August 19 , 2009
Vol. 38, No. 17

APPROPRIATIONS DOCUMENTS NOW ONLINE. House and Senate bills and reports for USDA and HUD FY 2010 funding (see HAC News, 7/22/09 and 8/5/09) are posted at https://thomas.loc.gov/home/approp/app10.html.

FUNDS OFFERED FOR NATIVE AMERICAN CDFIS. The CDFI Fund will provide capital and technical assistance grants to existing or proposed Community Development Financial Institutions that serve primarily Native American, Alaskan Native, or Native Hawaiian communities. Applications for CDFI certification are due September 16 and for the NACA program October 7. Visit https://www.cdfifund.gov. Contact Chris James, jamesc@cdfi.treas.gov.

HUD REVISES TAX CREDIT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS. TCAP, created by the February 2009 Recovery Act, helps states fill gaps in Low Income Housing Tax Credit financing. See Federal Register, 8/6/09 or https://portal.hud.gov/portal/page/portal/RECOVERY/programs/TAX. Contact Clifford Taffet, HUD, 1-800-998-9999.

2009 AFFORDABLE HOUSING GOALS SET FOR FANNIE AND FREDDIE. A final Federal Housing Finance Agency rule adjusts the goals to fit current market conditions. It also permits loans owned or guaranteed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac that are modified under the Administration’s Making Home Affordable Program to be treated as mortgage purchases and count for purposes of the housing goals. See Federal Register, 8/10/09 or https://www.fhfa.gov/Default.aspx?Page=89. Contact Nelson Hernandez, FHFA, 202-408-2993.

FEMA PROPOSES LIMITS ON ASSISTANCE FOR REPEATED DAMAGE TO PUBLIC FACILITIES. FEMA’s Public Assistance program covers 75% of repair or replacement cost for public facilities damaged by major disasters. Comments are due October 13 on a proposed rule that would limit FEMA’s share to 25% if an owner has not tried to mitigate damages for a facility damaged more than once by the same type of disaster. See Federal Register, 8/11/09 or www.regulations.gov. Contact Tod Wells, FEMA, 202-646-3936, Tod.Wells@dhs.gov.

TENANT FORECLOSURE PROTECTION EXPLANATIONS OFFERED. The Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act of 2009 (see HAC News, 5/27/09) applies to property owners including banks, so at least two of the four lender regulatory agencies have published information for lenders. A Federal Reserve Board’s notice is at https://www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/caletters/2009/0905/caltr0905.htm and an Office of the Comptroller of the Currency bulletin is at https://www.occ.gov/ftp/bulletin/2009-28.html. Additional information for tenants is collected at https://www.nlihc.org/template/page.cfm?id=227 and more is available through a web search.

JOB LOSSES HIGHEST IN EXURBS, ANALYSES FIND. The Daily Yonder online rural news site reports exurban counties lost a higher percentage of their jobs from June 2008 to June 2009 than did either urban or rural counties. The article, including lists of exurban and rural counties with high jobs losses, is at https://www.dailyyonder.com/welcome-exurban-recession/2009/08/04/2271. Similarly, a Brookings Institution study found that, in the 100 largest metro areas, unemployment grew rapidly in cities and all types of suburbs from May 2008 to May 2009. In May 2009 the lowest-density, outermost suburban areas had the highest unemployment rate (9.0%) among suburban community types. “This may reflect the impacts of the housing-led downturn on employment in lower-density outlying suburbs,” Brookings concludes, “particularly those communities that were fueled by the housing boom in the years leading up to the recession.” The Landscape of Recession: Unemployment and Safety Net Services Across Urban and Suburban America is at https://www.brookings.edu/papers/2009/0722_recession_kneebone.aspx.

HUD OFFERS SECRETARY’S OPPORTUNITY AND EMPOWERMENT AWARD. Submit entries by September 8 through the American Planning Association website at https://www.planning.org/awards. The award honors excellence in community planning that has led to measurable benefits in terms of increased economic employment, education, or housing choice or mobility for low- and moderate-income residents. Contact Roberta Rewers, APA, 312-786-6395, rrewers@planning.org.

MANY PUBLIC NOTICES COLLECTED ONLINE. Notices placed in many newspapers around the country are collected in a searchable database at https://www.mypublicnotices.com.

RURAL TOUR WEBSITE ESTABLISHED. Viewers can read about the Obama Administration’s Rural Tour and leave comments at https://www.ruraltour.gov.