https://www.nlihc.org/oor/oor2011/.

HOMEOWNERSHIP LESS AFFORDABLE FOR MINORITIES, RESEARCH SHOWS. Because of income differences among racial/ethnic minorities, 80.3% of homes sold in 2010 were affordable to families earning the median income for whites, compared to 53% for African Americans, 51% for Hispanics, and 58.7% for American Indians, according to a National Association of Home Builders study. Data are provided for the entire country and for large metro areas. Housing Opportunity Index by Race/Ethnicity 2011 is available at www.housingeconomics.com.

GRANTS AVAILABLE FOR LEAD TECHNICAL STUDIES AND HEALTHY HOMES TECHNICAL STUDIES. Deadline is June 30. Contact Dr. Peter Ashley, peter.j.ashley@hud.gov, 202-402-7595. Visit https://www.hud.gov/offices/adm/grants/fundsavail.cfm or https://www.grants.gov.

USDA NATIVE AMERICAN FARMER SETTLEMENT RECEIVES FINAL APPROVAL. On April 28, a federal court approved an agreement requiring USDA to pay $760 million in damages and debt relief for discrimination against American Indian farmers and ranchers. The Justice Department’s press release is at https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2011/April/11-ag-551.html and information about the Keepseagle v. Vilsack case, including the final court order and instructions for claimants, is at https://www.indianfarmclass.com. This case is separate from Cobell v. Salazar, which addressed Indian trust land issues (see HAC News, 12/8/10).

HUD REQUESTS INPUT ON CONPLAN IMPROVEMENTS. Visit https://www.hud.gov/ideasinaction or email conplan.mailbox@hud.gov to provide ideas and feedback about making ConPlans more useful to HUD grantees and about data and mapping to help prepare ConPlans. PowerPoint slides about new data and mapping tools are at www.hometa.info/media/conf/Consolidated.pdf and a mapping prototype is at https://egis.hud.gov/cpdmaps.

DISASTER RECOVERY ASSISTANCE OFFERED. Information about applying for aid in federally declared disaster areas is available at https://www.fema.gov or from 1-800-621-3362. To locate a FEMA Disaster Recovery Center, call that number or visit https://asd.fema.gov/inter/locator/home.htm. Find a Red Cross shelter at https://app.redcross.org/nss-app/ or call a local Red Cross chapter. Find a state emergency management agency at https://www.fema.gov/about/contact/statedr.shtm. Other government resources are collected at https://www.usa.gov/Citizen/Topics/PublicSafety/Disasters.shtml, or call 1-800-FED-INFO (1-800-333-4636). The Federation of Southern Cooperatives is assisting communities around Tuscaloosa; for details see https://www.federation.coop or call 205-652-9676.

TAX CREDITS’ IMPACT ON LOW-INCOME RURAL HOUSEHOLDS EXAMINED. A USDA Economic Research Service report finds that expansions to both the refundable and nonrefundable portions of the Earned Income and Child Tax credits have provided a major source of income support for low-income rural workers and their families, especially in the South where the rural poor are concentrated. Federal Tax Policies and Low-Income Rural Households is free at https://www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/EIB76/.

CENSUS BUREAU RELEASING 2010 STATE DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILES. State profiles being released throughout May provide homeownership and vacancy rates, type of household, race and ethnicity, and population distribution by age, and are available at https://factfinder2.census.gov under “News and Notes.”

TRANSITIONAL HOUSING FOR FAMILIES SHRINKING AS PERMANENT HOUSING INCREASES. Policy shifts favoring emergency shelter and rapid re-housing are taking effect, reports the Institute for Children, Poverty, and Homelessness, reducing the availability of transitional housing and the services it provides, such as vocational training, employment counseling, and parenting classes. “The Beginning of the End of Transitional Housing?” includes state-by-state data and is available at https://www.icphusa.org/PDF/reports/ICPH_TransitionalHousing.pdf.

ONLINE RESOURCES EXPLAIN RULES FOR ADVOCACY BY NONPROFITS. Information about IRS rules and guidelines, what is permissible, and available training and technical assistance resources is provided by the Alliance for Justice at https://www.afj.org/for-nonprofits-foundations/ and by Independent Sector at https://www.independentsector.org/advocacy.