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October 13, 2011
Vol. 40, No. 21

• Government funded through November 18 • HUD offers two grant programs for Indian Country • AmeriCorps support available • HAC announces grant funding for rural senior housing • RD to conduct rent comparability studies for vouchers • Income calculations changed for Section 502 direct loans • Final 2012 Fair Market Rents published • HUD requests comments on environmental justice strategy • Comments invited on new interim PHAS scoring • Federal homelessness update published • Utility-funded energy efficiency programs can help multifamily housing • Affordability issues for seniors increasing, AARP reports

October 13, 2011
Vol. 40, No. 21

GOVERNMENT FUNDED THROUGH NOVEMBER 18. A continuing resolution keeps USDA and HUD housing programs at FY11 levels with a 1.5% across the board cut. The Senate may begin considering the USDA and Transportation-HUD FY12 appropriations bills this week. The full House has passed a USDA spending bill, but HUD’s bill has not moved beyond the subcommittee level there. See HAC News, 9/28/11 and 9/14/11. Bills are available at https://thomas.loc.gov/home/approp/app12.html.

HUD OFFERS TWO GRANT PROGRAMS FOR INDIAN COUNTRY.Tribes and tribal organizations can apply by January 4, 2012 for FY12 Indian Community Development Block Grants. Contact Roberta Youmans, HUD, 202-402-3316. A variety of entities can apply by November 15 for FY10 Sustainable Construction in Indian Country Small Grants to collect and disseminate information. Contact Mike Blanford, 202-402-5728. Visit https://www.grants.gov or https://www.hud.gov/offices/adm/grants/fundsavail.cfm.

AMERICORPS SUPPORT AVAILABLE.Nonprofits, institutions of higher education, sub-state government entities, tribes, labor organizations, partnerships, and intermediaries may apply and are encouraged to submit letters of intent by December 15; deadline is January 18. Visit https://www.americorps.gov/for_organizations/funding. Contact agency staff at americorpsgrants@cns.gov or 202-606-7508.

HAC ANNOUNCES GRANT FUNDING FOR RURAL SENIOR HOUSING.With support from The Atlantic Philanthropies, Rural Senior Housing Fund grants are available to build, preserve, or advocate for housing for low-income seniors (62 and older) living in rural areas. Deadline is December 15. A webinar for applicants will be held October 20. Visit https://ruralhome.org. Contact Janice Clark, HAC, janice@ruralhome.org, 202-842-8600 ext. 131.

RD TO CONDUCT RENT COMPARABILITY STUDIES FOR VOUCHERS. RD appraisers, rather than a contractor, will determine current market rents, which are used to calculate the value of vouchers offered to tenants in Section 515 properties when loans are prepaid or foreclosed. See Unnumbered Letter dated September 9, https://www.rurdev.usda.gov/SupportDocuments/ulseptember11.pdf. Contact Joan Atkinson, RD, 202-720-1609.

INCOME CALCULATIONS CHANGED FOR SECTION 502 DIRECT LOANS.A new RD notice makes numerous changes. Find Procedure Notice 415 at https://www.rurdev.usda.gov/regs/pn/pn451.html. Contact an RD office.

FINAL 2012 FAIR MARKET RENTS PUBLISHED. See Federal Register, 9/30/11, or https://www.huduser.org/portal/datasets/fmr.html.

HUD REQUESTS COMMENTS ON ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE STRATEGY. A draft four-year plan is intended to address environmental justice concerns and increase access to environmental benefits through HUD activities, as part of a larger executive branch effort (see HAC News, 8/18/11). Comments are due November 14. Visit https://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/sustainable_housing_communities/HUD_Draft_Environmental_Justice_Strategy. Contact Kathryn Dykgraaf, HUD, 202-402-6731. Stakeholder listening sessions are scheduled in several places between October 24 and December 2. Visit https://www.epa.gov/compliance/ej/interagency/schedule.html. Contact Sherri White, EPA, white.sherri@epa.gov.

COMMENTS INVITED ON NEW INTERIM PHAS SCORING.A February interim rule (see HAC News, 3/2/11) for HUD’s Public Housing Assessment System is superseded by a notice implementing a point loss cap, changing some definitions, and describing inspection software. See Federal Register, 10/13/11, or https://www.regulations.gov. Contact Claudia Yarus, HUD, 202-475-8830.

FEDERAL HOMELESSNESS UPDATE PUBLISHED.The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness’s 2011 Annual Update to Opening Doors: The Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness reports that progress has been made in the first year of the Opening Doors effort. Visit https://www.usich.gov.

UTILITY-FUNDED ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROGRAMS CAN HELP MULTIFAMILY HOUSING.Noting that most states require such programs but the focus is typically on large commercial facilities or single-family homes, a National Housing Trust factsheet encourages their use for energy retrofits of multifamily properties. Visit https://www.nhtinc.org. Contact NHT, 202-333-8931.

AFFORDABILITY ISSUES FOR SENIORS INCREASING, AARP REPORTS.State Housing Profiles 2011 describes housing and demographic conditions for homeowners and renters age 50 and older. All data is for entire states, with no urban/rural breakdown. Nationally, among those age 50+ with incomes under $23,000, 96% of homeowners with mortgages pay more than 30% of their incomes for housing, as do 49% of homeowners without mortgages and 78% of renters. Visit https://www.aarp.org/statehousingprofiles. Contact Rodney Harrell, rharrell@aarp.org.