TOP STORIES

HAC’s CEO testifies to Senate Banking Subcommittee on rural housing reforms, two bills are introduced

• On May 2 HAC’s President & CEO, David Lipsetz, spoke before the Housing, Transportation, and Community Development Subcommittee of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs on bipartisan reforms to USDA’s rural housing programs.
• The hearing covered the Rural Housing Service Reform Act of 2023, S. 1389, introduced by Subcommittee Chair Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.). The bill includes a slate of provisions, many of which were recommended by HAC, to improve the multifamily, single-family, and capacity building programs at USDA.
• The Strategy and Investment in Rural Housing Preservation Act was re-introduced by Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.), who have introduced it in past Congresses as well, and Sen. Angus King (I-Maine). Its provisions would enhance USDA’s ability to preserve Section 515 rental properties.

May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

Resources available online include President Biden’s proclamation and a compilation of federal events.

RuralSTAT

Researchers estimate that, while the 2020 census overcounted both Asian Americans and Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders (NHPIs) at the national level, it undercounted Asian Americans in 68% of counties and undercounted NHPIs in 55% of counties, with the estimated undercounts tending to cluster in more rural areas in the Midwest, South, and Mountain West. Source: The Quality of the Decennial Census for Asian American and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Communities: An Expanded Approach by Advancing Justice | AAJC and Demographic Analytics Advisors.

OPPORTUNITIES

New Green and Resilient Retrofit Program launches

HUD-assisted rental properties are eligible for funding through three “cohorts” under the new Green and Resilient Retrofit Program, designed to meet the needs of applicants with varying levels of green retrofit expertise. HUD has also provided implementation guidance in Housing Notice H 2023-05. Elements awards target properties that are already advanced in a rehabilitation transaction and need gap financing to fund specific utility-efficient or resilient elements. Leading Edge awards target properties that are in the early stages of recapitalization planning and will achieve a high-level third-party green certification. Comprehensive awards target properties with high needs where HUD-procured contractors will support owners by commissioning third-party reports and assessments to develop a scope of work. HUD has posted information online and will hold a webinar on May 23. For more information, contact grrp@hud.gov.

HUD offers lead hazard funding

• The Lead Hazard Reduction Capacity Building Grant Program will fund states, Tribes, and units of local government to develop the infrastructure necessary to undertake comprehensive programs to identify and control lead-based paint hazards in privately owned rental or owner-occupied housing. Apply by June 27. For more information, contact Victoria Jackson, HUD, 202-402-3167.
• The Lead Risk Assessment Demonstration offers competitive grants to PHAs administering Housing Choice Voucher Programs to evaluate for lead-based paint hazards in HCV units constructed before 1978 and occupied or to be occupied by children under six. Applications are due June 20. For more information, contact Bruce Haber, HUD, 202-402-7699.

Veterans housing rehab pilot funds announced

The Veterans Housing Rehabilitation and Modification Pilot Program will provide competitive grants of up to $1 million each to nonprofits with nationwide or statewide programs that primarily serve veterans and/or low-income individuals. The funds may be used to modify or rehabilitate eligible veterans’ primary residences or to provide grantees’ affiliates with technical, administrative, and training support in connection with those services. Applications are due August 31. HUD’s Rural Gateway will hold a webinar on May 16 offering a program overview. For more information, contact Jovette G. Bryant, HUD, 877-787-2526.

Grant Application Bootcamp registration opens

Local governments with 150,000 or fewer residents can register by May 31 for bootcamps intended to help them submit competitive applications for federal infrastructure opportunities. The National League of Cities will offer five separate bootcamps covering new programs addressing broadband, railroad crossings, drinking water, neighborhood access and equity, and bridges. There is no cost to participate. For more information, contact LocalInfrastructureHub@nlc.org.

Funds available for asphalt art

Cities of all sizes in Canada, Mexico, and the United States are invited to apply for $25,000 grants and technical assistance from Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Asphalt Art Initiative, which funds visual art on roadways, pedestrian spaces, and public infrastructure in cities. The deadline is June 12. For more information, contact arts@bloomberg.org.

NeighborWorks network invites applications

NeighborWorks America is seeking up to five nonprofit community-based organizations that focus on community revitalization, homeownership, and the production of affordable housing to join the NeighborWorks network. The initial application is open through June 9 and is in two parts. NWA strongly encourages applicants to submit part 1 no later than May 15 to ensure there is enough time to complete and submit part 2 by June 9. For more information, email affiliations@nw.org.

CAPITOL HILL

Tribal representatives support HUD programs

An April 28 oversight hearing of the House Appropriations Committee’s Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies, titled Tribal Perspectives on Housing and Transportation, included testimony from several witnesses about the dire need for housing in Indian Country. They emphasized the importance of increasing funding for HUD’s Indian housing programs to meet that need.

Torres Small confirmation hearing held

The Senate Agriculture Committee held a hearing May 10 to consider the nomination of Xochitl Torres Small, who has been serving as USDA Under Secretary for Rural Development, to be Deputy Secretary of Agriculture. The committee has not yet voted on recommending her nomination to the full Senate, which will make the final decision.

REGULATIONS AND FEDERAL AGENCIES

HUD issues final rule on new NSPIRE inspection program

HUD’s National Standards for the Physical Inspection of Real Estate (NSPIRE) are intended to strengthen HUD’s physical condition standards and improve HUD oversight. The program’s final rule also incorporates provisions to reduce administrative burden on small rural PHAs. The rule is effective on July 1 for public housing and on October 1 for the Multifamily Housing (including Section 202 and 811), Housing Choice Voucher, Project Based Voucher, Section 8 Moderate Rehabilitation, HOME, Housing Trust Fund, Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS, Emergency Solutions Grant, and Continuum of Care programs. HUD will issue “Subordinate Notices” covering NSPIRE standards, scoring, and administration, as well as notices for some specific programs and to implement the small rural assessment requirements. For more information, contact Tara J. Radosevich, HUD, 202-708-1112.

Deadline extended for floodplain comments

Comments regarding HUD’s proposed rule on floodplain-related building standards are now due June 6 rather than May 23.

Revisions final for Section 306C water and waste program for colonias and Tribes

The Rural Utilities Service has finalized, without change, the proposed rule published in February.

FHFA cancels upfront fees based on debt-to-income ratio

In January the Federal Housing Finance Agency announced changes to its upfront fee structure for single-family guaranteed loans purchased by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, including the addition of a new upfront fee for borrowers with a debt-to-income ratio above 40%, effective May 1. In March, FHFA delayed implementation of those fees until August 1. Now it has announced that it is rescinding the DTI ratio fees and will “shortly” issue a request for more information from stakeholders.

EVENTS

HAC offers USDA 502 packaging training in Albuquerque

The three-day USDA Section 502 Direct Certified Loan Application Packaging Training, designed for those experienced in using Section 502, will provide participants with a strong understanding of Section 502 direct underwriting and packaging standards, which will ensure that submitted loan dockets are complete and accessible for processing. The course will be held in Albuquerque, NM on June 13-15. Registration is $750. For more information, contact HAC staff, registration@ruralhome.org, 202-516-6271.

Rural Assembly Everywhere set for June 28

The Center for Rural Strategies will host its annual virtual convening, Rural Assembly Everywhere, on June 28. The event features stories, keynotes, and performances that are designed to celebrate and protect the dignity of rural people and neighbors. Register online here.

PUBLICATIONS AND MEDIA

Interim agreement reached in Alabama environmental justice case

On May 4 the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services announced an “interim resolution agreement” in their environmental justice investigation into the Alabama Department of Public Health and the Lowndes County Health Department. They determined that the state and county agencies engaged in a consistent pattern of inaction and/or neglect concerning the health risks associated with raw sewage affecting the county’s primarily Black, low-income residents; failed to take meaningful actions to remedy sewage issues; and threatened residents with criminal penalties and even potential property loss for sanitation conditions they could not alleviate. The state now must undertake remediation efforts. Media coverage about the settlement, including from Alabama TV station WSFA, the Associated Press, and the Washington Post, provides additional details.

Housing and environmental justice must be addressed together, issue paper says

Housing Policy is Environmental Policy: The Complementary Aims of Fair Housing and Environmental Justice, an issue brief from the Opportunity Starts at Home campaign, examines the links between race, income, exposure to pollution and toxic waste, climate change, and the locations and conditions of housing. It considers federal efforts to address the issues and makes recommendations to improve both housing and environmental justice.

Guide offers ways to connect homelessness and mental health treatment

For Mental Health Awareness Month in May, SAMHSA is highlighting its Expanding Access to and Use of Behavioral Health Services for People at Risk for or Experiencing Homelessness guide, which highlights strategies for housers and behavioral health providers to conduct outreach to individuals experiencing homelessness. Case studies include both rural and urban places.

HAC

HAC is hiring an Asset Manager Associate and three interns

• The Asset Manager Associate will assist in a range of lending activities, including loan department reports, loan payments, underwriting, credit analysis and various aspects of monitoring, and servicing single- and multifamily housing development loans. This is an entry-level position and is eligible for telecommuting.
• The Portfolio Management Intern, Loan Asset Management Intern, and Resource Development Intern are part of HAC’s lending team. The interns will have the opportunity to participate in the Fannie Mae Future Housing Leaders program throughout the summer. The positions will be approximately 37.5 hours per week, with stipends of $15-18 per hour commensurate with experience/responsibilities, and will run from the end of May through August 2023. These positions are eligible for telecommuting.

HAC invites poster session proposals for national conference

Researchers and policymakers at all levels can apply by June 2 to share their research and innovative ideas through a series of poster sessions at the 2023 National Rural Housing Conference, October 24-27 in Washington, DC. The research must be related to rural America and can be on housing or another field such as public health, community development, race and ethnicity, or creative placemaking. Posters will be reviewed and judged by a distinguished panel of rural experts. For more information, contact Manda LaPorte and Natasha Moodie, HAC.

National Rural Housing Conference set for October

Mark your calendars and save the date! HAC’s National Rural Housing Conference will be held October 24-27 in Washington, DC and online.

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!

 

TOP STORIES

House narrowly passes debt ceiling bill

By a 217-215 vote on April 26, the House passed the Limit, Save, Grow Act (H.R. 2811), which would raise the debt ceiling, cut federal spending, and rescind or repeal previously authorized spending. The bill is unlikely to pass the Senate, however, and the White House has said President Biden would veto it. USDA issued a press release quantifying possible impacts of the bill’s proposed cuts, including loss of rental assistance for up to 63,000 households and reduced support from the Rural Partners Network.

Senate committee considers rural housing

HAC CEO David Lipsetz is scheduled to testify on May 2 at a Rural Housing Legislation hearing before the Senate Banking Committee’s Housing, Transportation, and Community Development Subcommittee. The event will focus on a bill intended to improve several USDA rural housing programs, expected to be introduced by Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.). Testimony at Building Consensus to Address Housing Challenges, a hearing before the full Senate Banking Committee on April 26, also recognized the distinct housing issues facing rural America.

HAC invites poster session proposals for national conference

Researchers and policymakers at all levels can apply by June 2 to share their research and innovative ideas through a series of poster sessions at the 2023 National Rural Housing Conference, October 24-27 in Washington, DC. The research must be related to rural America and can be on housing or another field such as public health, community development, race and ethnicity, or creative placemaking. Posters will be reviewed and judged by a distinguished panel of rural experts. For more information, contact Manda LaPorte and Natasha Moodie, HAC.

RuralSTAT

Nationally, shipments of new manufactured homes have eclipsed 100,000 for the past two years. In 2022 113,000 new manufactured homes were shipped. Source: Housing Assistance Council tabulations of HUD and the U.S. Census Bureau’s Manufactured Home Survey.

OPPORTUNITIES

Youth homelessness funding offered with rural priority

State, local, and Tribal governments, TDHEs, and nonprofits may apply by June 27 for the Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program, which supports communities in developing and implementing coordinated community approaches to preventing and ending homelessness among youth aged 24 and under. HUD will support projects in up to 25 communities, with a priority for up to eight with substantial rural populations. For more information, contact Caroline Crouse, HUD, 612-843-6451.

USDA opens Housing Preservation Grants competition

The Section 533 Housing Preservation Grants program funds state and local governments, Tribes, and nonprofits for repair or rehabilitation of housing owned or rented by low- and very low-income rural residents. Part of this year’s funding is set aside for repairs to units damaged in presidentially declared disasters in calendar year 2022. Applications are due June 5. For more information, contact a USDA RD State Office.

REGULATIONS AND FEDERAL AGENCIES

HUD requests input on disability-based discrimination

HUD is considering changes to its regulations for Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance. HUD wants to update its federal accessibility standard and clarify recipients’ obligations, including accounting for advances in accessible design, information and communication technology, and assistive technologies. Comments are due July 24. For more information, contact Amy Gioletti, HUD, 405-609-8561.

Fair housing, fair lending, and equitable finance rule proposed by FHFA

A proposed Federal Housing Finance Agency regulation would cover Equitable Housing Finance Plans for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac as well as fair housing and fair lending for those entities and the Federal Home Loan Banks. Comments are due June 26. For more information, contact James Wylie, FHFA, 202-649-3209.

EPA releases framework for Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund

EPA’s implementation framework divides the new $27 billion GGRF, created by the Inflation Reduction Act, into three competitions. The $14 billion National Clean Investment Fund will fund two or three national nonprofits to partner with private capital providers to deliver financing at scale to businesses, communities, community lenders, and others. The $6 billion Clean Communities Investment Accelerator competition will fund two to seven hub nonprofits to build the capacity of lenders such as CDFIs and housing finance agencies to finance clean technology projects. The $7 billion Solar for All competition will make grants to states, Tribal governments, municipalities, and nonprofits to prepare low-income and disadvantaged communities for residential and community solar. The agency will hold public listening sessions on this framework during the week of May 1. Comments can also be emailed to ggrf@epa.gov by May 12. EPA expects to issue Notices of Funding Opportunity as early as June.

USDA updates lender submission process for Section 538 guarantees

Changes for lenders submitting requests for rental housing guarantees under the Section 538 program will take effect on April 28, when USDA’s notice is published in the Federal Register. They include revisions to the priority criteria and the fee structure. For more information, contact Jonathan Bell, USDA, MFHprocessing1@usda.gov, 254-742-9764.

New comment deadline set for extending HUD’s Buy America waiver for Tribes

Comments are now due May 8 on HUD’s proposal to extend its waiver of Buy America requirements for Tribes and Tribal entities. For more information, contact Faith Rogers, HUD, 202-402-7082.

HUD announces rural-targeted funding awards

Following an earlier round of awards announced in February, the second set of communities receiving resources to address unsheltered and rural homelessness will get $171.2 million in grants for 115 new projects in 29 Continuums of Care, and approximately 3,300 Stability Vouchers will go to 139 PHAs that partnered with CoCs. Separately, HUD’s Older Adults Home Modification Program will provide $14.5 million to modify over 1,900 housing units, 1,100 of which are in “substantially rural” places, so that low-income elderly residents can remain in their homes.

HAC comments on Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing

HAC submitted comments this month on a proposed HUD regulation that is intended to ensure that HUD and entities receiving funding from HUD will “Affirmatively Further Fair Housing.” In addition to supporting many aspects of HUD’s proposal and supporting suggestions made by other organizations, HAC wrote its own comment letter to address some specifically rural issues. HAC suggested that community engagement must be offered in many different ways, analyses must be conducted in smaller geographic areas, and data on USDA-supported housing must be specifically included.

EVENTS

Online placemaking conference set for May 23

USDA and the University of Kentucky will host an online conference May 23 on expanding access to placemaking resources for people in rural America. Rural leaders and placemaking experts will discuss ways to help advance placemaking strategies to create successful, thriving communities, as well as the importance of preserving and sustaining rural culture. Register here.

PUBLICATIONS AND MEDIA

Farm Bill may be opportunity to address rural rental preservation

Advocates Eye Farm Bill to Avert Drop in Affordable Rural Housing, a CQ Roll Call article, covers the anticipated loss of Section 515 rental units. HAC’s Director of Public Policy, Jonathan Harwitz, is quoted explaining legislative changes that could assist with preservation and could be adopted in the Farm Bill.

Report covers links between reentry and housing

The Council of State Governments Justice Center published Building Connections to Housing During Reentry, a report on a national survey of state Departments of Corrections highlighting connections between reentry after incarceration and housing.

HBO reports on farmworkers

A recent 25-minute segment on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver covers the working and living conditions of farmworkers in the U.S.

Rural placemaking article features CIRD

A Daily Yonder piece, Rural Renewal: Placemaking in Small Towns Through Good Design, describes the role of design and creative placemaking in building rural communities. It features the Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design (CIRD), a leadership initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with HAC, and quotes Shonterria Charleston, HAC’s Director of Training and Technical Assistance.

Feedback sought on substance use recovery mapping tool

The Fletcher Group, Inc., NORC at the University of Chicago, and East Tennessee State University seek participants for virtual focus groups to provide feedback on the Recovery Ecosystem Index Mapping Tool. The system maps county-level factors that are in place to support individuals in recovery from substance use disorder.

Diversifying child population described

The Changing Child Population of the United States: First Data from the 2020 Census, published by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, reports that the U.S. child population is decreasing in size, increasing in diversity, and changing substantially. The nation’s child population fell from 74.2 million in 2010 to 73.1 million in 2020. Children of color, who represented just 26% of all kids in 1980, were a majority – 53% – in 2020. Data is presented at the state and city levels.

HAC

HAC is hiring a Chief Financial Officer

The Chief Financial Officer is a newly created position responsible for overseeing the accounting, finance, capital markets, and administrative functions of HAC, while also providing overall leadership and strategy to the organization. This executive must have a background in accounting or finance, managing staff, and serving as a senior leader at a sophisticated and multidimensional organization, such as another CDFI, community lending institution, or housing-related nonprofit. The CFO is expected to work in HAC’s downtown Washington, DC office with a portion of their week eligible for remote work.

National Rural Housing Conference set for October

Mark your calendars and save the date! HAC’s National Rural Housing Conference will be held October 24-27 in Washington, DC and online.

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!