HAC News: March 19, 2026

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TOP STORIES

Housing bill passes Senate

The Senate approved the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act on March 12 with an 81-10 vote. It includes the Rural Housing Service Reform Act, but not the Access to Fair Financing for Opportunity and Resilient Development (AFFORD) Act (S. 3940), a package of four bills that support CDFIs, including USDA’s Native American Section 502 demonstration program. It is still not clear whether the House will vote on the Senate’s bill or will choose to negotiate regarding the differences between it and the House-passed Housing for the 21st Century Act. The Bipartisan Policy Center explains the differences between the bills here.

Administration proposes new certifications for federal funds applicants

The administration proposes to require new certifications related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), illegal immigration, and terrorism from all entities registering on the System for Award Management (SAM), the portal used for nonprofits, state and local governments, and others to apply for federal financing. The new provisions, available in draft form, would state that applicants are not discriminating through “illegal” DEI, not encouraging illegal immigration, and not supporting violence or terrorism. They are intended to align with an executive order and Department of Justice guidance that call for the elimination of “illegal” DEI. Comments are due March 30.

Two executive orders target housing supply and affordability

On March 13, President Trump issued two executive orders intended to help address the housing shortage. Removing Regulatory Barriers to Affordable Home Construction instructs HUD, USDA, the Environmental Protection Agency, and other federal agencies to eliminate regulations that burden construction of housing and infrastructure. It tells HUD to develop best practices for state and local governments, and calls for aligning programs and incentives with the Opportunity Zone program and the New Markets Tax Credit. Promoting Access to Mortgage Credit tells federal agencies to make it easier for community banks and small lenders to issue mortgage loans, to “modernize” appraisals, and to reduce enforcement actions against mortgage lenders. It also asks the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to consider raising the asset threshold for exemption from Home Mortgage Disclosure Act data collection.

Rental housing report documents affordability crisis

America’s Rental Housing 2026, from Harvard’s Joint Center on Housing Studies, reports that the national cost burden rate for renters has risen 8.8 percentage points since 2001. Over the same time period, the amount of money available to lower-income renters each month after paying for housing and utilities has fallen by 60 percent to a record low of $210 and the costs of food and healthcare are rising. The pace of multifamily construction slowed in 2025, but remained above the average pace in the years leading up to the pandemic. Between January 2020 and December 2025, the prices of residential construction materials increased 42% and the employment cost index for private industry construction workers was up 24%. Renters also face challenges related to repairs and preservation, energy efficiency, and natural disasters.

RuralSTAT

From 2019 to 2024, cost burden rates for all renters in counties outside metropolitan areas increased by 1.2 percentage points to 39%. The cost burden rate in 2024 was a far higher 71% for renters outside metro areas with incomes in the bottom fifth of all households. Source: Joint Center for Housing Studies, America’s Rental Housing 2026.

OPPORTUNITIES

Apply for HAC’s OneRural technical assistance

HAC is now accepting applications for OneRural Technical Assistance Services, offering customized support to rural nonprofits, Tribal housing entities, and Tribes. This program helps organizations strengthen their housing and community development efforts through expert guidance and capacity building. Applications received by March 31 will receive priority consideration. If space remains after the priority review, additional applications will be considered through April 15. Learn more and apply here.

CDFI Fund extends deadline for some FY25 applications

In September, the CDFI Fund notified some applicants that they could revise their applications by October 27 to meet the administration’s priorities. Because the government shut down in October and part of November, now the CDFI Fund is extending the deadline for revisions to April 10. The new deadline applies to the CDFI and Native CDFI Financial Assistance and Technical Assistance programs.

Nonprofit creates RuralFunding.org to fill gap left by Rural.gov

Rural Progress, a national nonpartisan nonprofit, has launched RuralFunding.org to fill the gap left by Rural.gov. That site was created to help rural communities find federal funding opportunities, technical assistance, and programs, but its content has been removed. RuralFunding.org is intended to make the rural federal funding landscape navigable by increasing transparency, improving access to opportunity information, highlighting where money is flowing, and giving rural leaders better data. It combines information on available funding, awarded funding, county-level data, news alerts, and more.

CAPITOL HILL

Tribal homeownership act approved by both Senate and House

The Tribal Trust Land Homeownership Act, passed by the Senate in December, was approved by the House on March 4 and now awaits President Trump’s signature. The bill establishes deadlines for the Bureau of Indian Affairs to review and act on documents needed for mortgages on trust land and requires a Government Accountability Office report on digitizing such documents.

REGULATIONS AND FEDERAL AGENCIES

Lenders to approve Section 502 guaranteed loans under USDA pilot

The Lender Interactive Test Environment (LITE) Delegated Authority Pilot Program will delegate USDA’s loan approval authority to selected lenders for the Section 502 single-family guaranteed loan program. The pilot will run from September 1, 2026 to September 28, 2028, when a new regulation expanding the delegation to the entire program is set to take effect. USDA says the change will bring the program in line with FHA and VA loan programs.

HUD converts eviction notice rule to a proposal

In late February HUD published an interim final rule removing requirements for PHAs and multifamily owners to give tenants 30 days’ notice before evicting them for nonpayment of rent. The rule was to be effective on March 30. The National Housing Law Project and others filed suit claiming, among other things, that HUD should have published a proposed rule and reviewed public comments. HUD has now announced it will treat the interim final rule as a proposed rule that will not take effect until after HUD has reviewed comments and published a final rule. Comments are still due April 27.

PUBLICATIONS AND MEDIA

Only 3% of U.S. philanthropic grant dollars went to rural places, USDA reports

Rural America’s Philanthropic Sector reviews the scope of the philanthropic sector in counties outside metropolitan areas between 2014 and 2021. Only 8% of philanthropic organizations were based in rural communities and they issued $3.5 billion in grant dollars, just 3% of the total grantmaking during that time period. One-third of rural counties had no locally based grantmaking organizations. Public charities (entities that accept contributions from the general public) in rural places were, on average, nearly 25% larger and issued more than twice as many grants as rural private foundations. Rural grant makers in human services, community services, and capacity building issued far greater shares of grant dollars than those addressing the same topics in urban places. Data for individual counties is available here.

HUD publication focuses on rural

The winter 2026 issue of Evidence Matters concentrates on rural housing. The publication, from HUD’s Office of Policy Development and Research, covers an overview of rural housing conditions and challenges, discusses the variety of definitions of “rural” and their implications for research and policy, and highlights state programs that address housing barriers in rural areas.

Owners and managers are largest factors in affordability after Section 515 loans mature, research concludes

A Successful USDA Program That Has Supported More Than 533,000 Affordable Rental Homes in Rural America is Getting Phased Out, an article in The Conversation, summarizes academic research published in Housing Policy Debate with the title Preservation of Affordable Rural Rental Properties by Understanding Owners, Managers, Subsidies, and the Local Market. Based on data from nearly 15,000 Section 515 properties, researchers concluded that buildings owned by for-profits were far more likely to leave the program than those belonging to nonprofits. Buildings run by small property management companies or by the building owners were more likely to exit than those run by larger management companies. Landlords owning more residential properties were also more likely to exit the program, as were properties in areas with high unemployment rates, large military populations, and low housing inventory. These findings are consistent with those of previous studies, including HAC research posted here and here.

HAC

HAC is hiring

HAC job listings and application links are available on our website.

Need capital for your affordable housing project?

HAC’s loan fund provides low interest rate loans to support single- and multifamily affordable housing projects for low-income rural residents throughout the U.S. and territories. Capital is available for all types of affordable and mixed-income housing projects, including preservation, new development, farmworker, senior and veteran housing. HAC loan funds can be used for pre-development, site acquisition, site development, construction/rehabilitation and permanent financing. Contact HAC’s loan fund staff at hacloanfund@ruralhome.org, 202-842-8600.

Please note: HAC is not able to offer loans to individuals or families. Borrowers must be nonprofit or for-profit organizations or government entities (including Tribes).

Want to reprint a HAC News item?

Please credit the HAC News and provide a link to HAC’s website. Thank you!

HAC News: March 5, 2026

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TOP STORIES

Revised housing bill moves forward in Senate

The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, introduced on March 2 by Senators Tim Scott (R-SC) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), combines provisions from the ROAD to Housing Act approved by the Senate Banking Committee in July, the Housing for the 21st Century Act passed by the House in February, and the White House’s desire to limit institutional investor ownership of housing. The White House supports this bill. It includes most of the provisions of the Rural Housing Service Reform Act, supported by HAC. The full Senate is likely to consider the bill soon and may adopt amendments such as a package of provisions on CDFIs, including making USDA’s Native CDFI pilot program permanent. After passage of a Senate bill, the House and Senate could negotiate a revised bill acceptable to both, or the House could vote on the Senate’s measure.

HUD proposes allowing work requirements and time limits

A proposed rule would allow – but not require – public housing agencies and rental property owners to impose work requirements and set time limits for residents in public housing or with Housing Choice Vouchers, Project-Based Vouchers, or Project-Based Rental Assistance. Up to 40 hours of work per week could be required for tenants meeting certain criteria. Term limits could be two years or longer. Comments are due May 1.

Opportunity Zone recommendations released, webinar set for March 12

Activating Rural Investments in the Next Round of Opportunity Zones: Recommendations for States, a guide just released by HAC, Partners for Rural Transformation, and Hope Policy Institute, offers concrete recommendations states can act on now to ensure the upcoming round of Opportunity Zone designations delivers transformative rural investment. On March 12, a webinar titled Opportunity Zones 2.0: A Guide for Activating Rural Investments will cover all things rural OZs: what has changed, what’s at stake, and where state leadership matters most.

HAC reports on title resolution for heirs’ property

HAC’s latest research report, Understanding Ownership, Unlocking Investment: Clarifying the Legal Process for Title Resolution and Opportunities for Financial Funding for Heirs’ Property, is now available on Heirs’ Property Central. The report explains the various forms of shared land tenure, the legal process of title resolution, obstacles faced by collective landowners with tangled titles, and how funding can be designed for successful outcomes in heirs’ property work.

March is National Women’s History Month

The National Women’s History Alliance explains the 2026 theme, Leading the Change: Women Shaping a Sustainable Future.

RuralSTAT

Recent annual shipments of new manufactured homes in the United States remained relatively unchanged from the previous year. In 2025, an estimated 102,700 manufactured homes were shipped from factories – down slightly from 103,300 shipments in 2024. Source: Housing Assistance Council tabulations of the U.S. Census Bureau’s Manufactured Housing Survey data.

OPPORTUNITIES

Apply for HAC’s OneRural technical assistance

HAC is now accepting applications for OneRural Technical Assistance Services, offering customized support to rural nonprofits, Tribal housing entities, and Tribes. This program helps organizations strengthen their housing and community development efforts through expert guidance and capacity building. Applications received by March 31 will receive priority consideration. If space remains after the priority review, additional applications will be considered through April 15. Learn more and apply here.

CAPITOL HILL

House Agriculture Committee marks up Farm Bill

The House Agriculture Committee approved H.R. 7567, the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, on March 5. The bill includes very few rural development provisions. The Senate has not yet released the text of its version of the bill.

REGULATIONS AND FEDERAL AGENCIES

HUD and USDA end some 30-day notices before evictions

HUD and USDA have issued separate regulations ending requirements for 30-day notices before property owners evict assisted tenants for nonpayment of rent. A suit has been filed challenging HUD’s rule.

USDA’s provision is a final rule that was effective immediately on February 25, the day it was published. It applies to properties with Section 515 or Section 514 loans. It rescinds a 2024 rule that implemented a 30-day notice requirement enacted by Congress in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act. USDA explains that the regulatory provision was unnecessary because compliance with the CARES Act 30-day notice requirement “is generally captured” in its project management requirements. USDA also rescinded a requirement for borrowers to provide information to tenants when federal emergency funding is available, explaining that the agency will notify tenants.

HUD’s provision is different in several ways. It is an interim final rule, effective on March 30, with comments due on April 27. It rescinds a rule that was not based on the CARES Act, but required a 30-day notice before eviction for nonpayment. The National Housing Law Project explains that, without that protection, in some places renters can be evicted for being as little as one dollar short or one day late on rent. This rule change does not impact the CARES Act’s notice requirement. NHLP and others filed suit, charging that HUD should have published a proposed rule and considered public comments before finalizing it.

Input requested on USDA data and research

Comments are due April 9 on a USDA request for information on opportunities, challenges, and emerging areas in statistical data, analysis, and research produced by three of its agencies: the Economic Research Service, the National Agricultural Statistics Service, and the Office of the Chief Economist’s World Agricultural Outlook Board.

Nominations for USDA Tribal Advisory Committee reopened

Nominations for USDA’s Tribal Advisory Committee can be submitted by representatives of Tribes, Tribal organizations, or national or regional organizations with relevant expertise such as national or regional Tribal serving organizations, land-grant institutions, and Native CDFIs. The deadline is March 31.

USDA announces “disposal” of two DC-area buildings

On February 25 Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and other administration officials announced “the imminent disposal” of USDA’s South Building in Washington, DC. It is not clear whether the building will be sold or when and where its occupants will move. Food and Nutrition Service offices in suburban Virginia will be moved to other DC-area locations and the lease on their building will be terminated.

Some Community Facilities applications must now have multiple high-level reviews

New guidance from USDA Rural Development instructs field staff to obtain National Office review at three points in the application process for some Community Facilities direct loans and grants.

PUBLICATIONS AND MEDIA

U.S. has only 35 homes for every 100 extremely low-income renters, report shows

The lowest-income renters in the U.S. face a shortage of 7.2 million affordable and available rental homes, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition’s annual report, The Gap: A Shortage of Affordable Homes. Nationwide, only 35 affordable and available homes exist for every 100 extremely low-income renter households. No state has an adequate supply of affordable and available homes for extremely low-income renters.

Basic data principles and sources explained

Analyzing Demographics Within Rural Populations, an article from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, can guide researchers on ways to avoid treating rural communities as monoliths. The piece provides insight into when it is advisable to disaggregate data by demographic or economic characteristics, the challenges that can arise when doing so, and the best ways to make comparisons. Those seeking housing data might also refer to The Evolution of Housing Data in the United States, Part 2: The Rise of Modern Housing Data, a brief article from HUD that summarizes many of the currently available data sets on the subject. HAC has combined many of these data sets in one place at Rural Data Central.

Policy brief and video explain CDFIs

Community Lending: Leveraging Private Capital for Public Good examines how Community Development Financial Institutions function within the broader financial system. Using real-world examples – including HAC – and market data, this brief and an accompanying video from the National Association of Affordable Housing Lenders are designed to inform policymakers, financial institutions, and stakeholders seeking to understand how community lending delivers outcomes for housing, small businesses, and local economies.

Resource supports tenants facing loss of housing supports

The National Housing Law Project’s Toolkit for Defending Tenants Against Homelessness Prevention Cuts offers strategies, scenario examples, sample templates, and fair housing information to help advocates defend renters facing potential loss of vital federal housing supports. This guide is designed to support legal defense against evictions and program reductions that could push families into homelessness.

HAC

HAC testifies before U.S. Virgin Islands Legislature on heirs’ property

On January 29, HAC Research Director Lance George testified on heirs’ property before the Committee on Disaster Recovery, Infrastructure, and Planning of the Legislature of the U.S. Virgin Islands. Included in HAC’s testimony was a presentation of Heirs’ Property: Elevating the Story, a video presenting the complex, nuanced, and diverse experiences of heirs’ property owners, community members, and the organizations that support them in the U.S. Virgin Islands. This feature is one in a series of videos highlighting the voices of community members, leaders, and practitioners that can now be viewed on HAC’s new interactive clearinghouse, Heirs’ Property Central.

HAC is hiring

HAC job listings and application links are available on our website.

Need capital for your affordable housing project?

HAC’s loan fund provides low interest rate loans to support single- and multifamily affordable housing projects for low-income rural residents throughout the U.S. and territories. Capital is available for all types of affordable and mixed-income housing projects, including preservation, new development, farmworker, senior and veteran housing. HAC loan funds can be used for pre-development, site acquisition, site development, construction/rehabilitation and permanent financing. Contact HAC’s loan fund staff at hacloanfund@ruralhome.org, 202-842-8600.

Please note: HAC is not able to offer loans to individuals or families. Borrowers must be nonprofit or for-profit organizations or government entities (including Tribes).

Want to reprint a HAC News item?

Please credit the HAC News and provide a link to HAC’s website. Thank you!

PRT, HAC, HOPE Release Opportunity Zone 2.0 Recommendations

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The Housing Assistance Council (HAC) in collaboration with Partners for Rural Transformation (PRT) and Hope Credit Union/Hope Enterprise Corporation/Hope Policy Institute (HOPE) Wednesday released recommendations for the Opportunity Zone 2.0 designations to drive investments into rural communities facing persistent poverty.

PRT President Farah Ahmad said: “Opportunity Zones hold tremendous potential to drive investment into rural communities facing persistent poverty across the country – if they are done correctly. This guide offers a framework for state policymakers and local practitioners to ensure that this once-in-a-decade opportunity is not missed in the rural communities millions of people call home.”

HAC President and CEO David Lipsetz said: “Investment in persistently poor rural places is an essential step to address our nation’s affordable housing crisis. State officials have an important opening this year to identify the right places for this investment. This guide explains what’s at stake and how they can take action.”

HOPE Senior Advisor for Policy and Advocacy Diane Standaert said: “With this upcoming round of Opportunity Zone selections, states have a once-in-decade chance to get it right for rural places. HOPE’s experience demonstrates how it’s possible to align community-driven solutions, private investors, and public policy to drive transformative change in rural communities, including those experiencing persistent poverty. With advance planning as recommended in this guide, states can ensure they do not overlook solutions for economic opportunity in the rural areas that need it most.”

Created by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, Opportunity Zones spur economic growth and job creation in low-income communities while providing tax benefits to investors. The first round of Opportunity Zones generated $120 billion in new investments across the country. However, only a fraction of that, about $6 billion, flowed into rural communities by 2022, and even less reached areas experiencing persistent poverty.

The program was amended in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) and added new incentives for rural communities, including a 30% step-up in basis points for investments and a 50% threshold for showing substantial improvement to rehabilitation projects. However, an overly broad definition of “rural” risks funding being diverted away from targeted rural and Native communities. For example, Atlantic City meets the definition of a “rural Opportunity Zone” under the OBBBA.

Activating Rural Investments in the Next Round of Opportunity Zones: Recommendations for States  can be found here. The recommendations follow four guidelines:

  • Engage Rural Communities, Native Communities, and Practitioners: Hearing directly from rural communities through organizations like Community Development Financial Institutions and non-profit developers will help state and local leaders designate Opportunity Zones that will have the greatest impact.
  • Create a Map that Targets Unique Rural Needs and Development Goals: Mapping tools can assist state and local leaders in designating rural areas where investment is needed most and illuminate the opportunities to leverage additional investment incentives.
  • Create Priorities in State Funding Programs: States can take a more active role in driving investment into rural communities facing persistent poverty by prioritizing projects within preexisting state programs to attract additional resources and investors.  
  • Create an Assessment Tool: Establishing a clear decision-making rubric can ensure high-impact selections are made in a transparent manner.

PRT, HAC, and HOPE will host a webinar on the guide for state policymakers, regional development hubs, and local non-profits on Thursday, March 12 at 3 p.m. EST. You can register here.   

HAC News: February 19, 2026

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TOP STORIES

USDA significantly changes 502 direct program

The Rural Housing Service issued revisions to its Section 502 direct mortgage program on February 10, effective immediately, by changing provisions of its Handbook HB-1-3550. The changes include limiting loans to 60% (rather than the previous 80%) of HUD Section 203(b) loan limits, capping the packaging fee at $750 (rather than the previous $1,750-$2,000), requiring USDA RD state directors to approve each loan at two different points, excluding SNAP benefits from repayment calculations, and more. The agency’s handbooks do not have the legal effect of regulations, and handbook changes do not require public notice and an opportunity to comment. HAC and others are attempting to communicate with RHS about the changes and the process.

Housing bill passes House, Senate action expected soon

On February 9 the House approved the Housing for the 21st Century Act (H.R. 6644) by a vote of 390 to 9. The White House expressed disappointment that the bill does not include a ban on institutional investors purchasing single-family homes. The Senate may take up its ROAD to Housing Act (S. 2651) during the week of February 23. HAC has endorsed both the House and Senate bills. The House bill includes some provisions regarding USDA’s rural housing programs and the Senate bill includes the full Rural Housing Service Reform Act. Supports for Community Development Financial Institutions, including expanding USDA’s Native CDFI lending program, may be added to the Senate bill. Comparisons of the two bills are available from several sources including Novogradac, the Bipartisan Policy Center, and the National Council of State Housing Agencies.

HUD proposes ending prorated assistance for mixed-status households

A proposed rule would end HUD’s current practice of prorating assistance based on the number of people in a household with U.S. citizenship or eligible legal status. Housing providers would be required to verify the status of every household member, including seniors. Those without legal status would not be permitted to live in HUD-assisted housing. Comments are due April 21.

RuralSTAT

The homeownership rate for Black households in rural areas is 53%, eight percentage points higher than the rate for Black households nationally. At the same time, the rural Black homeownership rate is 20 percentage points lower than the 74% overall rate of homeownership in rural America. Source: HAC tabulations of the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2020-2024 American Community Survey.To learn more about heirs’ property and title resolution for your community, visit Heirs’ Property Central.

To learn more about homeownership in your community, visit Rural Data Central.

OPPORTUNITIES

HAC offers technical assistance for service coordination at Section 515 properties

With support from the AARP Foundation, HAC is offering free technical assistance to Section 515 property owners and managers. HAC will help a cohort of eight to ten owners and managers to build service coordination programs in elderly-designated 515 properties by utilizing the normal RD budget process. More information is posted on HAC’s website here and here. Apply by March 15. Anyone interested in attending an informational session in the coming weeks should contact Angela Shuckahosee, HAC, angela@ruralhome.org, 216-815-0114. For questions about the program, contact Seth Leonard, seth@ruralhome.org.

CAPITOL HILL

Farm Bill proposal released in House

On February 13 Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-PA), Chair of the House Agriculture Committee, released the text of a proposed 2026 Farm Bill. The committee will begin considering the bill on February 23. Like most farm bills, this one does not cover USDA’s housing programs (they do not fall under the Agriculture Committee’s jurisdiction), but it does include some rural development provisions, including one directing USDA to “provide technical assistance and strengthen local capacity to improve access to rural development programs administered by [USDA] for local partners (including local governments, cooperatives, businesses, and community anchor institutions) in geographically underserved and distressed areas.” The bill does not authorize any funding for this capacity building, however. The Senate Agriculture Committee has not yet released its Farm Bill draft.

Hill hearings consider housing issues

The House Financial Services Committee and two of its subcommittees held hearings on housing topics on February 10 and 11: Priced Out of the American Dream: Understanding the Policies Behind Rising Costs of Housing and Borrowing; Homeownership and the Role of the Secondary Mortgage Market; and Building a Solid Foundation: Restoring Trust and Transparency in Public Housing Agencies. Recordings of all three events are available online.

REGULATIONS AND FEDERAL AGENCIES

HUD offers toolkit to help share NAHASDA stories

In recognition of the 30th anniversary of the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act of 1996, HUD has posted a communications toolkit and graphics that Tribes and others can use to publicize the impact NAHASDA has had in Tribal communities.

EVENTS

Webinar will cover activating rural investments in Opportunity Zones 2.0

Opportunity Zones 2.0: A Guide for Activating Rural Investments, presented by HAC, Partners for Rural Transformation, and Hope Policy Institute will introduce a new guide titled Activating Rural Investments in the Next Round of Opportunity Zones: Recommendations for States. This presentation will equip governors, state policymakers, regional development hubs, and local nonprofit leaders with actionable steps to maximize rural investment through Opportunity Zones 2.0. Speakers will cover all things rural OZs: what has changed, what’s at stake, and where state leadership matters most. Grounded in lessons from OZ 1.0 and real rural case studies, it will offer concrete recommendations states can act on now to ensure OZ 2.0 delivers transformative rural investment.

Rural housing needs assessments webinar set

The Minnesota Housing Partnership will present a webinar titled From Data to Decisions: A Practical Guide to Community-Driven Housing Needs Assessments on February 24. The session will introduce a guide to conducting housing needs assessments that are grounded in local context and designed to inform real decisions, focusing on rural and small communities and Native Nations. The framework is intended to help communities adapt the process to their capacity, data availability, and goals, without relying on a one-size-fits-all approach.

PUBLICATIONS AND MEDIA

Report offers insurance strategies for multifamily affordable housing

Curbing the Insurance Spiral: Policy and Practitioner Strategies to Help Stabilize Multifamily Affordable Housing, published by Enterprise Community Partners, explores the growing insurance challenges for housing providers. The report includes practical guidance for practitioners and policymakers.

HAC

HAC opposes eliminating fair housing disparate impact rules

HAC submitted written comments responding to HUD’s proposal to eliminate its fair housing rules addressing on disparate impact – the legal concept that conduct is discriminatory if it has inequitable effects, even if there was no intent to discriminate. HAC’s comments strongly urge HUD to retain and enforce its current rule. HAC argues that disparate impact helps connect housing affordability and fair housing, rural residents need protection against differing impacts of facially equal treatment, HUD erred in interpreting court decision on disparate impact liability, and HUD has an explicit statutory responsibility to ensure equal opportunity and freedom from discrimination. HAC also joined a comment letter submitted by the National Housing Conference and several other organizations.

HAC is hiring

HAC job listings and application links are available on our website.

Need capital for your affordable housing project?

HAC’s loan fund provides low interest rate loans to support single- and multifamily affordable housing projects for low-income rural residents throughout the U.S. and territories. Capital is available for all types of affordable and mixed-income housing projects, including preservation, new development, farmworker, senior and veteran housing. HAC loan funds can be used for pre-development, site acquisition, site development, construction/rehabilitation and permanent financing. Contact HAC’s loan fund staff at hacloanfund@ruralhome.org, 202-842-8600.

Please note: HAC is not able to offer loans to individuals or families. Borrowers must be nonprofit or for-profit organizations or government entities (including Tribes).

Want to reprint a HAC News item?

Please credit the HAC News and provide a link to HAC’s website. Thank you!

Policy News town

HAC Opposes HUD Proposal to Eliminate Disparate Impact Fair Housing Rules

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The Department of Housing and Urban Development has proposed to change its Fair Housing Act regulations. The revisions would eliminate HUD’s rules on disparate impact — the legal concept that conduct is discriminatory if it has inequitable effects, even if there was no intent to discriminate. HAC does not support the proposed change and strongly urges HUD to retain and enforce its current rule. HAC argues that:

  • “Housing affordability and fair housing connect through the principle of ‘disparate impact.’”
  • Rural borrowers more often receive loans with more costly terms and rural residents are disproportionately members of protected classes.
  • Court decisions have not invalidated disparate impact liability.
  • HUD has an explicit statutory responsibility to ensure equal opportunity and freedom from discrimination.
HAC Disparate Impact Comments 2026 Final

HAC News: February 5, 2026

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TOP STORIES 

FY26 funding set for HUD and many others

After a partial government shutdown over the weekend, on February 3 the House passed a Senate-approved fiscal year 2026 appropriations bill covering several federal agencies, including HUD, and the president signed the measure into law. Many HUD programs remain at the dollar levels they received in FY24 and FY25, while a few receive increases. Details are posted on HAC’s site. FY26 funding for USDA, along with some other agencies, was finalized in November.

The bill also protects Continuum of Care operations while litigation continues regarding program changes HUD proposed. It directs HUD to provide one-year non-competitive renewals of CoC grants that expire in the first quarter of calendar year 2026 and then to continue the same process for each quarter in which it does not make new funding awards.

HAC launches Heirs’ Property Central site

HAC has developed a new website to act as a central clearinghouse for many professionals to access common resources related to heirs’ property. The site, Heirs’ Property Central, is a multidisciplinary hub for cross-sector collaboration, designed to facilitate new connections and discussions around past, present, and future heirs’ property work. Heirs’ Property Central highlights new research, events like trainings, webinars, and conferences, and organizations currently working in the heirs’ property space.

February is Black History Month

The 2026 theme is A Century of Black History Commemorations. President Trump’s proclamation is posted here.

RuralSTAT

The American Bar Association estimates that 40% of all U.S. counties and county-equivalents are legal deserts, areas with fewer than one attorney per 1,000 residents. Attorneys are needed for property owners to manage their assets, perform estate planning, and probate the estates of family members. In rural areas, lack of access to the legal system for estate planning can lead to the creation of heirs’ properties. Source: American Bar Association, Profile of the Legal Profession 2020.

To learn more about heirs’ property and title resolution for your community, visit Heirs’ Property Central.

OPPORTUNITIES

USDA to apply Strategic Economic and Community Development priority for some programs

A new notice from USDA Rural Development explains applications for the Strategic Economic and Community Development priority, which applies to Community Facilities Loans, Grants, and Guaranteed Loans; Water and Waste Disposal Program Guaranteed Loans, Loans, and Grants; Rural Business Development Grants; and Community Connect Grants. These programs will reserve FY26 funds for projects that support multi-jurisdictional and multi-sectoral strategic community investment plans, making them eligible for the SECD priority. An applicant will submit its SECD forms when it applies for funding under one of these programs.

ROSS Rapid Response Program grants offered

HUD’s ROSS Rapid Response Program uses a simplified application process to help address urgent social needs caused by unanticipated emergencies such as natural disasters, public health crises, or economic disruptions. RRP provides one-time cost-reimbursable grants for service coordination and limited direct services for residents of HUD-assisted housing. Nonprofits, PHAs, Tribes and their housing entities, resident associations, and owners of multifamily properties are eligible. Apply by January 25, 2027.

YouthBuild applications open

Nonprofits, state and local governments, and Tribes are eligible for YouthBuild grants from the Labor Department. YouthBuild programs must offer participants construction training and hands-on experiences building affordable housing for their community. Programs may also include a Construction Plus component, providing vocational training in additional high-demand industries. A recorded webinar for potential applicants will be posted online. Apply by March 2.

REGULATIONS AND FEDERAL AGENCIES

Green and Resilient Retrofit Program gets new guidelines

In 2024 and earlier, HUD announced award recipients in at least four rounds of its Green and Resilient Retrofit Program. The program was included in a lawsuit filed in March 2025 against several federal agencies for withholding funds appropriated by Congress. In April the judge issued a preliminary injunction ordering the agencies to proceed with the programs while the litigation continues. Responding to that order, HUD recently published a notice revising the terms of the awards previously announced. The differences include making awards that have not yet closed as loans rather than grants, eliminating solar energy as an allowable use of funds, establishing new timelines, and more. The notice also refers to “the former Green and Resilient Retrofit Program” and calls it simply “GRRP.”

HUD orders review of assisted tenants’ immigration status

HUD and the Department of Homeland Security announced they audited all tenants in HUD-funded housing nationwide, discovering that nearly 200,000 tenants require eligibility verification, nearly 25,000 were deceased, and nearly 6,000 are “ineligible non-American tenants.” Public housing authorities and owners have 30 days to verify the status of the tenants identified by the audit and initiate corrective action where it is needed.

FHFA deletes fair housing and equitable finance plans regulation

The Federal Housing Finance Agency finalized a proposal to delete its regulations requiring Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Home Loan Banks to develop Fair Housing, Fair Lending, and Equitable Housing Finance plans every three years. FHFA argues that the statutorily required housing goals, Duty to Serve goals, and support for the Housing Trust Fund and Capital Magnet Fund meet the system’s public purpose to support access to credit in underserved markets.

FEMA Review Council extended

President Trump has issued an executive order extending the term of the FEMA Review Council, originally scheduled to end January 24. The council will now remain effective until March 25. After the cancellation of a December meeting at which council members had been expected to approve a final report recommending changes to the agency, the new EO in effect creates a deadline for council action.

VA audit finds gaps in follow-ups with homeless veterans

The Department of Veterans Affairs requires screening to identify veterans who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness and need assistance. Medical facilities must complete screenings for veterans under their care, have a process for positive screenings, and ensure staff respond to requests for services within seven business days. Follow-up action must occur within 30 days. VA conducted an audit and found weaknesses in the referral and follow-up processes that put veterans at risk of not receiving assistance after they indicated they were experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

HUD sets Operating Cost Adjustment Factors

New Operating Cost Adjustment Factors will be used to adjust project-based rental assistance for eligible multifamily housing projects having an anniversary date on or after February 11, 2026. HUD also requests comments by April 6 on the methodology and data sources used to determine the OCAFs.

Energy efficiency deadlines delayed again

In April 2024, HUD and USDA adopted updated energy efficiency requirements for new construction under some of their programs. These standards have gone into effect for HUD’s HOME and Housing Trust Fund programs, but both HUD and USDA delayed the effective dates for other programs. HUD has now announced a further delay. December 31, 2026 is the new compliance date for Federal Housing Administration-Insured Multifamily and Single Family loans, the Public Housing Capital Fund, and Section 8 Project Based Vouchers. The deadlines for Choice Neighborhoods, Section 202, and Section 811 are extended until their funding availability announcements for FY26 are published. HAC has supported adoption and implementation of these standards.

EVENTS

Learn how arts and civic engagement come together in rural places

The Department of Public Transformation is hosting an online Engage Rural Intro Session introducing its new arts-based civic engagement program for rural community leaders and artists. The session will highlight creative strategies that strengthen civic participation and trust within communities of 20,000 people or fewer, and explain how the revamped Engage Rural offerings can support local engagement work. Register for the February 25 session here.

PUBLICATIONS AND MEDIA

It’s cold out there!  HAC publishes a research brief on home heating (and the lack of) in rural America

Home heating is a basic necessity with profound implications for health, finances, safety, and quality of life. Home heating dynamics and conditions, however, are not uniform across the country. Some rural communities and households face home heating challenges due to geography, infrastructure, and economic conditions. Read HAC’s new Rural Research Brief here.

Study reviews “State of the Dream 2026”

The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies published State of the Dream 2026: From Regression to Signs of a Black Recession, which looks at the impacts on Black Americans of 2025’s housing policy, employment trends, tax policy, financial system, and more. It says the expansion of the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, the permanent extension of the New Market Tax Credit, and the adoption of the HOME program’s final rule will help expand financing for affordable housing developments. It also notes that fair housing enforcement and affirmatively furthering fair housing efforts were rolled back, and Black homeownership remains at 45% compared to 74% for white households.

Maps of potential Opportunity Zones updated

American Community Survey five-year estimated data for 2020-2024, released by the Census Bureau in late January, will be used by the Treasury Department in determining what census tracts will be eligible for designation in the upcoming second round of the Opportunity Zones program. The Economic Innovation Group has updated its map of potentially eligible zones and Novogradac will update its map. Neither of these maps is official, but they illustrate possibilities. Governors will begin designating new OZs on July 1.

HAC

HAC issues statement about housing actions

In a January 26 statement, HAC applauds President Trump’s executive order barring institutional investors from purchasing single-family homes and supports the final appropriations bills passed in Congress to fund HUD and the CDFI Fund. While welcoming this progress, HAC also notes that “funds for several critical programs have yet to be distributed to applicants who are working daily to help low-income rural renters and homeowners. HAC looks forward to working with the Administration and the dedicated career employees at HUD, Treasury, and USDA, to ensure that this backlog, as well as newly appropriated fiscal 2026 funds, are brought to bear urgently on the housing challenges faced by rural Americans.”

HAC is hiring

HAC job listings and application links are available on our website.

Need capital for your affordable housing project?

HAC’s loan fund provides low interest rate loans to support single- and multifamily affordable housing projects for low-income rural residents throughout the U.S. and territories. Capital is available for all types of affordable and mixed-income housing projects, including preservation, new development, farmworker, senior and veteran housing. HAC loan funds can be used for pre-development, site acquisition, site development, construction/rehabilitation and permanent financing. Contact HAC’s loan fund staff at hacloanfund@ruralhome.org, 202-842-8600.

Please note: HAC is not able to offer loans to individuals or families. Borrowers must be nonprofit or for-profit organizations or government entities (including Tribes).

Want to reprint a HAC News item?

Please credit the HAC News and provide a link to HAC’s website. Thank you!

  

HUD Funding Finally Set for FY26

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UPDATE, February 4, 2026 – After a brief partial government shutdown over the weekend, on February 3 the House passed the Senate-approved fiscal year 2026 appropriations bill covering several federal agencies, including HUD, and the president signed the measure into law.

UPDATE, January 23, 2026 – On January 22 the House passed the fiscal year 2026 funding bill that covers HUD. The Senate is expected to approve it during the week of January 26. The White House has said President Trump will sign it.

January 22, 2026 – Text has been released for final funding bills that cover most of the agencies operating under a continuing resolution through January 30, including HUD. House and Senate appropriators agreed to keep many HUD programs at the dollar levels they received in FY24 and FY25. Details are shown in the table below. Homeless assistance grants, Section 202 elderly housing, Section 811 housing for persons with disabilities, and housing for persons with AIDS all receive increases. The measure includes enough funding to renew Emergency Housing Vouchers created during the Covid pandemic. In addition, the bill extends the National Flood Insurance Program through September 30, 2026.

— Information about FY26 funding for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s rural housing programs is available here. —

HOME, Community Development Block Grants, Native American housing, fair housing, and housing counseling are funded at the same levels as in FY25.

The Self-Help Homeownership Opportunity Program (SHOP) remains at its recent $12 million level. The Rural Capacity Building program increases from $6 million in FY25 to $7 million this year.

The bill protects Continuum of Care operations while litigation continues regarding program changes HUD proposed. It directs HUD to provide one-year non-competitive renewals of CoC grants that expire in the first quarter of calendar year 2026 and then to continue the same process for each quarter in which it does not make new funding awards.

The bill’s provisions also instruct HUD to change some of its 2025 processes. For example, it requires 60-day comment periods for regulatory proposals.

The House is expected to pass the bill on January 22. The Senate should approve it during the week of January 26. The White House has said President Trump will sign it.

Table: HUD Funding Levels

 

Program ($ in millions) FY23 Final FY24 Final FY25 Final FY26 Budget FY26 House, H.R. 4552 FY26 Senate, S. 2465 FY26 Final, H.R. 7148
CDBG $3,300 $3,300 $3,300 0 $3,300 $3,100 $3,300
HOME 1,500 1,250 1,250 0 0 1,250 1,250
PRICE Manuf. Hsg. Prsrv. 225 10 10 0 0 10 0
Self-Help Hmownrshp (SHOP) 13.5 12 12 0 9 13 12
Veterans Home Rehab 1 0 0 NA 0 0 0
Rural Cap’y Bldg (RCB) 6 6 6 0 5 8 7
Tenant-Based Rental Asst. 27,600 32,387 32,387 0 35,268 37,355 38,439
     VASH 50 15 15 0 15 15 15
Project-Based Rental Asst. 13,938 16,010 16,010 0 17,127 17,804 18,143
Public Hsg. Capital Fund 3,200 3,410 3,410 0 2,286 3,200 3,200
Public Hsg. Operating Fund 5,109 5,501 5,501 0 5,000 5,087 5,024
202 Hsg. for Elderly 1,075 913 913 0 950 972 1,031
811 Hsg. for Disabled 360 208 208 0 262 265 287
State Rental Assistance Program Total for the programs to be combined in the SRAP: 58,429 31,787 NA NA NA
Native Amer. Hsg. 1,020 1,344 1,344 877 1,344 1,354 1,354
Native Hawaiian 22.3 22.3 22.3 18.3 22.3 22.3
Tribal VASH 7.5 7.5 7.5 10 10 10 10
Homeless Asst. Grants 3,633 4,051 4,051 4,024 4,158 4,530 4,417
Hsg. Oppties for Persons w/ AIDS (HOPWA) 499 505 505 505 529 529
Fair Hsg. 86 86.4 86.4 26.4 28.5 86.4 86.4
Healthy Homes & Lead Control 410 345 345 0 296 296 296
Hsg. Counseling 57.5 57.5 57.5 0 0 57.5 57.5

NA: Not Available

HUD Funding Bills Approved by Committees in House and Senate

August 1, 2025: The Appropriations Committees in both houses of Congress have passed fiscal year 2026 funding bills for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (combined with funding for the Department of Transportation). The full House and Senate have not yet considered these bills. If they do not resolve differences between their proposals for HUD and other parts of the government before FY26 begins on October 1, they will need to adopt a continuing resolution to keep the government open with funding continuing at this year’s levels.

Details of the funding levels in both bills are shown in the table above.

The House Appropriations Committee passed its bill, H.R. 4552, on July 17, with deep cuts in some HUD programs. It does not adopt the administration’s proposal to combine numerous programs into a block grant to states, but does include some of the significant cuts proposed in the administration’s budget: it would provide no funding for HOME or housing counseling, would reduce SHOP from $12 million this year to $9 million, and would drop fair housing from $86.4 million to $29.5 million. It would hold CDBG and Native American programs at current levels. It would also decrease HUD staffing by 26%.

The Senate Appropriations Committee passed its bill, S. 2465, on July 24.  In contrast to the House bill, the Senate would provide $1.25 billion for the HOME program. The Senate bill would also increase funding above this year’s levels for housing vouchers, project-based rental assistance, homeless assistance grants, Section 202 elderly housing, and Section 811 housing for people with disabilities. SHOP would be set at $13 million, up from $12 million in FY25, and the Rural Capacity Building program would receive $8 million. The bill would provide $3.1 billion for CDBG compared to this year’s $3.3 billion.

Neither the House nor the Senate would renew expiring Emergency Housing Program vouchers. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities provides state-by-state and demographic estimates of the loss of Housing Choice Vouchers under the House and Senate Transportation-HUD proposals.

More Details Released on Administration’s Proposed HUD Funding

On May 30, 2025, the White House released more details on its fiscal year 2026 budget request. Adding to the information in the “skinny budget” from May 2, this version provides numbers for individual programs. Fiscal year 2026 begins on October 1, 2025.

Reductions to HUD Programs

HUD’s HOME and Community Development Block Grant programs would be zeroed out, along with the competitive programs that serve Native Americans, the Native Hawaiian Block Grant program, HUD’s self-sufficiency programs, and the Pathways to Removing Obstacles (PRO) Housing program. The Fair Housing Initiatives Program, which funds work by nonprofit fair housing organizations, would be defunded as well, though the Fair Housing Assistance Program would continue to support work by state and local governments.

Several other HUD programs – Tenant-Based Rental Assistance, Project-Based Rental Assistance, Public Housing, Section 202 elderly housing, and Section 811 housing for people with disabilities – would be combined into a block grant to states with reduced funding. Rental assistance would be limited to two years for able-bodied adults and a majority of it would be required to go to elders and people with disabilities.

The skinny budget indicated that “short- and medium-term housing assistance … to homeless and at-risk individuals” would also be capped at two years.

The Continuum of Care, Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS, Emergency Solutions Grants, and other homeless assistance programs would be merged into an “expanded” Emergency Solutions Grant program, which would fund state and local governments.

The budget proposes to defund HUD’s Rural Capacity Building program.

HUD’s Section 4 capacity building program, which serves both rural and urban places, would support only Habitat for Humanity under the budget. For years, Section 4 has also enabled Enterprise Community Partners and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation to assist community organizations.

HUD’s Congressional Justifications document, which explains the budget request to members of Congress, reports that FY25 appropriations can support 8,597 full-time HUD staff, while the proposed FY26 levels would provide 6,340 full-time staff, a 26 percent reduction. It is not clear whether the stated FY25 staffing levels take into account some or all of the layoffs that have been attempted in calendar year 2025.

A New CDFI Program for Rural Communities

The budget proposes a new $100 million Rural Financial Assistance Program at the Treasury Department. Community Development Financial Institutions receiving these funds would be required to use 60 percent of their awards for rural areas, with a priority to investments and loans in places with poverty rates of at least 20 percent. At least 10 percent of total program funds would be targeted to persistent poverty counties, where poverty rates have been at or above 20 percent for 30 years or more.

Although rural-serving CDFIs would benefit from the new program, the budget would eliminate funding for the existing CDFI assistance programs, including the Native CDFI programs. The skinny budget stated that “the CDFI industry has matured beyond the need for ‘seed’ money and should at this point be financially self-sustaining.” The CDFI Fund recently indicated that only Congress could eliminate any of its programs: in a response to an executive order, the Fund stated that all of its programs are required by statute.

Disaster relief through FEMA, the Small Business Administration, and USDA would be reduced. The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and the Community Services Block Grant would terminate.

The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness would be eliminated, as would NeighborWorks USA (referenced by its official name, the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation). The Appalachian Regional Commission would continue, with lower funding, but other regional commissions would end.

Next Steps

This budget represents the first step in a lengthier process to set appropriations for FY26. Both the House and the Senate will develop their own appropriations bills, which may or may not resemble the President’s proposal. The House and Senate should resolve any differences between their bills and send final versions to the President for signature by September 30. If they do not meet that deadline, a continuing resolution would be needed to keep the government running.

The House Appropriations Committee has scheduled its subcommittee markup of the HUD appropriations bill for July 14, with full committee consideration on July 17. The Senate Appropriations Committee has not released a schedule as of June 3.

The budget reconciliation bill to set future spending and tax levels is a separate process, though it could have an impact on FY26 appropriations if Congress agrees on a bill.

For ongoing news on both appropriations and reconciliation, subscribe to HAC emails, which include the free biweekly HAC News.

 

 

Policy News town

HAC CEO Statement on Trump Administration and Congressional Actions on Housing

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President Trump’s Executive Order barring institutional investors from purchasing single-family homes was one of last week’s several welcome policy actions aimed at curtailing the affordability crisis gripping rural America. Congress also passed several bipartisan appropriations bills which, if enacted, would provide robust funding for critical programs and resources such as the US Treasury Department’s CDFI Fund, as well as several programs administered by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the US Department of Agriculture. HAC applauds the latest policy advancements toward making rural housing more affordable for renters and homebuyers all over the country.

According to the Council of Economic Advisors report, rural rents have increased 31.5 percent over the past two decades, while rural renter incomes have increased just 5.5 percent in the same span of time. Additionally, HAC research shows that while non-rural markets experienced a 10 percent growth in housing supply over the last decade, rural housing supply only experienced a 1 percent increase in the same span.

Both this week’s Executive Order, and the advances made in Congress, are steps in the right direction, and could ultimately lead to powerful tools in the fight against the rural housing affordability crisis. HAC also believes that the affordability crisis in rural America requires a sustained and intentional effort using proven existing tools. While Congress has made welcome progress, funds for several critical programs have yet to be distributed to applicants who are working daily to help low-income rural renters and homeowners.  HAC looks forward to working with the Administration and the dedicated career employees at HUD, Treasury, and USDA, to ensure that this backlog, as well as newly appropriated fiscal 2026 funds, are brought to bear urgently on the housing challenges faced by rural Americans.

HAC News: January 22, 2026

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TOP STORIES 

Congress raises funding levels for some HUD programs

Text of a final appropriations bill for several agencies including HUD has been released by the House Appropriations Committee. House and Senate appropriators agreed to keep many HUD programs at the dollar levels they received in FY24 and FY25. Homeless assistance grants, Section 202 elderly housing, Section 811 housing for persons with disabilities, and housing for persons with AIDS all receive increases. The measure includes enough funding to renew Emergency Housing Vouchers created during the Covid pandemic. Provisions also instruct HUD to change some of its 2025 processes; for example, the bill requires 60-day comment periods for regulatory proposals. The bill extends the National Flood Insurance Program through September 30, 2026. Before the current continuing resolution expires on January 30, both houses of Congress will need to pass the bill and President Trump will need to sign it. Details are posted on HAC’s site.

HUD sets Feb. 9 deadline for homeless assistance applications, final funding bill orders renewals

On January 8, HUD announced it was reopening the original July 2024 notice offering FY25 funds for the Continuum of Care program, with applications for renewal funding due on February 9. Some entities that previously filed applications under that notice will not need to file new applications. Under the preliminary injunction issued by a judge in December and a HUD implementation plan, HUD must process the applications but will not award funds, pending further court action regarding HUD’s proposed changes to the program.

The final HUD appropriations bill protects Continuum of Care operations while the litigation continues. The bill directs HUD to provide one-year non-competitive renewals of Continuum of Care grants that expire in the first quarter of calendar year 2026 and then to continue the same process for each quarter in which it does not make new funding awards.

Trump tells agencies to curtail investor homebuying

In an executive order issued January 20, President Trump told USDA, HUD, VA, the Treasury Department, and other agencies to make changes that would reduce the ability of large institutional investors to purchase and own single-family homes. The order also asked White House staff to draft legislation to the same end. The president did not release a broader housing affordability plan on January 21, as had been expected.

HUD proposes eliminating disparate impact liability

HUD proposes to change its regulations to eliminate disparate impact – the principle that actions with discriminatory effects can violate the Fair Housing Act even if there was no proven intent to discriminate – as a basis for fair housing claims. HUD argues that courts, not the agency itself, should make determinations interpreting disparate impact liability. Comments are due February 13.

HAC updates its policy priorities for 2026

To help inform federal policymaker and stakeholder conversations in the coming year, HAC has released our updated rural housing policy priorities for 2026. This publication and its executive summary are updated annually to reflect new and evolving policy challenges and opportunities in rural housing. HAC’s priorities include improving housing supply and affordability in small towns and rural places, building the capacity of local organizations, expanding access to credit, preserving rental homes, and preserving, increasing, and tailoring federal resources.

RuralSTAT

According to the 2023 American Housing Survey, over 2 million rural households reported being “uncomfortably cold” for 24 hours or more in the previous winter. In an estimated 474,000 of those rural homes, heating deficiencies were due to equipment breakdowns. Another 646,000 were in the cold because of inadequate heating equipment, inadequate insulation, or the cost of heating. Source: HAC tabulations of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s 2023 American Housing Survey.

  

OPPORTUNITIES

Lead Hazard Reduction Capacity Building Grants available

HUD will make Lead Hazard Reduction Capacity Building Grants to states, Tribes, and local governments that either have not received direct HUD lead hazard control grants or are previous grantees that have demonstrated needs to rebuild capacity within their jurisdictions. Apply by February 25.

HAC offers technical assistance for service coordination at Section 515 properties

With support from the AARP Foundation, HAC is offering free technical assistance to Section 515 property owners and managers. HAC will help a cohort of eight to ten owners and managers to build service coordination programs in elderly-designated 515 properties by utilizing the normal RD budget process. More information is posted on HAC’s website here and here. Anyone interested in attending an informational session in the coming weeks should contact Angela Shuckahosee, HAC, angela@ruralhome.org, 216-815-0114. For questions about the program, contact Seth Leonard, seth@ruralhome.org.

REGULATIONS AND FEDERAL AGENCIES

List of rural and underserved counties updated

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has released its annual rural and underserved counties lists for 2026. Some CFPB regulations have provisions specifically applicable to these locations.

USDA issues guidance on disaster assistance funding for community facilities

USDA has sent guidance to Rural Development State Offices on the use of disaster assistance funding for Community Facilities Grants in places impacted by specific disasters.

VA withdraws notice on options for home loan defaults

The Department of Veterans Affairs has withdrawn an advance notice of proposed rulemaking it published in the Federal Register in 2022 that requested public comment on expanding VA’s incentivized loss-mitigation options for veterans whose VA-guaranteed loans are in default. VA says it will continue to explore opportunities to assist veterans who face home loan default.

Change date delayed for USDA Rural Development environmental requirements

In August, USDA announced that on October 1, Rural Development would begin to evaluate compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act using a new interim final rule that applies throughout the department. The effective date has been delayed, and a new notice says the new regulations will apply to RD when a final rule is issued.

EVENTS

Virtual summit on older adult homelessness scheduled

A Doors to Housing for Older Adults Virtual Summit will be offered on February 20 by the National Alliance to End Homelessness and USAging. Presenters will focus on how to address the growing rates of homelessness among older adults.

Webinar to address new work requirements and tenants in supportive housing

New Medicaid work requirements were created by H.R. 1, the 2025 legislation sometimes called the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, and may impact supportive housing tenants who rely on Medicaid for their healthcare and supportive services, especially people with disabilities and older adults. A webinar titled Getting Ready for Medicaid Work Requirements: Strategies for Supportive Housing Providers will be offered on February 26 by the Corporation for Supportive Housing.

PUBLICATIONS AND MEDIA

Resources offered on housing for older adults

The National Alliance to End Homelessness and USAging have developed new resources. The Partnership Action Guide, Doors to Housing for Older Adults is intended to offer practical guidance for aging and homelessness networks to build cross-sector partnerships. Key Concepts and Resource List, Doors to Housing for Older Adults provides a starting point for Area Agencies on Aging and Continuums of Care to learn about each other, explore partnership strategies, and address homelessness among older adults.

Podcast covers financial insecurity challenges for states.

In an episode of its podcast After the Fact, the Pew Charitable Trusts considers the financial challenges for states resulting from changes in federal financing. In fiscal year 2023, federal dollars made up 36% of state revenue.

Immigration-related resource published for homeless shelters and service providers

A guide from the National Homeless Law Center is intended to help homeless shelter organizations prepare for and respond to immigration enforcement.

HAC

HAC is hiring

HAC job listings and application links are available on our website.

·       Research Associate

·       Housing Specialist | Community Builder

·       Social Enterprise Manager

Need capital for your affordable housing project?

HAC’s loan fund provides low interest rate loans to support single- and multifamily affordable housing projects for low-income rural residents throughout the U.S. and territories. Capital is available for all types of affordable and mixed-income housing projects, including preservation, new development, farmworker, senior and veteran housing. HAC loan funds can be used for pre-development, site acquisition, site development, construction/rehabilitation and permanent financing. Contact HAC’s loan fund staff at hacloanfund@ruralhome.org, 202-842-8600.

Please note: HAC is not able to offer loans to individuals or families. Borrowers must be nonprofit or for-profit organizations or government entities (including Tribes).

Want to reprint a HAC News item?

Please credit the HAC News and provide a link to HAC’s website. Thank you!

  

Affordable Housing for Rural Veterans Initiative
Housing Assistance Council

DEADLINE PASSED: HAC Seeks Proposals for its 2026 Affordable Housing for Rural Veterans (AHRV) Initiative

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HAC’s Affordable Housing for Rural Veterans (AHRV) Initiative supports local nonprofit housing development organizations that meet or help meet the affordable housing needs of veterans with low incomes in rural places. Grants typically range up to $30,000 per organization and must support bricks-and-mortar projects that assist low-income, elderly and/or disabled veterans with critical home repair, accessibility modifications, support homeless veterans, help veterans become homeowners, and/or secure affordable rental housing.

HAC’s AHRV Initiative is funded through the generous support of The Home Depot Foundation. Applications are due by 4:00PM (EST) on or before Monday, January 19, 2026. For more information, contact HAC staff, ahrv@ruralhome.org. No phone calls please. Program staff will be available to answer questions during the Grant Funding Opportunity HAC 2026 AHRV RFP Overview webinar on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, at 2PM (ET).

Download the Application Package: Application (WORD) | Application Guidelines

Download Application (WORD) Application Guidelines Register For Webinar

Webinar: Request for Proposals – Overview HAC 2026 Affordable Housing for Rural Veterans

HAC hosted a webinar on January 7, 2026 providing guidance on how to apply for the AHRV program. Access the power point presentation here or view the recording below.

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