Access a pdf version of this HAC News. • Art Collings passed away March 23 • Preservation bill under consideration • USDA offers funds to relend for water and wastewater • Lists posted of multifamily properties eligible for weatherization • Section 502 packaging demonstration launched • Tribes believe NAHASDA has helped improve housing, GAO finds • HUD releases three studies of homelessness • HUD’s Transforming Rental Assistance initiative taking shape • Homeownership unaffordable for many in metro areas despite housing cost drops

March 31, 2010
Vol. 39, No. 7

ART COLLINGS PASSED AWAY MARCH 23. Arthur M. Collings, Jr. retired in 2004 after almost 50 years with HAC and the Farmers Home Administration. A legend in the rural housing world, he was both the conscience and the brains of the movement, passionate and dedicated to the mission but also able to cite statutes, regs, and ANs from memory. An obituary is posted at https://ww.ruralhome.org and HAC has created a blog at https://artcollingsmemorial.blogspot.com/ where stories and comments about Art can be shared. HAC will post information about memorial contributions on its website as soon as possible. Plans are being developed for a remembrance at HAC’s National Rural Housing Conference in December 2010.

PRESERVATION BILL UNDER CONSIDERATION. On March 17, Rep. Barney Frank (D-Massachusetts) introduced H.R. 4868, the Housing Preservation and Tenant Protection Act of 2010, a long-awaited bill addressing the preservation of rental housing funded by HUD or USDA. Most of the provisions in the bill’s rural section are the same as those in H.R. 2876, introduced in 2009 (see HAC News, 6/24/09). HAC submitted written testimony, posted at https://ruralhome.org. Witnesses’ statements and a webcast of a March 24 House Subcommittee on Housing hearing are at www.house.gov/apps/list/hearing/financialsvcs_dem/hr_031710.shtml.

USDA OFFERS FUNDS TO RELEND FOR WATER AND WASTEWATER. Nonprofits can apply by May 31 for Household Water Well System Grants to establish lending programs for homeowners to construct or repair household water wells for existing homes. Contact Lorrie Davis, RUS, 202-720-9631, lorrie.davis@wdc.usda.gov. The deadline is May 25 to apply for Revolving Fund Program grants to provide loans for predevelopment costs of community water or wastewater projects, or short-term small capital projects. Contact Joyce Taylor, RUS, 202-720-0499. For both programs, see Federal Register, 3/26/10 or www.usda.gov/rus/water/index.htm.

LISTS POSTED OF MULTIFAMILY PROPERTIES ELIGIBLE FOR WEATHERIZATION. Specified properties subsidized by USDA, HUD, or the Low Income Housing Tax Credit are eligible for the Department of Energy’s Weatherization Assistance Program without further evaluation of eligibility (see HAC News, 2/17/10). These properties will not necessarily receive funds, and others may apply as well. The lists and links to other information, including state and local entities that administer the funds, are posted at https://apps1.eere.energy.gov/wip/eligibility_hud.cfm. Contact Claire Broido Johnson, DOE, 202-586-1510, claire.johnson@ee.doe.gov.

SECTION 502 PACKAGING DEMONSTRATION LAUNCHED. This new pilot program enables Federation of Appalachian Housing Enterprises member organizations, under a contract with USDA RD, to package applications for Section 502 direct loans. Their assistance is expected to speed approvals, helping the agency to use its FY2010 appropriation and Recovery Act funds. More information is at https://www.fahe.org/502. Contact Tom Carew, FAHE, tomc@fahe.org, 606-669-0053.

TRIBES BELIEVE NAHASDA HAS HELPED IMPROVE HOUSING, GAO FINDS. Native American Housing: Tribes Generally View Block Grant Program as Effective, but Tracking of Infrastructure Plans and Investments Needs Improvement (GAO-10-326) is available at https://www.gao.gov or for a fee from GAO, 1-866-801-7077. The study’s full survey results are at https://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-373SP.

HUD RELEASES THREE STUDIES OF HOMELESSNESS. The research for all three focused on metro areas. Costs Associated with First-Time Homelessness for Families and Individuals, Life after Transitional Housing for Homeless Families, and Strategies for Improving Homeless People’s Access to Mainstream Benefits and Services are available at https://www.huduser.org/portal/taxonomy/term/65.

HUD’S TRANSFORMING RENTAL ASSISTANCE INITIATIVE TAKING SHAPE. A new Center on Budget and Policy Priorities report describes TRA as the most important new initiative to preserve affordable housing in over a decade. It would create a new form of long-term rental subsidy that would combine features from the existing project-based Section 8 and the project-based voucher programs. CBPP’s summary is at https://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=3123. A HUD webcast on TRA is archived at https://www.hud.gov/webcasts/index.cfm.

HOMEOWNERSHIP UNAFFORDABLE FOR MANY IN METRO AREAS DESPITE HOUSING COST DROPS. A Center for Housing Policy study found that the income needed to purchase a median-priced home fell in 93% of the metro areas studied, while rent rose. Yet many workers still do not earn enough to own a home. Paycheck to Paycheck: Wages and the Cost of Housing in America and an interactive database are at https://www.nhc.org/chp /p2p/. CHP and the National Housing Conference also recently released products on elderly housing, foreclosures, disasters, and transportation, available at https://www.housingpolicy.org/housing_solutions_week.html.