HAC News Formats. pdf

June 13, 2012
Vol. 41, No. 12

• House subcommittees act on FY13 USDA and HUD funding • The House’s USDA appropriations bill • The House’s HUD appropriations bill • HUD, USDA RD, and the CDFI Fund announce new Border Community Capital Initiative • FHFA requests comments on housing goals and preservation impact • USDA examines immigration policy’s impacts on agriculture • USDA announces June is National Homeownership Month • HAC sets webinar on “Mapping Poverty in Rural America”

June 13, 2012
Vol. 41, No. 12

HOUSE SUBCOMMITTEES ACT ON FY13 USDA AND HUD FUNDING. House appropriations subcommittees have approved both bills and the full House Appropriations Committee is expected to act on them in the next few weeks. The Senate bills (see HAC News, 5/2/12) still await consideration by the full Senate. Congress continues to move appropriations on a faster track this year than in the recent past, but final passage of most appropriations bills may not occur until a post-election lame duck session.

THE HOUSE’S USDA APPROPRIATIONS BILL would provide lower amounts than the Senate’s bill for almost all rural housing programs. It allocates slightly more to the Section 515 rural rental housing program than the Senate bill, although the House’s $31.3 million is less than half of the $64.5 million Section 515 received in FY12. The House bill also contains new language in every provision relating to housing programs and in some, but not all, provisions relating to other Rural Development programs, requiring USDA to provide detailed spending plans within 15 days of enactment. [tdborder][/tdborder]

USDA Rural Devel. Prog. (dollars in millions)	FY11 Approp.a	FY 12 Approp.	FY13 Admin. Budget	FY13 Sen. Bill (S. 2375)	FY13 House Subcomm. Bill
502 Single Fam. Direct (Self-Help Setaside) (Teacher Setaside)	$1,121 — —	$900 — —	$652.8 (141) (67)	$900 (5) 0	$652.8 0 0
502 Single Family Guar.	24,000	24,000	24,000	24,000	24,000
504 VLI Repair Loans	23.4	10	28	28	10
504 VLI Repair Grants	34	29.5	28.2	b	c
515 Rental Hsg. Direct	69.5	64.5	0	28.4	31.3
514 Farm Labor Hsg.	25.7	20.8	26	26	d
516 Farm Labor Hsg.	9.8	7.1	8.9	8.9	d
521 Rental Assistance (Preservation RA) (New Cnstr. 515 RA) (New Cnstr. 514/516 RA)	955.6 0 (2.03) (3)	904.7 0 (1.5) (2.5)	907.1 0 0 (3)	907.1 0 0 (3)	886.6f 0 (1.5) (2.5)
523 Self-Help TA	37	30	10	30	15
533 Hsg. Prsrv. Grants	10	3.6	0	b	c
538 Rental Hsg. Guar.	30.9	130	150	150	150
Rental Prsrv. Demo. (MPR)	15	2	34.4	16.8	2
Rental Prsrv. Revlg. Lns.	1	0	0	0	0
542 Rural Hsg. Vouchers	14	11	12.6	11	10.8
Rural Cmnty. Dev’t Init.	5	3.6	8	6.1	3.5e
a. Figures shown do not include 0.2% across the board reduction. b. Total for 504 grants and 533 grants is $33.1 million. c. Total for 504 grants and 533 grants is $17 million. d. Total budget authority for Section 514 loans and Section 516 grants is $13.8 million, compared to the Senate bill’s total of $17.5 million. e. Of the $3.549 million total for RCDI, $3.302 million is directed to community facilities grants to tribal colleges. f. HAC originally reported the House subcommittee’s level for Rental Assistance was $866.6 million, but the correct figure is $886.6 million. HAC apologizes for any confusion.

THE HOUSE’S HUD APPROPRIATIONS BILL boosts funding for HOME, Section 202, CDBG, and SHOP above the levels in FY12 and in the Senate’s bill. The Rural Innovation Fund is not funded and seems dead after being left out of HUD’s budget proposal again. The Rural Housing Stability Program is funded as part of homeless assistance grants. Veterans housing vouchers are funded at $75 million and Native American Block Grants are at $650 million, maintaining 2012 levels for both programs. The House bill does not fund Choice Neighborhoods or Sustainable Communities.

HUD Program (dollars in millions)	FY11 Approp.a	FY12 Approp.	FY13 Admin. Budget	FY13 Sen. Bill (S. 2322)	FY13 House Subcomm. Bill
Cmty. Devel. Fund (incl. CDBG) Sustainable Commun. Init. Rural Innovation Fund	3,508 (100) 0	3,308.1 0 0	3,143 100 0	3,210 b 50 0	3,404 b 0 0
HOME	1,610	1,000	1,000	1,000	1,200
Tenant-Based Rental Asstnce. Vets. Affairs Spptve Hsg. Vchrs	18,408 (50)	18,914.4 (75)	19,074.3 (75)	19,396.3 (75)	19,134.3 (75)
Project-Based Rental Asstnce.	9,257.4	9,339.7	8,700.4	9,875.8	8,700.4
Public Hsg. Capital Fund	2,044	1,875	2,070	1,985	1,985
Public Hsg. Operating Fund	4,626	3,961.9	4,524	4,591	4,524
Choice Neighbrhd. Initiative	0	120	150	120
Housing Trust Fund	0	0	1,000	0	0
Native Amer. Hsg. Block Grant	650	650	650	650	650
Homeless Assistance Grants	1,905	1,901.2	2,231	2,146	2,000
Rural Hsg. Stability Prog.	—	—	5	c	c
Hsg. Opps. for Persons w/ AIDS	335	332	330	330	330
202 Hsg. for Elderly	400	374.6	475	375	425
811 Hsg. for Disabled	150	165	150	150	165
Fair Housing	72	70.8	68	68	68
Healthy Homes & Ld. Haz. Cntl.	120	120	120	120	120
Self-Help Homeownshp. (SHOP)	27	13.5	0	13.5	20
Housing Counseling	0	45	55	55	45
a. Figures shown do not include 0.2% across the board reduction. b. Includes $3.1 billion in Senate and $3.34 billion in House for CDBG. c. Funded under Homeless Assistance Grants.

HUD, USDA RD, AND THE CDFI FUND ANNOUNCE NEW BORDER COMMUNITY CAPITAL INITIATIVE. Community development lenders and investors, which can include local rural nonprofits and federally recognized tribes, will be eligible for funds and technical assistance to support their lending or investing related to affordable housing, small businesses, and community facilities in the colonias along the U.S.-Mexico border. The collaboration may later be extended to other persistent poverty regions of the country. The announcement does not indicate when a NOFA may be issued. Contact Russell Quiniola or Thann Young, HUD, 1-877-787-2526.

FHFA REQUESTS COMMENTS ON HOUSING GOALS AND PRESERVATION IMPACT. The Federal Housing Finance Agency proposes continuing the existing structure of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac housing goals (with no rural goals or subgoals) for 2012-2014, with new benchmark levels. FHFA also seeks comments on whether the regulation should address the possibility that Fannie or Freddie would receive credit under the housing goals for purchasing a multifamily mortgage that facilitates conversion of the property from affordable rents to market rate. Comments are due July 26, 2012. Contact Paul Manchester, FHFA, 202-649-3115.

USDA EXAMINES IMMIGRATION POLICY’S IMPACTS ON AGRICULTURE. As Congress considers possible changes in immigration laws, an Economic Research Service study finds that an increase in H2-A temporary workers would increase U.S. agricultural production and reduce wages. A decrease in the undocumented workforce would decrease production and raise wages. The study does not address impacts on housing.

USDA ANNOUNCES JUNE IS NATIONAL HOMEOWNERSHIP MONTH.

HAC SETS WEBINAR ON “MAPPING POVERTY IN RURAL AMERICA.” As a prelude to the 2012 edition of Taking Stock – HAC’s decennial report on social, economic, and housing conditions in rural America – HAC is releasing an updated poster map showing county-level poverty data from 2010 Census figures, as well as information on historic, regional, and persistent poverty in the United States. Register now for a webinar presentation of the poverty map and a discussion of poverty in rural America on Thursday, June 28, 2:00-2:45 pm (EDT).