Access a pdf version of this HAC News. • Bill to provide 502 guarantee funds introduced in Senate • House passes manufactured housing replacement bill • Administration to hold rural summit on June 3 • Funds available for Section 514/516 farmworker housing • RD offers Section 538 continuous guarantee demo • EPA amends lead paint rule • USDA studies guaranteed and direct lending • Developing in rural towns mitigates transportation cost impacts • Websites warn homeowners about loan scams • Delinquency and foreclosure lower in community land trusts • NLIHC publishes 2010 Advocates’ Guide • USDA RD updates website

May 12, 2010
Vol. 39, No. 10

BILL TO PROVIDE 502 GUARANTEE FUNDS INTRODUCED IN SENATE. On April 27, Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO) introduced S. 3266, almost identical to H.R. 5017 (see HAC News, 4/28/10). Like the House-passed bill, S. 3266 authorizes up to $30 billion in Section 502 loan guarantees in FY10. It provides for a guarantee fee of up to 4.05% rather than the House’s 4%. The Senate has not yet acted. Find the bill at https://thomas.loc.gov.

HOUSE PASSES MANUFACTURED HOUSING REPLACEMENT BILL. H.R. 5019, the Home Star Energy Retrofit Act, would authorize funds to help owners replace pre-HUD Code manufactured homes with Energy Star homes. CFED reports that a similar bill, S. 1320, is expected to be considered soon as part of a jobs bill in the Senate. Visit https://www.cfed.org. Both bills are available at https://thomas.loc.gov.

ADMINISTRATION TO HOLD RURAL SUMMIT ON JUNE 3. USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack will host “the National Summit of Rural America: A Dialogue for Renewing Promise” in Missouri. Register at https://www.usda.gov/ruralsummit. Breakout session topics include infrastructure and broadband, small business, energy, farm competitiveness, education, nutrition, and recreation.

FUNDS AVAILABLE FOR SECTION 514/516 FARMWORKER HOUSING. Apply by July 9. See https://www.grants.gov. Contact Henry Searcy, henry.searcy@wdc.usda.gov, 202-720-1753, or an RD state office. This and other current RD housing NOFAs are listed, with links, on HAC’s site at https://ruralhome.org, and the site will be updated as others are released.

RD OFFERS SECTION 538 CONTINUOUS GUARANTEE DEMO. Lenders with Section 538 guaranteed rural rental housing obligations issued between October 1, 2009 and December 17, 2010 can apply for continuous loan note guarantees from construction through permanent financing. The first selections will be made May 20. See Federal Register, 5/10/10 or https://ruralhome.org. Contact Tammy Daniels, RD, tammy.daniels@wdc.usda.gov.

EPA AMENDS LEAD PAINT RULE. Comments are due July 6 on a proposal to address dust-lead hazards by revising the 2008 Lead Renovation, Repair, and Painting Program rule that established training and work practice standards for renovators. Separately, a final rule takes effect on July 6 removing a provision that exempted renovation firms from compliance when owner-occupants certified that no children under age 6 or pregnant women lived in the home. Also, renovation firms will be required to give copies of compliance documents to owners and occupants. See Federal Register, 5/6/10 or https://www.regulations.gov. Contact EPA staff at TSCA-Hotline@epa.gov.

USDA STUDIES GUARANTEED AND DIRECT LENDING. The Economic Research Service considered the impact on distressed rural areas of emphasizing guaranteed loans rather than direct in housing and other RD programs. It found that the housing program least targeted to distressed areas is Section 502 guaranteed, and the most targeted is Rental Assistance. Shifting housing funding from direct to guaranteed loans “would particularly benefit the less poor and less employment-distressed areas, [and] it could reduce funding to some people and places in persistent-poverty and low-employment counties.” Geographic Targeting Issues in the Delivery of Rural Development Assistance is free at https://www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/EIB65/ or for a fee from 1-800-999-6779 (request EIB-65).

DEVELOPING IN RURAL TOWNS MITIGATES TRANSPORTATION COST IMPACTS. Based on its Housing + Transportation Affordability Index, the Center for Neighborhood Technology recommends small towns rather than sprawl to increase rural affordability. Its fact sheet is free at www.cnt.org/repository/HT2010-Fact-Sheet-Rural.pdf.

WEBSITES WARN HOMEOWNERS ABOUT LOAN SCAMS. https://www.loanscamalert.org is provided by NeighborWorks America® and partners including the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, which has also developed https://www.preventloanscams.org.

DELINQUENCY AND FORECLOSURE LOWER IN COMMUNITY LAND TRUSTS. Homeowners in community land trusts have far lower delinquency and foreclosure rates than owners of market-rate homes, according to research by a Vanderbilt University student working with the National Community Land Trust Network and the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. Visit https://www.lincolninst.edu/news/pressroom.asp.

NLIHC PUBLISHES 2010 ADVOCATES’ GUIDE. The National Low Income Housing Coalition’s annual guide, containing updated chapters on 70 housing and housing-related programs and issues, is free at https://www.nlihc.org/doc/2010-ADVOCATES-GUIDE.pdf. Printed copies are $40 for non-NLIHC members and $25 for members, from NLIHC, 202-662-1530.

USDA RD UPDATES WEBSITE. The site’s navigation has been changed and some pages have been redesigned. Visit https://www.rurdev.usda.gov.

Housing Assistance Council
1025 Vermont Ave., NW, Suite 606, Washington DC 20005
(202) 842-8600 | hac@ruralhome.org | www.ruralhome.org