AMENDMENT WOULD SLASH RURAL DEVELOPMENT FUNDING

The National Rural Housing Coalition has organized a sign on letter opposing the Coburn Amendment, which may come up in the Senate next week and would cut USDA Rural Development funds for 2012 by $1 billion. This cut would amount to 40% of RD programs and would be across all the agency’s functions. The Coalition’s letter has more information and is at the following link — https://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5172/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=8587The sign on deadline is Friday, October 28.

Posted: October 26, 2011

With generous support from Sam’s Club, the Open Society Foundation and the Northwest Area Foundation, NALCAB is providing subgrants ranging from $5,000-$20,000 to organizations meeting requirements outlined in the request for proposal (RFP) – https://cts.vresp.com/c/?NALCAB/c66a00974c/43478e6510/96625b35bc.

Grants are for a 12 month period beginning on or about November 1, 2011. With a single application, organizations may apply for funding from one or more of the three pools of funds that are available, based on their specific eligibility requirement.

Eligible groups are asset building nonprofit organizations located in the Northwest, Midwest, Southeast, and organizations providing entrepreneurship and small business development throughout the nation. Specific geographic or program priority is detailed in the RFP.

NALCAB seeks organizations that are building capacity in one or more of the following areas:

• Real estate development for low-income people and communities including affordable housing and community facilities
• Micro/Small Business Development
• Providing family wealth building products andservices (including financial education)

The objective of these sub-grants is to strengthen the organizational capacity of participating entities to measurably advance existing asset building projects. In addition to grant funding, NALCAB will provide grantees with technical assistance in program/ project development and with leveraging other sources of funding for the identified project or program.Applications should be received no later than midnight PST on October 7, 2011 and may be submitted via email to Carol Rodriguez, Senior Program Manager at crodriguez@nalcab.org or U.S Postal Service.

Trevino repeats opposition to proposal

At a September 13, 2011 hearing before the House Agriculture Committee’s Rural Development subcommittee, rural housing administrator Tammye Trevino was asked about the proposal to move USDA’s Rural Housing Service to HUD. She made clear that the move was not proposed by the Administration and that the Administration opposed it.

Second Hearing held on proposal to move RHS to HUD

On September 8, 2011 the House Financial Services Committee’s housing subcommittee held its second hearing on the draft bill that would move USDA’s Rural Housing Service (RHS) to HUD. The bill, which would also make changes to the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and Ginnie Mae, has not yet been introduced.

At the first hearing on May 25, 2011 Peter Carey testified for HAC, Self-Help Enterprises, and the National Rural Housing Coalition, opposing the move. The other witnesses at that hearing represented a variety of nonprofit and for-profit entities, most of them interested in FHA issues. The September 8 hearing featured agency representatives. Trevino Trevino, RHS Administrator, was one of the witnesses, along with Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Carol Galante from HUD/FHA, and Theodore Tozer from Ginnie Mae.

Both Tammye Trevino and Carol Galante testified against the move to HUD. Tammye described RHS’s knowledge of rural issues and its field network of rural offices. She pointed out that RHS, HUD, and other agencies are already working together to “align” their rental programs by using common forms, accepting each other’s inspections, and the like, and she mentioned that a similar effort for homeownership programs is now getting started. Tozer and Isakson focused their testimony on different issues, not mentioning RHS at all.

A number of committee and subcommittee members came in for at least part of the hearing. Subcommittee chair Judy Biggert (R-IL) asked Trevino about RHS’s institutional knowledge. Rep. Ruben Hinojosa (D-TX) thanked Trevino for her work to improve rural housing, but did not ask her any questions. The rest of the members asked questions of the other witnesses on other topics, such as how big FHA’s role in the mortgage market should be, whether Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac should be phased out, and how to help struggling homeowners.

Posted: September 9, 2011
Last updated: September 13, 2011

June 2, 2011 – We are now officially at flood stage along the Missouri River in Bismarck, North Dakota. Homes directly along the river or on river islands are now endangered and some are already experiencing flooding. Over 250 people have been displaced, and more will follow as the water rises. The water has reached 16 feet to a beginning flood stage at 1,637 feet at its deepest point in the reservoir. The flood gates at the Garrison Dam have been further opened and will continue to do so reaching some 120,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) by this weekend, and later 150,000 cfs.

The residents and other volunteers and city, state, N.D. Army Guard, and Corps of Engineers workers have been working night and day to build dikes and fill sandbags being put up around the city and at residences. Over ten miles of dikes or levees are being constructed to protect Bismarck and Mandan, both sitting on the edge of the Missouri. The crest of water will build and hit Bismarck next week. Meanwhile, over 10,000 residents have been evacuated at Minot, N.D. (nearly a third of the city) where flooding is taking place from the Souris River and tributaries.

Spillway releases at Garrison Dam have been increased to 105,000 cfs by Thursday.

Bismarck Mayor Warford and Mandan Mayor Helbling, along with N.D. Governor Dalrymple and North Dakota Adjutant General David Spryncynatyk, U.S. Corps officials and others have been holding daily news briefings for the public, aired over the local radio and television stations.

The objective locally is to fill another 4 million sandbags, in addition to the first 4 million already filled and distributed to homes and public areas. One of the main thoroughfares, Bismarck Expressway, has been blocked for strictly truck traffic hauling sand and dirt to emergency levee and dike sites on the west and southerly side of Bismarck. The hope is to complete most of these today and through the weekend to fight rising, incoming waters. North Dakota Army Guard members are throughout Bismarck, directing traffic and assuring that trucks can move to and from work points.

United Tribes is prepared and has set up a campus command center to coordinate all incoming requests from students and residents located in Bismarck-Mandan. The main campus is on high ground and is safe under projected conditions. To date, four student families and two staff families have been relocated on campus from their residences. We expect more as the tides of the flood rise. United Tribes Technical College has sent teams of staff and students to help with sandbagging. UTTC has stocked water, is securing more food stocks for a longer period of time, back-up supplies and other materials. The College is prepared to house 100 single persons along with families in both residential halls, houses and the main gymnasium and multipurpose center — all located on campus. We are seeking a larger, power generator in the event there is a power failure in the city and area.

Donations are welcome, particularly those in the form of checks or money orders.

All are welcome at United Tribes, but we are focusing on those residents who have little or no resources in the face of such emergencies–especially those who will be displaced from their homes. These include students and their families, staff and their families, others who are in public housing and any who need our help.

We are working closely with the mayors and the North Dakota Guard and law enforcement officials. The American Indian College Fund and others have reached out to us as we enter this disaster. Reports are that flooding will last all throughout June and July, before excess water from Montana and the reservoirs pass through.

We know our friends in Crow Country have had great difficulty, as well, and at five other TCU’s around the Nation. We wish all the best in safety and recovery.

Thank you, Pllamayepelo

United Tribes Technical College flooding webpage

City of Bismarck website providing further updates, access to maps and information

Proposals for FY12 funding provide VARYING housing details

April 15, 2011 – Several spending plans for fiscal year (FY) 2012 are currently under discussion in Washington while at least one more is still being developed.

• Obama Administration budget (released February 14, 2011) – includes specific spending proposals for individual programs at USDA and HUD;
• H. Con. Res. 34 (introduced on April 11, 2011 by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin), chair of the House Budget Committee and passed by the full House on April 15) – a budget resolution that provides no specifics about housing and proposes overall levels for general funding categories that would serve as ceilings for appropriations subcommittee discussions about FY12 spending;
• President Obama’s deficit reduction proposal (announced on April 13, 2011) – proposes general funding and revenue figures, without specifics on housing;
• Bowles-Simpson Fiscal Commission report (released December 1, 2010) – proposes general funding and revenue figures, without specifics on housing; and
• a proposal by the “Gang of Six” Senators is expected to be released in May.

The Senate is not expected to pass H. Con. Res. 34, and will establish different ceilings for its appropriations discussions for FY12.

While the text of H. Con. Res. 34 itself does not detail housing-related suggestions, the background report issued by Republican members of the House Budget Committee suggests time limits and work requirements for housing aid recipients, as well as “narrowing the gap between assisted renters and unassisted renters with the same income levels.”