HAC Praises Bipartisan Congressional Action on Affordable Housing

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The Kansas City Star recently published a Letter to the Editor submitted jointly by HAC Executive Director Moises Loza and Housing Specialist Stephanie Nichols in praise of HR 3700, the bipartisan housing legislation which recently passed through Congress. The full text of the letter as it appears on the Stars’ website appears below.

Bipartisan effort

Last week, to minimal fanfare, Congress unanimously passed HR 3700, substantive housing legislation that saves money, cuts red tape and increases opportunities for our most vulnerable to live in decent homes and safe neighborhoods.

Leveraging their leadership on a key Financial Services subcommittee, Missouri congressmen Blaine Luetkemeyer and Emanuel Cleaver eschewed partisanship and brought together a disparate coalition of industries, nonprofits and social-justice advocates to support the bill, also known as the Housing Opportunities Through Modernization Act.

Missourians ought to know that two of their congressmen did the hard work of legislating instead of grandstanding, and the low-income communities that we serve are stronger because of their actions.

Moises Loza
Executive Director
Housing AssistanceCouncil

Stephanie Nichols
Midwestern office
Program manager
Kansas City

Read more here: https://www.kansascity.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article91127752.html#storylink=cpy

Income Inequality in Rural America

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HAC Executive Director Moises Loza submitted the following Letter to the Editor to the Washington Post on June 27, 2016.

“The rural reaches of income inequality” (June 26) raises issues that are too often ignored. As the Housing Assistance Council works to improve housing conditions for low-income rural Americans, we are well aware of the consequences of income inequality. In places with significant income differences, the wealthy depend on service workers but those who wait tables, work in retail, clean homes, and maintain lawns cannot afford decent homes near their jobs.

There are other costs as well. For example, USDA’s Economic Research Service has identified the growth in income inequality as the major factor increasing rural child poverty from 2003 to 2014. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute report that counties with high levels of child poverty and income inequality are often less healthy than those with lower levels. (Their study defined income inequality as the difference between the 20th and 80th percentiles rather than between the top 1 and bottom 99.)

Even without income inequality, of course, poverty can be dangerous. The Post’s interactive online map shows that in Oglala Lakota County, SD (formerly named Shannon County), the top 1 percent makes only 5.3 times as much as the bottom 99 percent. Income inequality is hardly a problem there, but deep, persistent poverty is. Oglala Lakota County, which lies entirely within the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, has had a poverty rate well over 50 percent for decades. As a result, 51 percent of homes in the county are physically deficient and 26 percent are overcrowded.

Serious housing problems exist in other persistent poverty counties, as well. These areas, which tend to have low proportions of the extreme income inequality highlighted in the Post’s article, are concentrated in certain parts of the country: Native American lands, Appalachia, the Lower Mississippi Delta and the Southern Black Belt, and the colonias along the U.S.-Mexico border. Income and housing issues are common among farmworkers, as well, although those are not as visible on a map. Notably, minorities are the majority in five of these six regions and populations (Appalachia being the exception).

Thanks are due to the Post for its reporting and to the Economic Policy Institute for including rural places in its income inequality research. As income inequality, job opportunities, and race drive the politics of the day, we cannot continue to overlook their presence anywhere in the country.

Moises Loza
Executive Director
Housing Assistance Council

HAC Seeks Nominations For Rural Housing Awards

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On the evening of December 4, 2014, the Housing Assistance Council will present rural housing awards as part of the Rural Housing Awards Banquet at the National Rural Housing Conference. An individual or individuals providing outstanding and enduring service on the national level will be honored with the Cochran/Collings Award for Distinguished Service in Housing for the Rural Poor. A local leader or leaders in rural housing development will receive the Skip Jason Community Service Award.

Award Descriptions

NATIONAL SERVICE AWARD

The Cochran/Collings Award for Distinguished Service in Housing for the Rural Poor honors individuals who have provided outstanding and enduring service, with national impact, for the betterment of housing conditions for the rural poor, with emphasis on the poorest of the poor in the most rural areas.

The award is named after Clay Cochran and Arthur M. Collings, Jr. Dr. Cochran was a mentor and pioneer in the rural housing movement whose work in low-income rural housing dates back to the 1930s and 1940s. Mr. Collings’ dedication to improving housing conditions for low-income rural Americans was unmatched. His feistiness and humor, added to his extensive knowledge of USDA’s rural housing programs, made him unique and well-loved around the country. Dr. Cochran passed away in 1982. Art Collings passed away in March 2010.

Previous winners of this award include Clay Cochran, Obediah Baker, Thomas Carew, Peter Carey, Gordon Cavanaugh, Arthur M. Collings, Jr., Cushing Dolbeare, Eileen Fitzgerald, Elizabeth Herring, Robert Rapoza, Shirley Sherrod, William Simpson, Arnold Sternberg, and four members of Congress: Eva Clayton, Rubén Hinojosa, Stan Lundine, Bennie Thompson and Ed Pastor.

Criteria for Competition

Significant achievements and/or contributions in any or all of the following areas:

  • Leadership in national housing organizations;
  • Substantial impact on national housing legislation;
  • Improving or maintaining funding for rural housing programs that serve the poor, particularly the poorest of the poor;
  • Development of new housing programs, preservation of housing programs, or special adaptations to existing programs, which enhance service to the rural poor;
  • Improving advocacy and/or enhancing coalition building that leads to improved rural housing opportunities
  • Overall enduring service with a national impact towards improving conditions of the ill-housed rural poor, particularly the poorest of the poor.

COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD

The Skip Jason Community Service Award recognizes people whose efforts have improved the housing conditions of the rural poor in their communities. The award acknowledges people who work “in the trenches” and usually go unrecognized outside their communities.

The award is named after Robert “Skip” Jason, a long-time housing activist with considerable community experience, who died in 1982 while employed as HAC’s Government Services Director.

Prior recipients of this award include David Arizmendi, Clanton Beamon, Lorna Bourg, Guillermo Castaneda, Emma Clifford, John P. David, Paul Douglas, Cora Esquibel, Rose Garcia, Owyne Gardner, Manuel Gauna, Alfred Gold, Arturo C. Gonzales, Patty Griffiths, Dana M. Jones, Stan Keasling, Lewis Kellom, Steve Kirk, Barbara Lamphere, Jerome Little, Sabino Lopez, Griffin Lotson, Lynn Luallen, Steve Mainster, Selvin McGahee, Rito Medina, Madeline Miller, Polly Nichol, John “Jack” Rivel, Jr., Linda Smith, Ted Smith, Lauretta Brice Stephens, Bessie Swan, Mario Villanueva, Sharon Walden, Jim Wilcox, Dwayne Yost, and John Zippert.

Criteria for Competition

Significant achievements and/or contributions in any or all of the following areas:

  • Improving the housing conditions of the rural poor in their communities and protecting and enhancing the rights of the poor in housing;
  • Community achievement in community development and/or housing;
  • Unrecognized efforts that extend outside recipient’s community;
  • Increasing the number of housing units produced or preserving existing affordable housing;
  • Producing innovative or difficult housing;
  • Advocating for affordable housing;
  • Any other specific and significant community contribution in the field of low-income rural housing.

~For information, contact Lilla Sutton, HAC, 202-842-8600, lilla@ruralhome.org.

State of the Nation's Housing 2016

The State of the Nation’s Housing 2016

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Rural communities face unique challenges with substandard housing, aging populations, and decreasing federal investment.

son 2016-cover-l

The Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University released the annual State of the Nation’s Housing Report for 2016. The report includes an interactive mapping untility and details the dynamics of housing markets across the country, including an analysis of demographic drivers, rental and owner-occupied housing, and housing challenges for communities across the U.S.

According to the report, the Housing Market has largely recovered from the market collapse of 2008, as new construction rates have increased and the rental housing market continues to expand. However, the report examines how the strengthening market has led to affordability challenges that outstrip the availability of federal housing assistance. The affordability gap has in turn led to a concentration of poverty in the most high need regions and communities.

The report also details ongoing challenges facing non-metro and tribal areas, where poverty rates are higher than the national rate. Substandard housing is particular problem in these areas, where housing in a non-metro area is twice as likely to have incomplete plumbing, and five times as likely in tribal areas. The population in rural areas is also older, and only one-third of the houses can be classified as accessible. Meanwhile, federal housing assistance targeted at rural and tribal areas is limited and has seen a decrease in funding.

Webinar Series on Supportive Housing from USDA

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In honor of June’s Homeownership Month and in partnership with Rural Housing Service, USDA Rural Development has organized a series of informational webinars on Permanent Supportive Housing designed to support collective efforts the Promise Zone Tribal designees and finalists and Native American children and families in general.

Permanent supportive housing is a holistic approach to development on tribal lands that ensures a linkage between affordable housing and supportive services. This is particularly a useful strategy for Native American children and families by ensuring that they not only have access to a permanent home, but also services that would help them thrive. These services could include access to healthy food, education, training, medical services, etc. Permanent supportive housing also empowers tribal individuals’ ability to choose their own living arrangements and get services that are flexible based upon the support they need at any given time.

NO REGISTRATION REQUIRED.

WEBINAR I: June 3, 2016, 1:00-2:30 pm Eastern Time
Permanent Supportive Housing: A Comprehensive Approach to Tribal Housing

WEBINAR II: June 15, 2016, 1:00-2:30 pm Eastern Time
Promising Practice in Permanent Supportive Housing: Principles in Action

WEBINAR III: June 21, 2016, 1:00-2:30 pm Eastern Time
Federal Financial Resources to Build Tribal Supportive Housing

USDA lowers cost to refinance loans

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USDA makes it faster and cheaper to refinance mortgages. The changes take effect June 2 and apply to mortgages issued through USDA. Homeowners will no longer be required to secure an appraisal, credit report or a debt calculation when they refinance.

New Hollywood Campaign Urges America To Open the Door to Better Homes & Communities

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#OpenTheDoor, a campaign by Home Matters, was just launched and features a stop-motion animated video, created by LA-based Jesse Dylan’s Wondros firm, to creatively bring to life – via the eyes of a child playing with her dollhouse – the importance of home’s role in unlocking a person’s potential. Research proves safe homes and communities are linked to better health, education, public safety and local economies. Watch video: https://ow.ly/4nquPa.

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The campaign also features a national search tool that will connect people who want to donate, volunteer or are in need of help, to more than 330 Home Matters supporting organizations across America.

The campaign plans to spark a conversation about the lack of safe homes and livable communities, nationally and locally. America has significant work to do in building better homes and communities. Witha national election looming, Home Matters hopes the video will not only help motivate Americans to care passionately about this critical social issue but also elevate it among policy-makers, and galvanize the private-sector to get more involved.

The MacArthur Foundation and US Bank have sponsored the video.

Cathedral Square Coporation begins construction of Green Senior Housing

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HAC would like to congratulate Cathedral Squar Corporation (CSC) as they begin construction of Elm Place, Vermont’s first multi-family building certified to Passive House standards. The super energy-efficient building will provide thirty affordable, one-bedroom apartments for low-income seniors in Milton, VT, a rural community with a population of 10,300. Support And Services at Home (SASH) will be offered to residents at no cost.

HAC provided a $19000 grant in October 2013 to CSC for predevelopment costs in connection with this project.

Project summary

The goals of the development are to create a green building in a smart growth town center area close to services and transportation, to engage the community in building support and having a responsive design, and to incorporate a design which facilitates the Support and Services at Home (SASH) care coordination initiative to support aging in place. This grant enabled CSC to grow a concept into a real development with traction.

CSC hopes to expand the capacity of CSC’s housing program and SASH initiative into the Milton Community and develop the capacity of staff and commitment to green building, improving accessibility and SASH implementation.

This HAC grant provided a critical boost to CSC to build its capacity in green building and accessibility.

Section 502 final packaging rule to take effect in May

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The effective date for expansion of USDA’s Section 502 packaging demonstration has been moved up to May 19, 2016. A final rule for the program was published April 29, 2015 with an effective date in summer 2015, later deferred to October 1, 2016, and now moved forward to May.

The program establishes requirements for individuals and organizations that help low-income first-time homebuyers apply to USDA for mortgages from the Section 502 direct program. (This is different from the Section 502 guarantee program; applicants for those mortgages apply through banks and USDA guarantees their loans.) Packaging – helping an applicant prepare documentation to request a mortgage – has been permitted for decades, and in 2010 USDA established a pilot program in a few states to regularize the process and provide fees to successful packagers. Now the program is being expanded to cover the entire country.

The notice of the May 19 effective date states that all the pilot intermediaries have been accepted as intermediaries under the program. Each may choose to cover new states as well as the states it already covers. Around the effective date, USDA will issue program guidance for the certified loan application packaging process, including how others can apply to be intermediaries.

Rural Seniors Get Housing Help from USDA

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HAC’s Joe Belden published a post on the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Health and Housing Expert Forum: Aging in Place in Rural Communities.

For older adults living in rural communities, the challenge of aging in place is often magnified. What specific programs and policies have proven successful and could be replicated?

Almost 26 percent of the nation’s seniors live in rural areas. As the baby boom generation continues to age, unique challenges will be placed on housing and supportive services for rural seniors, who experience more poverty than seniors nationally. Rural America is also aging faster than the nation overall, due to both natural population change and the continuing exodus of younger adults. Housing conditions are different for rural senior renters and homeowners. Rural seniors typically own their homes, many of them outright. While most seniors are happy with their homes, the physical changes of aging can impact the capacity to age in place successfully. Rural seniors who rent are also significantly more likely to experience problems with housing affordability than those who own.

Read the full post from the Bipartisan Policy Center.

woman-on-porch-oregonPhoto: CASA of Oregon

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