HAC News Formats. pdf, EPUB, Kindle

August 3, 2011
Vol. 40, No. 16

• Extent of debt ceiling deal’s impact on housing programs unclear • House subcommittee postpones second hearing on moving USDA rural housing to HUD • Consumer Financial Protection Bureau opens • HUD offers grants to develop regional plans integrating housing and other development • RD withdraws SAVE immigration verification requirement • Pilots to coordinate federal housing programs • HUD launches rental preservation website • Newsletter addresses low-income renters • Rental unit supply increased while affordable stock fell, HUD reports • Metro areas grew more than twice as fast as nonmetro during 2000’s • AT&T merger with T-Mobile may not help rural connectivity, analysis concludes • Follow HAC on Twitter

August 3, 2011
Vol. 40, No. 16

EXTENT OF DEBT CEILING DEAL’S IMPACT ON HOUSING PROGRAMS UNCLEAR. The Budget Control Act signed into law on August 2 will cut appropriations, but does not require all cuts to be proportionate across the board. One provision exempts some programs for low-income people from additional funding cuts that would be triggered if the new Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction does not cut enough, but housing aid is not exempted.

HOUSE SUBCOMMITTEE POSTPONES SECOND HEARING ON MOVING USDA RURAL HOUSING TO HUD. The Financial Services Committee’s housing subcommittee scheduled a second hearing for August 3 but then postponed it indefinitely. The first hearing was held May 25 (see HAC News, 5/25/11).

CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION BUREAU OPENS. The new agency, which opened July 21, was created by the Dodd-Frank Act to protect consumers from abusive financial practices. It will oversee mortgage lending by all types of entities and will take over responsibility for enforcing related laws, some of which were listed in the Federal Register on 7/21/11, including HMDA, the SAFE mortgage licensing act, and RESPA. It will not have jurisdiction over the Community Reinvestment Act. Visit https://consumerfinance.gov.

HUD OFFERS GRANTS TO DEVELOP REGIONAL PLANS INTEGRATING HOUSING AND OTHER DEVELOPMENT. Regional Planning Grants are for consortia of local governments, planning agencies, tribes, and private entities; contact Dwayne S. Marsh, HUD, 202-402-6316, sustainablecommunities@hud.gov. Community Challenge Planning Grants will go to state and local governments, tribes, and consortia of those entities; contact Sunaree K. Marshall, HUD, 202-402-6011, sustainablecommunities@hud.gov. Visit https://www.hud.gov/offices/adm/grants/fundsavail.cfm or https://www.grants.gov.

RD WITHDRAWS SAVE IMMIGRATION VERIFICATION REQUIREMENT. A July 18 Unnumbered Letter rescinds the June 9 UL requiring use of the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements system to check the immigration status of Farm Labor Housing tenants (see HAC News, 7/6/11 and 7/20/11). Both ULs are available at https://www.rurdev.usda.gov/RD_UnnumberedList.html or from RD offices.

PILOTS TO COORDINATE FEDERAL HOUSING PROGRAMS. Officials from HUD, USDA RD, and state housing finance agencies have been working to better align their programs. Pilot efforts addressing physical inspections and subsidy layering reviews will begin soon. A White House summary, with links to more details, is at https://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/07/27/federal-rental-alignment. Send comments to harmonization@hud.gov.

HUD LAUNCHES RENTAL PRESERVATION WEBSITE. Resources related to HUD-financed multifamily properties are collected at https://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/housing/mfh/presrv/presmfh.

NEWSLETTER ADDRESSES LOW-INCOME RENTERS. Tenant Talk, published by the National Low Income Housing Coalition, provides information on relevant federal government actions. Visit https://www.nlihc.org/template/page.cfm?id=275. To subscribe, email outreach@nlihc.org or call 202-662-1530 ext. 316.

RENTAL UNIT SUPPLY INCREASED WHILE AFFORDABLE STOCK FELL, HUD REPORTS. Two new studies using American Housing Survey data calculate that the national supply of rental units increased by an estimated 693,600 from 2007 to 2009. The stock affordable for residents with the lowest incomes fell by over 2 million units while significant shifts of units to higher rent categories occurred. The rate of unit loss was slightly higher in nonmetro areas than nationwide (2.1% compared to 1.6%). Components of Inventory Change and Rental Market Dynamics are posted at https://www.huduser.org/portal/datasets/cinch/cinch09/cinch07-09.html. Contact HUD User, 1-800-245-2691.

METRO AREAS GREW MORE THAN TWICE AS FAST AS NONMETRO DURING 2000’S. First Results from the 2010 Census reports many rural areas lost population during the decade, either because people moved to metro areas or because metro areas expanded into previously rural territory. Metro areas grew by 11%, more than twice as fast as nonmetro places. Nationwide, 341 counties now have majority minority populations. Growth in the Hispanic population is particularly striking, says the report. The Population Reference Bureau study is free at https://www.prb.org/pdf11/reports-on-america-2010-census.pdf or $5.00 from PRB, 800-877-9881.

AT&T MERGER WITH T-MOBILE MAY NOT HELP RURAL CONNECTIVITY, ANALYSIS CONCLUDES. Despite AT&T statements regarding network development in rural America, the company’s past performance indicates disinterest in rural broadband investment, according to “If Phone Giants Merge: A Rural Take.” The July 18 Daily Yonder article is posted at https://www.dailyyonder.com/rural-outlook-phone-giants-merger/2011/07/04/3410.

FOLLOW HAC ON TWITTER. For rural housing updates between issues of the HAC News, follow @ruralhome at https://www.twitter.com.