intervening 12 years, the Washington State Housing Finance Commission has amended our housing credit guidelines a number of times, we participated in the tax credit support programs created by federal economic recovery legislation in 2008 and 2009, we survived the Great Recession, and we have redefined the geography of Washington for applicants for the 9 percent tax credit program. What has not changed is the importance to rural Washington of the housing credit program, which encourages private sector investment in affordable rental housing properties.

The Continuing Importance of Housing Credits to Rural Areas

In my 2003 article I was able to point to 121 rural housing projects funded with housing credits that produced more than 4,000 units of affordable housing. I am happy to say that since that time our production of affordable rural housing using housing tax credits has not slowed down. Since 2003, we have financed another 191 rural projects providing another 8,844 affordable housing units in rural communities with populations of less than 50,000. Even more interesting is that 44 of the projects were financed using tax-exempt bonds and 4 percent housing credits, removing pressure from the resource-limited 9 percent credit program.

Changes Have Happened

In many smaller communities where projects have previously been built, there have been fewer opportunities for feasible rural developments. We have also experienced less for-profit involvement in rural areas due to the scoring criteria in the competitive 9 percent program. Now, however, we see smarter and more sophisticated nonprofit developers expanding their reach.

These changes were driven by the competition and economics of the tax credit program and the need for trust and confidence to be developed between the developers of rural housing and tax credit investors. Small rural projects became less feasible as land and building costs increased and the program came under scrutiny about high per-unit costs. Therefore, we have seen the number of units in rural projects increase.

In addition, both for-profit and nonprofit developers have taken advantage of opportunities for acquisition and rehabilitation of older USDA Section 515 portfolios, often using the bond/4 percent credit program instead of the 9 percent program. Even more could be done to preserve USDA’s aging rural housing portfolio if the agency would streamline its processing time and remove outdated requirements that force tax credit allocators to repeatedly roll over allocations for the purchase and preservation of USDA projects already in the pipeline.

Affordable Housing for Native Americans

The Commission had financed two housing credit projects for Native American tribes in the early 2000s in cooperation with Travois, a national organization serving tribal housing authorities. Then we reached out to the tribes and provided specific training in the housing credit program to encourage more tribal participation. This effort increased successful applications from tribes in Washington. Since 2003, we have financed an additional 11 projects for various tribes that provide 321 affordable housing units to tribal members. Given the remote location of many tribal reservations, including the Makah tribe in the far northwest corner of Washington, these financings demonstrate the wonderful flexibility of the housing credit program in rural America.

The Recession Years

In the first year of the Great Recession, 2008, the Commission took advantage of a 20 percent increase in Washington’s per-capita credit allocation and an expanded definition of projects eligible for the 30 percent basis boost to finance seven housing credit projects in rural Washington that provided 375 units of affordable housing to low-income households. These benefits were part of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act (HERA) passed the same year to stimulate the economy.

The federal efforts to support the housing credit program under the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) provided even greater stimuli for helping rural projects in Washington. While not all of the benefits went to rural projects, ARRA combined $37.8 million in the Tax Credit Assistance Program and $101 million generated through the Section 1602 Exchange Program with $96.8 million in regular 2009 housing credits to fund almost twice as many projects as usual. This included 12 rural projects with 480 units of housing for low-income families and represented a significant economic boost to rural communities that were suffering the effects of the recession.

Responding to Our Partners

In 2013, the Commission made a number of significant changes to our allocation criteria for the 9 percent housing credit program. These changes allowed us to improve the balance of the allocations across the state geographically, as well as to address the growing conflict between the need to preserve existing housing and the priority to create new units. After much research and many stakeholder policy meetings, we eliminated our credit set-asides for Rural Development (RD) projects, qualified nonprofits, and rural areas, as well as the “Housing Needs Points” previously used to determine geographic distribution.

Instead, three distinct geographic credit pools were created: King County Metro (home of Seattle), other metro counties, and nonmetro counties. Like projects now compete against like projects, based upon the pool in which they are located. This also provided the opportunity to evaluate and adjust the existing allocation criteria and their applicability to the various geographies, which removed several barriers for rural projects to compete for housing credits. The Commission also introduced significant total development cost guidelines the same year that were adjusted to match economic factors in the three geographic pools. These changes resulted in seven rural projects receiving housing credits in 2013, producing 432 units of affordable rural housing.

Summing Up

The Low Income Housing Tax Credit program has allocated $853.8 million in housing credits to fund 312 rural housing projects that have produced 8,165 units of family housing, 3,534 units of senior housing and 1,145 units of housing for agricultural workers in Washington State. Beyond a doubt, without the housing credit program, the vast majority of the people living in these affordable homes would not have a decent, affordable place to live today.

Kim Herman is Executive Director of the Washington State Housing Finance Commission. His past experience includes executive positions at Delta Housing Development Corporation, Indianola, MS; Rural Housing Alliance/Rural America, Washington, DC; Rural Assistance Initiative, HUD; Yakima Housing Authority, Yakima, WA; and Portland Development Commission, Portland, OR.

The Housing Trust Fund Movement Spans the Country

October 30, 2015/in 20 Years of Rural Voices

State and local housing trust funds continue to offer flexible funding for affordable housing across the country, and a national fund has been created as well.

by Mary Brooks

This story appears in the 2015 Fall Edition of Rural Voices

Over the last 30 years of experience with housing trust funds, an amazing movement has been sustained and brightened by the tenacity and creativity of affordable housing/homeless advocates across this country. One could take a close look at almost any aspect of critical affordable housing needs in this country and see it being addressed within the housing trust fund community. The success of the housing trust fund movement offers undeniable evidence that we can provide everyone in this country with a safe affordable home. While the needs yet to be addressed are strikingly huge, if we committed the resources needed, we could end homelessness and provide safe affordable homes for all. It is an issue of resources and a challenge to the political will of this country.

State and local housing trust funds continue to offer flexible funding for affordable housing across the country, and a national fund has been created as well.

by Mary Brooks

This story appears in the 2015 Fall Edition of Rural Voices

More than 750 housing trust funds in cities, counties, and states throughout the United States are providing hundreds of millions of dollars to support needed safe affordable homes. Housing trust funds receive dedicated sources of public funds to provide an ongoing source of financing to support affordable housing for those most in need. A housing trust fund is typically established through a local ordinance or state law that creates the fund itself, identifies an administrative structure for overseeing its operation, establishes regulatory requirements for expenditure of the funds, and enables the dedication of identified sources of public funds.

Forty-seven states have created housing trust funds, although three of these have yet to commit revenue to the funds. While all state housing trust funds distribute funds across the state, at least Illinois, Kentucky, Nebraska, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, and Washington either set aside a portion of available funds to be used specifically in rural areas of the state or are subject to a statutory target to do so.

Despite having dedicated public revenues, housing trust funds suffered greatly during the last recession. Committed revenue streams collected reduced amounts of money and, in several states, funds were used to patch budget deficits. Now all indications are that this is reversing, with several states renewing, if not building, their support for state housing trust funds. Just in the last year wins occurred in Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Washington, D.C. And several advances, including new housing trust funds, have been created at the local level.

State housing trust funds have learned how to brag about the affordable homes they have made possible throughout their states, including rural areas. There are lots of good reasons for this. First, it informs elected officials about the value of investing in affordable housing within the entire state, including the areas they represent. Second, it illustrates the importance of state funds supporting affordable housing and the flexibility these trust funds can provide, recognizing that affordable housing in different parts of the state may require different approaches. Third, it demonstrates what is possible – what can be accomplished if we commit the resources to make it work.

The single most commonly expressed advantage of creating local and state housing trust funds is the flexibility they provide in addressing a wide range of housing/homeless needs. Housing trust funds are designed to meet specific objectives, most often including serving those with the lowest incomes, ensuring long-term affordability, meeting accessibility and energy efficiency standards, and providing support throughout the state to all geographic areas. Yet, at the same time, they can also be called upon to meet unique challenges and take advantage of immediate opportunities.

The South Dakota Housing Opportunity Fund established a special application process to address the devastating impact of the Delmont tornado – a good example of how these flexible funds can be drawn to address unique, and in this instance urgent, circumstances. The simple application allows funds to be used for down payment assistance, home reconstruction, rental or utility deposits, or purchasing appliances.

The illustrations here show how North Dakota and Ohio have made funds available across the state in a wide variety of geographic areas.


NORTH DAKOTA’S HOUSING INVESTMENT FUND
	North Dakota’s Housing investment Fund is sustained through contributions in exchange for tax credits and funds from the Bank of North Dakota. The Fund has supported more than 2,000 affordable homes and averaged an additional $4 for every $1 invested by the fund.

THE OHIO HOUSING TRUST FUND
	The Ohio Housing Trust Fund is supported through revenues collected form document recording fees. Currently, the fund distributes grants and loans through these five programs: Target of Opportunity Grant Program Homeless Assistant Grant Program Housing Assistance Grant Program Housing Development Assistance Program Microenterprise Business Development Program

The Nebraska Housing Developers Association provides some insight into how the nonprofit and for-profit development communities have been integral to the success of the housing trust fund movement. “Nebraska uses its Housing Trust Fund to support development of rental housing in rural Nebraska,” explains Danielle Hill, Executive Director of the Association.

“The availability of rental housing in rural Nebraska is critical to the economic viability of many small communities. Other housing resources, such as the Low Income Housing Tax Credit, are not as efficient when fewer than 12 units are being developed. In many of Nebraska’s rural communities, contractor jobs and material supply companies are supported through the development and or rehabilitation of housing. This same development adds to the community’s tax base.”

The Nebraska Affordable Housing Trust Fund is statutorily required to allocate at least 30 percent of annual revenues to each of the state’s three congressional districts. Within its first ten years of operation, the Fund awarded nearly $88 million, which was matched with more than $300 million in other public and private funds. This helped support 4,765 affordable homes throughout the state and created at least 6,300 jobs.

The availability of rental housing in rural Nebraska is critical to the economic viability of many small communities.

Another promising advance in the housing trust fund field has occurred in states that have passed enabling legislation either encouraging the creation of local housing trust funds and/or making revenue options available to them. These state enabling programs vary across the country but the evidence indicates real impact across the states. Here are just a few examples.

Pennsylvania: Act 137 enabled counties to increase their document recording fees if the funds were committed to affordable housing activities. More than half the counties in the state have done so and funds are used to support a variety of activities from senior citizen housing to owner-occupied rehabilitation work to financial assistance for developing rental housing.

Florida: A majority of the funds in the Florida state housing trust fund support the State Housing Initiatives Partnership Program, allocating funds, based on a formula, to every county within the state and to entitlement cities.

Washington: The state passed legislation that increased the document recording fee and allocates these funds to each county to address homelessness.

Massachusetts: The Community Preservation Act has enabled more than 150 communities to enact a surcharge on real property taxes to create local dedicated funds for four purposes: affordable housing, open space preservation, historic preservation, and outdoor recreation. Creation of these funds also triggers annual distributions from the statewide Community Preservation Act Trust Fund, which derives its revenues from fees collected at the state registries of deeds.

Iowa: The Iowa Housing Trust Fund reserves at least 60 percent of its revenue for the local housing trust fund program, matching what local funds can generate throughout the state. At this point, 27 city, county, and regional local funds have been certified as eligible to receive matching state funds.

The housing trust fund movement’s strong history has enabled affordable housing/homeless advocates across the country to integrate new elements into statewide and local campaigns that are proving to be particularly effective.

First, many economic benefits of investment in affordable housing can be documented. The money housing trust funds commit to affordable housing activities leverages additional funds from other public and private sources, bringing additional revenues into communities. Studies across the country highlight the full range of economic benefits, including job creation, tax revenues, and more. Here are a few examples.

The economic impact of Philadelphia’s trust fund is expected to reach nearly 2,600 jobs statewide each year, $80 million in wages every year, and increased city and state taxes.
One-time construction activities from $10 million annual funding can inject $1 billion into the economy of Virginia between 2012 and 2022. The ongoing economic impact could reach $331 million per year, supporting 1,778 jobs throughout the state.
A study for Lexington, KY concluded that more than 363 new jobs will be directly and indirectly supported from the implementation of the city’s trust fund and more than $43.3 million of direct, indirect, and induced economic activity will be generated.
Within the first ten years of implementing the Alabama Housing Trust Fund, the total economic impact is estimated to equal $1.1 billion of output, creating or rehabilitating more than 7,100 homes, and generating 6,500 full-time jobs for Alabamians. The study estimates that the taxes collected at the state and local levels will be $151.5 million over the first ten years.

The second is the power of putting a face to the value of home. Numerous studies (many supported through the MacArthur Foundation’s How Housing Matters to Families and Communities initiative) have documented housing’s effects and the relationship between safe affordable homes and school performance, health benefits, environmental quality, and so much more. The stories individuals and families can share about how their lives are impacted when they secure affordable homes brings a powerful perspective to why these initiatives do matter. The Housing Assistance Council has recognized this for many years in sharing many of these stories in Rural Voices. Many campaigns and the affordable housing/homeless coalitions that wage them have incorporated videos, postcards, and stories to bring their messages home.

Recognizing the breadth of safe, affordable housing’s impact on communities has also brought into perspective just how housing does matter in terms of many related issues, including education, health, environment, employment, and much more. This has enabled many affordable housing/homeless coalitions to build cross-issue alliances integrating new and inspiring perspectives into the challenge of securing additional resources to meet the need for affordable housing.

Finally, a very exciting element of movement building is being considered in several states focused on the engagement of residents in affordable housing complexes, empowering them to bring their voices to affordable housing/homeless advocacy. These efforts could enable thousands to join these campaigns. From gathering postcards, to Twitter storms, to engaging in lobby days, hearing from those who have benefitted from the very affordable housing/homeless policy changes accomplished throughout the country is a striking statement of success and the promise of what we can do … when the will is there.

Mary Brooks works at the Housing Trust Fund Project of the Center for Community Change, housingtrustfundproject.org.

HAC News: October 28, 2015

October 28, 2015/in HAC News

HAC News Formats. pdf

October 28, 2015
Vol. 44, No. 22

• Budget deal raises spending caps • USDA has funds to renew expired Rental Assistance contracts • Senate subcommittee questions USDA on Rental Assistance funds • House panels hold hearings on new legislation and HUD • HUD launches Tribal HUD-VASH program • New Markets Tax Credits allocations available • CFPB updates lists of rural counties • Additional fair housing regulations proposed • HMDA regulations revised • HUD offers training to qualify manufactured housing installers • New report supports HOME program • Rural Voices celebrates 20 years • Two HAC trainings offered November 19-20

HAC News Formats. pdf

October 28, 2015
Vol. 44, No. 22

Budget deal raises spending caps. The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 will add $25 billion to the Budget Control Act’s cap for non-defense discretionary spending in FY16 and $15 billion in FY17. The House and Senate Appropriations Committees will divide the $25 billion among agencies, so it is not yet clear how the increases will impact specific programs.

USDA has funds to renew expired Rental Assistance contracts. Using funds from the Continuing Resolution (see HAC News, 9/30/15), USDA is renewing RA contracts that have expired (not contracts that used up funds before their expiration dates). Renewals are for a full year, not just the term of the CR. Priority goes to those that expired after FY15 RA funds ran out in August. The agency is using a new RA Obligation Tool, which it expects will improve accuracy and reduce the number of RA contracts using up their funds before the end of their terms; each contract’s funding will be based on that property’s spending rather than a statewide average.

Senate subcommittee questions USDA on Rental Assistance funds. An October 21 hearing, “Review of Rural Development in the 21st Century,” covered many topics, including the FY15 shortfall in Section 521 Rental Assistance funding. Subcommittee chair Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS) and ranking member Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) were particularly surprised to hear RHS Administrator Tony Hernandez say the CR does not give it the authority to use FY16 funds to cover amounts not paid in FY15 to “re-renew” RA contracts that used up their dollars before they expired. (See HAC News, 9/2/15 and 9/30/15.)

House panels hold hearings on new legislation and HUD. A subcommittee and the full Financial Services Committee considered “The Future of Housing in America: Federal Housing Reforms that Create Housing Opportunity” and “The Future of Housing in America: 50 Years of HUD and its Impact on Federal Housing Policy” on October 21 and 22. The subcommittee focused on H.R. 3700, which would make changes in many programs (see HAC News, 10/14/15), while the committee examined HUD’s history and accomplishments.

HUD launches Tribal HUD-VASH program. The program will fund Indian tribes and tribally designated housing entities to provide rental assistance and supportive services to Native American veterans who are homeless or at risk of homelessness living on or near reservations or other Indian areas. Contact Randall Akers, HUD, 202-402-7914.

New Markets Tax Credits allocations available. Applications for Calendar Year 2015 NMTCs are due December 16. Applicants not yet certified as Community Development Entities must submit apply for CDE status by November 6. Contact the CDFI Fund’s NMTC Program Manager, cdfihelp@cdfi.treas.gov, 202-653-0421.

CFPB updates lists of rural counties. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s listsof “rural counties” and “rural or underserved counties” identify areas where some mortgage activity regulations are waived.

Additional fair housing regulations proposed. Comments are due December 21 on HUD’s suggested standards for evaluating complaints of quid pro quo harassment and hostile environment harassment. The proposed rule also clarifies the operation of traditional principles of direct and vicarious liability under the Fair Housing Act. Contact Lynn Grosso, HUD, 202-402-5361.

HMDA regulations revised. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has issued a final rule adding some new reporting requirements for Home Mortgage Disclosure Act data. There are other changes as well, and the rule also provides compliance guidance. Contact CFPB’s Office of Regulations, 202-435-7700.

HUD offers training to qualify manufactured housing installers. HUD training and licenses are available in 13 states that do not operate their own installation programs. Contact Pamela Beck Danner, HUD, 202-708-6423.

New report supports HOME program. On October 28 the HOME Coalition released “Building HOME: The HOME Investment Partnerships Programs Impact on America’s Families and Communities,” analyzing HOME’s economic impact at the national level and in all 50 states.

Rural Voices celebrates 20 years. The Fall issue of HAC’s quarterly magazine updates some of the more than 500 articles published since 1995. Sign up online for email notices when new issues are published.

Two HAC trainings offered November 19-20. The cost is $75 each for these courses in North Charleston, SC. Register online for either Sharpening Your Skills: Financial Management for Rural Nonprofits or Utilizing the Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program: Creating and Preserving Affordable Housing. These are concurrent sessions; register for only one. Advance registration is required. Contact Shonterria Charleston, HAC, 404-892-4824.

HAC News: October 14, 2015

October 14, 2015/in HAC News

HAC News Formats. pdf

October 14, 2015
Vol. 44, No. 21

• Deadline approaches for rural veteran housing projects • Celebration of Service supports rural veterans through November 11 • Hensarling request for suggestions includes USDA housing programs • FY15 USDA housing spending went mostly to guarantees, rental assistance • USDA implements integrated mortgage disclosure for direct Section 502 and 504 loans • Bill would authorize preservation program, allow some lenders to approve Section 502 guarantees • Section 8 OCAFs set • HUD issues guidance on determining homeless status of youth • Child poverty fell in 2014 but remains higher than in 2009 • Profiles show housing affordability for renters by state and locality

HAC News Formats. pdf

October 14, 2015
Vol. 44, No. 21

Deadline approaches for rural veteran housing projects. The Home Depot Foundation will make grants to nonprofits, tribally designated housing entities, and housing authorities serving veterans at or below 80% of area median income in rural areas. Projects may be new construction or rehab, temporary or permanent housing, in progress or beginning within 12 months. Concept papers are due October 30. Contact Shonterria Charleston, HAC, 404-892-4824.

Celebration of Service supports rural veterans through November 11. Each Monday until November 11, the Home Depot Foundation’s Team Depot Facebook page will highlight one of its nonprofit partners (HAC was featured September 21). For each like, comment, and share of these spotlight posts the foundation will donate $1 (up to $1 million total), which will be split between HAC and eight other nonprofits serving veterans. Dollars will also be donated for #ServiceSelfie posts on Twitter or Instagram.

Hensarling request for suggestions includes USDA housing programs. The September 30, 2015 HAC News reported that House Financial Services Committee Chair Jeb Hensarling (R-TX) seeks proposals for improvements to HUD and its programs. HAC has learned that the committee is also interested in ideas on USDA rural housing. The request includes specific topics for comment. Contact transformhousing@mail.house.gov.

FY15 USDA housing spending went mostly to guarantees, rental assistance. HAC’s analysis of USDA data shows that as of the end of September – the end of FY15 – USDA obligated 149,108 loans, loan guarantees, and grants totaling about $19.9 billion. This is $312 million less and 4,743 fewer (in number) obligations than at the same time last year. About 94% of the total loan and grant dollars obligated represent Section 502 guaranteed loans. USDA also obligated 249,468 units of tenant assistance representing over $1.1 billion through the Section 521 Rental Assistance and Section 542 Rural Housing Voucher programs. This represents about $19.96 million or 7,051 fewer units than this time last year. Watch the HAC News and ruralhome.org for a more detailed analysis of FY15 spending. Contact Michael Feinberg, HAC, 202-842-8600.

USDA implements integrated mortgage disclosure for direct Section 502 and 504 loans. A Section 502 or 504 loan is now subject to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s new Truth in Lending Act and Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act Integrated Mortgage Disclosures (TRID) rule if a security interest will be taken on the property. In an email to stakeholders, USDA RD explains this regulation is expected to impact almost every aspect of mortgage transactions. RD has developed training materials and conducted webinars for its staff, and will issue an Unnumbered Letter. Sign up online to receive emails with information about RD’s single-family housing programs.

Bill would authorize preservation program, allow some lenders to approve Section 502 guarantees. The Housing Opportunity through Modernization Act, H.R. 3700, was recently introduced by Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO). It includes two provisions for USDA rural housing programs: it would authorize the Multifamily Preservation and Revitalization demonstration that has been funded for several years, and would allow USDA to delegate its Section 502 loan guarantee authority to preferred lenders. It would make a number of changes to HUD programs, some relating to income calculations and limits; it would also allow public housing agencies to create replacement reserves, extend the Family Unification Program, create inspection policies for PHAs’ units, and change utility reimbursements.

Section 8 OCAFs set. HUD’s new operating cost adjustment factors will apply to Section 8 project-based assistance contracts with anniversary dates on or after February 11, 2016. Contact Stan Houle, HUD, 202-402-2572.

HUD issues guidance on determining homeless status of youth. The document uses hypothetical scenarios to help providers understand how youth meet HUD’s definition of homelessness to receive Continuum of Care or Emergency Solutions Grants housing and services. An October 28 webinar will review the guidance and provide over-views of resources available to serve youth who meet and do not meet HUD’s definition of homeless.

Child poverty fell in 2014 but remains higher than in 2009. Research from the Carsey School of Public Policy at the University of New Hampshire analyzing American Community Survey data found that child poverty declined in rural places, suburbs, and cities, with the largest declines in rural America. Overall poverty rates are 38.4% for African-American children, 13.0% for non-Hispanic white children, and 32.1% for Hispanic children. Half (51.1%) of all rural African-American children live in poverty.

Profiles show housing affordability for renters by state and locality. The National Low Income Housing Coalition’s Housing Profiles, updated with Out of Reach 2015 data (see HAC News, 5/27/15), give one-page snapshots of affordable rental housing stock and affordability in each state and congressional district.

USDA Rural Development Obligations FY 15 – September

October 13, 2015/in RD Recent Obligations

Download complete report (Through September FY 2015)

The Housing Assistance Council (HAC) presents this month’s report on Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 USDA Rural Housing program obligations.

As of the end of September, USDA obligated 149,108 loans, loan guarantees, and grants totaling about $19.9 billion. This is $312 million less and 4,743 fewer (in number) obligations than the same time last year. About 94 percent of the total loan and grant dollars obligated represent Section 502 Guaranteed loans.

USDA also obligated 249,468 units of tenant assistance representing over $1.1 billion through the combined total of the Section 521 Rental Assistance and the Section 542 Rural Housing Voucher programs. This represents about $19.96 million or 7,051 fewer units than this time last year.

Single Family Housing Program Highlights

The Section 502 Guaranteed loan program, the largest of the Single Family Housing programs, obligated $18.6 billion (134,255) in loan guarantees. Obligations increased by over $1.8 billion (13,280 loans) over last month but overall volume was about $428 million (about 2.2 percent) less than last year.

For the Section 502 Direct program, obligations increased to about $899.8 million (7,064 loans). This represents an increase over last month of about $202 million (1,504 loans). Funds in the Section 502 direct program were fully obligated for the first time in three years. Very low-income loans as a percentage of the total dollars obligated for the program remained at 31.8 percent. When viewed as a percentage of the number of loans obligated, very low-income loans comprise 35.7 percent of the total number of loans obligated.

The Section 504 Repair and Rehabilitation programs obligated 2,510 loans representing $15.1 million and 4,728 grants representing $29 million.

Multi-Family Housing Programs

The Section 538 loan guarantee program increased to 89 obligations totaling $113.9 million. Obligations in the Section 515 Rural Rental Housing program increased to 26 loans and $28.3 million. Section 514/516 Farm Labor Housing loans and grants increased to $19 million for loans and $6.4 million for grants.

Section 521 Rental Assistance obligations total 244,999 units representing $1.09 billion. Section 542 vouchers totaled 4,469 units representing $15.6 million.

Not included in the summary tables is the MFH Preservation Demonstration program. There were five this year totaling $10,271,711. Over the previous two fiscal years, the agency made one loan each year for about $1 million. Data on where the loans were made is not available.

Download the combined document.

Individual Program Files

Summary Files

Summary of Rural Development Obligations
Summary Data of Rural Development Obligations Compared to Previous Year
Summary Data of Rural Development Obligations Compared to Previous Month
Summary Chart of Rural Development Obligations
USDA Rural Development Eligible Areas

Single Family Housing Program Obligations

Section 502 Direct Homeownership Total Obligations
Section 502 Direct Homeownership Low and Very Low Obligations
Section 502 Guaranteed Homeownership Obligations
Section 504 Total Home Rehab Obligations
Section 523 Self-Help Technical Assistance Grant Obligations Section 502 Guaranteed Homeownership Obligations
Section 524 Site Loans Obligations

Multi-Family Housing Program Obligations

Section 514/516 Farm Labor Housing Obligations
Section 515 Rental Housing Obligations
Section 521 Rental Assistance Obligations
Section 533 Housing Preservation Obligations
Section 538 Guaranteed Rental Obligations
Multifamily Housing Tenant Voucher Obligations
Multifamily Housing Revitalization Demonstration Program

Unallocated Program Obligations

Section 306 Water/Wastewater Grant Obligations
Section 509 Compensation for Construction Defects
Multifamily and Single-family Housing Credit Sales

* The Rural Housing Service (RHS) monthly obligation reports are produced by the Housing Assistance Council (HAC) 1025 Vermont Ave., NW, Suite 606, Washington, DC 20005. The monthly figures derive from HAC tabulations of USDA –RHS 205c, d, and f report data. For questions or comments about the obligation reports, please contact Michael Feinberg at 202-842-8600 or michael@ruralhome.org.

HAC News: September 30, 2015

September 30, 2015/in HAC News

HAC News Formats. pdf

September 30, 2015
Vol. 44, No. 20

• Continuing Resolution keeps federal government open • USDA uses all 502 direct funds • House Financial Services Committee chair invites suggestions to improve housing assistance • AmeriCorps opens FY16 application period • Whole house inspections instituted for 502 direct loans • CFPB amends rule on rural credit access • EPA rule adds pesticide protections for farmworkers • HUD publishes General Section for FY16 NOFAs • Continuum of Care NOFA released • Administration selects Rural IMPACT poverty reduction locations • Rural mortgage lending declined in 2014 • Increase in cost-burdened renters projected

HAC News Formats. pdf

September 30, 2015
Vol. 44, No. 20

Continuing Resolution keeps federal government open. Funding will continue, mostly at FY15 levels, through December 11. The CR includes language providing a short-term fix for Section 521 Rental Assistance contracts that run out of funds before their one-year term ends and could not be renewed (see HAC News, 9/2/15): it gives USDA authority to waive the prohibition on early renewals. It also includes the “anomaly” the Administration requested (see HAC News, 9/2/15), enabling USDA to spend a disproportionate amount of RA dollars early in the fiscal year.

USDA uses all 502 direct funds. By September 22, USDA RD obligated 7,043 Section 502 direct loans, using all of its Section 502 direct funds for FY15. This is the first time since FY12 all available money for that program was used. Very low-income borrowers received 31.8% of the total. Another 6,104 applications were submitted by September 22. RD also used all its FY15 Section 504 grant funds, but not all of the Section 504 loan money.

House Financial Services Committee chair invites suggestions to improve housing assistance. Committee chairman Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-TX) requests specific proposals and recommendations on HUD restructuring, innovative approaches to address housing affordability that respect individual rights and promote individual responsibility, targeting housing assistance to address generational cycles of poverty, and examples of successful implementation of such proposals. Send ideas to transformhousing@mail.house.gov.

AmeriCorps opens FY16 application period. The Corporation for National and Community Service covers part or all of the cost of a community service position. Funding priorities include disaster services, veterans and military families, and more. Organizations that propose to operate in only one state must apply through State or Territory Commissions. Deadlines vary among states.A separate funding notice for Tribes will be released later this fall. Contact americorpsgrants@cns.gov.

Whole house inspections instituted for 502 direct loans. Beginning October 1, a Section 502 direct borrower purchasing an existing home must have a whole house inspection rather than separate inspections on the home’s major systems. Contact a USDA RD local office.

CFPB amends rule on rural credit access. A new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau final rule on mortgage lending by small creditors makes changes including expanding the definitions of small creditors and rural places. Contact Jeffrey Haywood, CFPB, 202-435-7700.

EPA rule adds pesticide protections for farmworkers. A new final rule enhances requirements for training, recordkeeping, protective equipment, and more. The rule requires workers applying pesticides to be 18 or over. On family-owned farms, immediate family members are exempt from many provisions. Most changes will take effect in about 14 months. Contact Kathy Davis, EPA, 703-308-7002.

HUD publishes General Section for FY16 NOFAs. The General Section’s provisions apply to funding notices issued during the fiscal year.

Continuum of Care NOFA released. CoCs can apply by November 20 for FY15 homelessness program funds. Contact a local HUD CPD Field Office or ask questions at https://www.hudexchange.info/get-assistance/.

Administration selects Rural IMPACT poverty reduction locations. Ten sites will participate in the “Rural Integration Models for Parents and Children to Thrive” (Rural IMPACT) technical assistance demonstration. HHS will run the effort in collaboration with USDA and others, providing technical assistance to the selected sites to plan and implement changes to alleviate child poverty.

Rural mortgage lending declined in 2014. A HAC analysis of recently released Home Mortgage Disclosure Act data shows that home mortgage lending in rural areas dropped by about 25% from 2013 levels. Almost the entire change was due to decreases in refinances. The rate of high cost mortgage lending increased from 2013 to 2014. The level of high cost rural loans for manufactured homes was six times higher than the national rate for single-family homes. Additional analysis will be posted at www.ruralhome.org. Contact Keith Wiley, HAC, 202-842-8600.

Increase in cost-burdened renters projected. The number of households spending 50% or more of their income on rent is expected to rise at least 11% by 2025, according to Projecting Trends in Severely Cost-Burdened Renters: 2015-2025 by Enterprise Community Partners and the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies. The numbers of severely burdened households ages 65 to 74 will rise by 42% and those ages 75 and older by 39%. Hispanic households will have the largest increase among racial and ethnic groups, with the number of severely burdened Hispanic households increasing by 27%.

HAC News: November 11, 2015

20 Years of Rural Voices

What a Difference 20 Years Makes

View from Washington

FEATURES

Let’s Recommit to Rural America

View from Washington

A member of Congress challenges his colleagues to re-engage in the fight to keep successful federal rural housing programs alive.

View from Washington

A member of Congress challenges his colleagues to re-engage in the fight to keep successful federal rural housing programs alive.

Self-Help Housing on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation: Alive and Well

There is more than one way to design a self-help housing program, and collaboration between community organizations helps.

There is more than one way to design a self-help housing program, and collaboration between community organizations helps.

The Oglala Sioux Tribe Partnership for Housing’s Commitment to Self-Help

Thunder Valley Community Development Corporation’s Self-Help Pilot Program

The Sustainable Home Ownership Program Collaborative

Joint Efforts

Still Ticking After All These Years

Low-Income Housing Tax Credits in Washington State

Low-Income Housing Tax Credits in Washington State

The Continuing Importance of Housing Credits to Rural Areas

Changes Have Happened

Affordable Housing for Native Americans

The Recession Years

Responding to Our Partners

Summing Up

The Housing Trust Fund Movement Spans the Country

State and local housing trust funds continue to offer flexible funding for affordable housing across the country, and a national fund has been created as well.

State and local housing trust funds continue to offer flexible funding for affordable housing across the country, and a national fund has been created as well.

HAC News: October 28, 2015

HAC News: October 14, 2015

USDA Rural Development Obligations FY 15 – September

Download complete report (Through September FY 2015)

Single Family Housing Program Highlights

Multi-Family Housing Programs

Individual Program Files

HAC News: September 30, 2015

GET THE HAC NEWS!

50 Years for Rural America