TOP STORIES

Executive orders include housing

Federal housing activities are addressed in some of the many executive orders and other directives issued by President Trump on January 20. Some, such as a freeze on federal hiring, a freeze on issuance of federal rules, and elimination of all diversity, equity, and inclusion activities, impact all agencies. The regulatory freeze also instructs all agencies to “consider” postponing effective dates of rules that have already been published so they can be reviewed.

A memorandum on Delivering Emergency Price Relief for American Families and Defeating the Cost-of-Living Crisis tells “the heads of all executive departments and agencies to deliver emergency price relief, consistent with applicable law, to the American people and increase the prosperity of the American worker. This shall include pursuing appropriate actions to: lower the cost of housing and expand housing supply; … [and] eliminate counterproductive requirements that raise the costs of home appliances. …”

An executive order titled Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government defines sex as a male/female binary status determined at conception and eliminates use of the concept of “gender identity” by federal agencies, instructing agencies to change their language and policy. It tells HUD to rescind its 2016 rule that required housing providers to treat people according to their professed gender identities and to “submit for public comment a policy protecting women seeking single-sex rape shelters.”

Congressional committee memberships taking shape

Leaders in the 119^th Congress have announced the members of some key committees with jurisdiction over housing-related subjects, listed here by the National Low Income Housing Coalition.

Senators question Turner and Rollins

The Senate Banking Committee held a confirmation hearing for Eric Scott Turner, President Trump’s nominee to lead HUD, on January 16. The Senate Agriculture Committee held a hearing for Brooke Rollins, the USDA nominee, on January 23. The full Senate has not yet voted on either of them. On January 20, President Trump designated career staffers Matthew Ammon as Acting Secretary of HUD and Gary Washington as Acting Secretary of Agriculture.

RuralSTAT

53.7 % of people in a sample of rural residents who use drugs reported experiencing homelessness in the past six months. Source: Rural Houselessness Among People Who Use Drugs in the United States: Results from the National Rural Opioid Initiative.

OPPORTUNITIES

New Tribal HUD-VASH vouchers to be issued

Tribes and Tribally Designated Housing Entities that are new applicants or existing grantees expanding current programs can apply for HUD-VA Supportive Housing Vouchers to provide rental assistance and supportive services to Native American Veterans who are homeless or at risk of homelessness living on or near a reservation or other Indian area. The deadline is May 16.

Youth Homeless Demonstration Program funds available

Up to eight communities with substantial rural populations will receive priority for funding from HUD’s Youth Homeless Demonstration Program to implement projects to demonstrate how a comprehensive approach to youth experiencing homelessness can dramatically reduce youth homelessness. State, local, and Tribal government agencies that are Collaborative Applicants designated by Continuums of Care in the most recent CoC program registration process are eligible. Apply by April 17.

Demo program will support reentry housing for people involved in criminal justice system

A Justice Department agency offers funds to state and local governments, Tribal governments, Tribal housing entities, and PHAs for a Smart Reentry housing demonstration program. It is intended to help jurisdictions assess their reentry systems, identify strengths and gaps, and then build capacity for improved housing options for adults released from prison or jail. The deadline is March 4.

New applicant category to support places in high needs areas

Nonprofits, for-profits, and institutions of higher education are eligible to apply to build local governments’ capacity through HUD’s Distressed Cities Technical Assistance Program. This year HUD is looking for applicants who can work in a variety of areas and also for those who can provide TA to Tribes or places in Appalachia, the Southwest, the Southeast, and/or U.S. territories. The deadline is March 10.

HUD offers research funding for minority-serving institutions

Advancing HUD’s Learning Agenda through Cooperative Agreements with Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic Serving Institutions, Tribal Colleges and Universities, and Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions will fund federally recognized institutions to conduct research that addresses specific questions listed in HUD’s announcement. Applications are due April 9.

HUD will support research on “missing middle” housing

Nonprofits, for-profits, and institutions of higher education are eligible for funding to conduct Research on Financing and Other Non-Zoning Barriers to Increasing Missing Middle Housing Supply. Missing middle housing is defined as housing that ranges in size from accessory dwelling units to duplexes, townhomes, and small-scale apartment buildings. Applications are due February 25.

Rural opioid response program opens new funding opportunities

The Health Resources and Services Administration has several open funding notices for rural areas, including three for the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program. RCORP grants are available to nonprofits, Tribal governments and organizations, state and local governments, and others.

RCORP – Overdose Response, listed in the January 9 HAC News, can be used for recovery housing and other activities. Apply by March 10.

RCORP – Pathways offers funds to create innovative new youth-focused behavioral health care support programs, while also offering behavioral health care career pathway opportunities. Apply by April 14.

RCORP – Northern Border Rural Workforce will fund efforts to improve health care in rural areas in Maine, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont by enhancing behavioral health workforce capacity. Apply by April 11.

REGULATIONS AND FEDERAL AGENCIES

HUD withdraws rules on fair housing and criminal justice involvement

On January 16, HUD retracted two proposed regulations that had not yet been finalized. It withdrew a 2023 proposal on Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing and also a 2024 proposal intended to reduce barriers for people involved with the criminal justice system applying for or living in HUD-assisted housing.

USDA withdraws proposed rule on tenant income and assets

To comply with an executive order, USDA withdrew a proposal it had submitted to the Federal Register that would have revised its regulations on income and assets calculations for Section 515 rental and Section 514/516 farmworker housing properties. The changes would have complied with the Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act of 2016 (HOTMA) and aligned USDA’s regulations with HUD’s.

Compliance date extended again for Section 184 changes

Tribes, lenders, and servicers now have until December 31, rather than March 1, to comply with HUD’s final rule for the Section 184 Indian Housing Loan Guarantee Program.

HUD lowers blood lead level threshold for young children

HUD has adopted a proposal to lower the children’s blood lead level threshold at which a property owner, PHA, government entity, or Tribe is required to undertake certain actions in assisted housing built before 1978. The deadline for complying with the change depends on whether the applicable state, state-level jurisdiction, territory, or local jurisdiction has already incorporated a blood lead level action threshold equal to or lower than the new HUD standard.

PUBLICATIONS AND MEDIA

Workbook centers harm reduction when addressing rural homelessness

Harm Reduction in Rural Areas: A Workbook for Homeless Response System Staff focuses on the practical implementation of harm reduction and Housing First principles. The workbook, published by the Department of Health and Human Services’ Homeless and Housing Resource Center, provides an overview of evidence-based practices, implementation strategies, reflection questions, and links to more information.

Report calculates wide range of possible economic impacts from climate change

The Risks of Climate Change to the United States in the 21st Century, a report by the Congressional Budget Office, examines the possible economic effects of climate change on gross domestic product, real estate markets, and other arenas that influence the economy and the federal budget. CBO estimates that recurring flooding could cause the loss of residential property currently worth between $250 billion and $930 billion. Those losses would mostly be borne by property owners, mortgage lenders, insurance companies, and the federal government. Among other projected impacts are increased rates of illness and mortality as well as harm to the ecosystems that provide food, clean air and water, medicines, and other products. The report also notes that hotter temperatures and more intense natural disasters will disproportionately affect low-income households, minority communities, and residents of the Southeast.

Analysis shows climate change’s impacts on homeowners insurance

Obtaining and paying for homeowners insurance are becoming more challenging as the costs of climate-related disasters increase, according to Analyses of U.S. Homeowners Insurance Markets, 2018-2022: Climate-Related Risks and Other Factors by the Treasury Department’s Federal Insurance Office. Average premiums per policy nationwide increased 8.7% faster than inflation during the period studied, researchers found. In zip codes with the highest expected climate-related losses to buildings, the costs to consumers of insurance, the rates of policy cancellation for nonpayment, and policy nonrenewal rates were higher than in areas with the lowest expected losses. Costs to insurers followed the same pattern, despite homeowners paying higher premiums per policy in these areas. These areas also had more severe claims. As a result, average nonrenewal rates increased by substantially more in the highest risk areas. Treasury’s research did not include flood insurance. It reviewed data at the zip code level, but did not aggregate figures for rural, urban, or suburban geographies.

Homeowners in Southeast and Southwest U.S. may be underinsured for floods

Current flood insurance maps do not show the proper level of risk for inland areas in the Southeast and central Southwest census regions, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau reports. As a result, CFPB explains in Flood Risk and the U.S. Mortgage Market, the National Flood Insurance Program does not provide sufficient insurance for homeowners there, and over 400,000 homes in those regions may be underinsured for flooding events. These homeowners also have lower incomes and put less money down to purchase their homes, the Bureau reports, suggesting that they have the fewest financial resources to recover from flooding and are most at risk of suffering catastrophic loss after a flood.

Podcast series highlights the impact of affordable housing

The National Low Income Housing Coalition’s Opportunity Starts at Home campaign and the American Institute of Architects have developed a five-part podcast that features conversations with architects exploring the multi-sector impacts of affordable housing. Topics include human-centered design, addressing racial inequities through federal policies, and innovations driving sustainability.

Both housing and supportive services needed to address rural homelessness, research concludes

A recent academic article discusses the findings of the National Rural Opioid Initiative Study on the relationship between homelessness and people who use drugs. Key findings from the study include how both stable housing and harm reduction services are needed to reduce the impact of drug related epidemics.

HAC

HAC is hiring

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

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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).

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