HAC News Formats. pdf

June 27, 2012
Vol. 41, No. 13

• House considering FY13 HUD funding bill • House committee approves USDA funding bill • Administration rejects House funding bills, including Rental Assistance level • House may consider grandfathering rural housing eligibility, Senate supports it again • Proposed guidelines would help make temporary emergency housing units accessible • HUD updates guidance on consulting tribes regarding historical properties • General housing outlook positive but cost burdens rising, Joint Center reports • Materials available on changing manufactured home titling policy • HUD offers many email lists • HAC releases “Poverty in the United States” map • Follow rural housing issues and HAC on social media

June 27, 2012
Vol. 41, No. 13

HOUSE CONSIDERING FY13 HUD FUNDING BILL. At press time, the House was still debating the 2013 T-HUD spending bill (H.R. 5972). Passage is expected this week. The bill passed the House Appropriations Committee June 19 without changes to the numbers reported in the HAC News, 6/13/12. The committee and the full House both rejected amendments that would have cut HOME funding by $200 million, and the House also rejected cuts to CDBG. The committee’s report (H.Rept. 112-541) included strong language supporting SHOP. Watch for an update on the results of the House vote on HAC’s website.

HOUSE COMMITTEE APPROVES USDA FUNDING BILL. On June 19 the full House Appropriations Committee approved H.R. 5973, the FY13 USDA bill passed by the Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee (see HAC News, 6/13/12), with only one change in rural housing funding levels. The committee adopted an amendment offered by Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID) adding $1.5 million to the subcommittee’s $886.6 million for Section 521 Rental Assistance. Like its Senate counterpart, the House committee’s report (H.Rept. 112-542) admonished the Administration for inconsistent rental housing policies. The full House is not expected to take up the bill until at least the week of July 9. Correction: The table in the printed HAC News of 6/13/12 incorrectly stated the House subcommittee’s Rental Assistance level as $866.6 million; it should have said $886.6 million. HAC apologizes for any confusion.

ADMINISTRATION REJECTS HOUSE FUNDING BILLS, INCLUDING RENTAL ASSISTANCE LEVEL. In separate Statements of Administration Policy issued June 21, OMB criticizes the funding reductions in the House bills for USDA and T-HUD. It notes that the House’s $888.1 million for Rental Assistance would eliminate 4,600 units of RA.

HOUSE MAY CONSIDER GRANDFATHERING RURAL HOUSING ELIGIBILITY, SENATE SUPPORTS IT AGAIN. When the USDA appropriations bill is considered on the House floor, Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE) is expected to offer an amendment that would extend eligibility for places that have gained population and would no longer fit the definition of “rural” for USDA housing programs, but are still under 35,000 population. Fortenberry’s provision would apply in FY13 only. The Senate’s USDA appropriations bill, S. 2375, includes a similar provision (see HAC News, 5/2/12). The Senate also approved an amendment sponsored by Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) to S. 3240, the Farm Bill, to apply grandfathering until 2020 Census data are available. The Farm Bill, which passed the Senate June 21, does not include other housing provisions.

PROPOSED GUIDELINES WOULD HELP MAKE TEMPORARY EMERGENCY HOUSING UNITS ACCESSIBLE. New guidelines for federal agencies would address accessibility for people with disabilities in newly constructed emergency transportable housing units. Comments are due August 17. Visit www.access-board.gov/eth/. Contact Marsha Mazz, Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board, 202-272-0020, mazz@access-board.gov.

HUD UPDATES GUIDANCE ON CONSULTING TRIBES REGARDING HISTORIC PROPERTIES. Consultation is required if a HUD-assisted project may affect historic properties of significance to federally recognized tribes. A Notice on Tribal Consultation, an updated Tribal Directory Assessment Tool, and other materials are posted on HUD’s site. Contact atec@hud.gov or a local HUD environmental officer.

GENERAL HOUSING OUTLOOK POSITIVE BUT COST BURDENS RISING, JOINT CENTER REPORTS. The State of the Nation’s Housing 2012 reviews signs of recovery in market rate for-sale and rental housing, and says serious cost burdens have increased for both owners and renters. The gap between the number of low-income renters and the supply of affordable, available, and adequate units continues to widen (Figure 30).

MATERIALS AVAILABLE ON CHANGING MANUFACTURED HOME TITLING POLICY. The Corporation for Enterprise Development offers a variety of items about the draft Uniform Manufactured Housing Act. If adopted by individual states, the act could change the process for converting a manufactured home to real property and, CFED says, could give manufactured home owners easier access to real estate mortgages.

HUD OFFERS MANY EMAIL LISTS. To subscribe to lists covering specific topics or geographic areas, visit https://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/subscribe.

HAC RELEASES “POVERTY IN THE UNITED STATES” MAP. This popular map, illustrating poverty rates by county, is updated with Census data every 10 years. Printable versions in several sizes can be downloaded from HAC’s website. Order a 24″x36″ version for $5 online with a credit card or mail a check to HAC.

FOLLOW RURAL HOUSING ISSUES AND HAC ON SOCIAL MEDIA. Like HAC on Facebook, follow HAC on Twitter and LinkedIn, and read blog posts by HAC staff at Shelterforce’s blog Rooflines. HAC’s most recent blog post reports on seniors’ dire housing conditions in Yazoo City, MS.

HAC News Formats. pdf

May 16, 2012
Vol. 41, No. 10

• Funding for housing and demographic data threatened • House approves new funding cuts, White House threatens veto • Section 533 HPG preapplications invited • Executive Order requires public input on review of existing regulations • New requirements set for HOME projects • Rule changes proposed for Section 8 • HUD changes ConPlan process • Guidance updated for prepayment and refinancing of Section 202 projects • CDBG colonias set-aside guidelines provided • National homeownership rate lowest in 15 years • GAO recommends further study of overlap in federal homelessness programs • Nonprofits investigate most housing discrimination complaints, NFHA reports • USDA celebrates 150th anniversary

May 16, 2012
Vol. 41, No. 10

FUNDING FOR HOUSING AND DEMOGRAPHIC DATA THREATENED. On May 9 the House of Representatives passed its FY13 Commerce, Justice, and Science appropriations bill (H.R. 5326), eliminating all funding for the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, which is the only source of publicly available data on social, economic, and housing characteristics for all U.S. communities. The Senate may take up its bill (S. 2323) this week.

HOUSE APPROVES NEW FUNDING CUTS, WHITE HOUSE THREATENS VETO. The House has passed H.R. 5652, the Sequester Replacement Reconciliation Act, which would cancel the sequestration (across-the-board cuts in discretionary spending) approved in the 2011 Budget Control Act and implement deeper cuts in social programs but not in defense spending. The Senate is not expected to agree. The White House said President Obama will not sign any appropriations bills until the House agrees to abide by the Budget Control Act.

SECTION 533 HPG PREAPPLICATIONS INVITED. Nonprofits, state and local governments, federally recognized tribes, and consortia are eligible for Housing Preservation Grants to be used for repairs to owner-occupied or rental properties. Deadline is June 25. Obtain a preapplication form at USDA RD’s website or from an RD state office.

EXECUTIVE ORDER REQUIRES PUBLIC INPUT ON REVIEW OF EXISTING REGULATIONS. Building on Executive Order 13563 of January 11, 2011, which obligates federal agencies to conduct periodic retrospective reviews of their regulations, Executive Order 13610 of May 10, 2012 requires them, on a regular basis, to invite public suggestions about what regulations that should be reviewed and what changes should be adopted.

NEW REQUIREMENTS SET FOR HOME PROJECTS. Regulation changes proposed in December (see HAC News, 1/11/12) have not been finalized, but Notice CPD 12-007 implements similar changes, most only for projects using FY12 HOME funds. For example, a CHDO can be funded only if its staff have experience with the type of project proposed. A detailed summary of CPD 12-007 is available from the National Low Income Housing Coalition. Contact a local HUD field office.

RULE CHANGES PROPOSED FOR SECTION 8. Comments are due July 16 on changes implementing Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 provisions for both tenant-based and project-based vouchers. See Federal Register, 5/16/12 or regulations.gov. Contact Danielle Bastarache, HUD, 202-401-3882.

HUD CHANGES CONPLAN PROCESS. A new process for electronic submission of Consolidated Plans, including use of required templates, is described in Notice CPD 12-009. New data and a web-based mapping tool are available to grantees and the public. Details and links are posted on HUD’s site. Contact HUD, conplan.mailbox@hud.gov.

GUIDANCE UPDATED FOR PREPAYMENT AND REFINANCING OF SECTION 202 PROJECTS. HUD Notice H 2012-8 implements the Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly Act of 2010 (see HAC News, 1/5/11). Contact a HUD Multifamily Hub office.

CDBG COLONIAS SET-ASIDE GUIDELINES PROVIDED. HUD Notice CPD-12-008 requires improved document-tation by HUD offices, intended to help track the accomplishments and measure the effectiveness of the set-aside in Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas. Contact Steve Rhodeside, HUD, 202-402-7375.

NATIONAL HOMEOWNERSHIP RATE LOWEST IN 15 YEARS. Census Bureau tabulations show that the national rate has fallen to 65.5% from its 2005 high of 69.2%; it is 43.1% for African Americans and 46.3% for Hispanics. In nonmetro areas, homeownership is currently 73.9%; it was 73.7% in 1997 and reached 76.3% in 2005.

GAO RECOMMENDS FURTHER STUDY OF OVERLAP IN FEDERAL HOMELESSNESS PROGRAMS.Fragmentation and overlap of services occur among the 26 homelessness programs operated by eight federal agencies, the Government Accountability Office reports. Coordination by the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness helps, but its strategic plan lacks needed elements, says GAO. Homelessness: Fragmentation and Overlap in Programs Highlight the Need to Identify, Assess, and Reduce Inefficiencies (GAO-12-491) is available online or from GAO, 866-801-7077.

NONPROFITS INVESTIGATE MOST HOUSING DISCRIMINATION COMPLAINTS, NFHA REPORTS. A National Fair Housing Alliance review of 2011 data found nonprofit fair housing organizations investigated 65% of all complaints. Of all complaints nationwide, 44% involved disabilities and 19% involved race. More than 10% of complaints to nonprofits involved bases of discrimination not covered by federal law such as source of income, sexual orientation, or age. Fair Housing in a Changing Nation is posted at NFHA’s site.

USDA CELEBRATES 150TH ANNIVERSARY. A Presidential Proclamation recognizes that on May 15, 1862 President Abraham Lincoln signed legislation establishing USDA. (The Farmers Home Administration and the first USDA housing programs were created by the Housing Act of 1949.) USDA’s website has details about events.