USDA APPROPRIATIONS SET FOR FY 2010. Both the House and Senate have passed a final compromise version of H.R. 2997, including funding for rural housing programs in the fiscal year that began October 1, and President Obama is expected to sign the bill soon. The measure continues most rural housing programs at the levels provided in 2009 appropriations legislation (without taking the American Recovery and Revitalization Act into account). The very prominent exception is a doubling of the Section 502 guaranteed loan program from $6.2 billion in 2009 to $12 billion in 2010. Section 514 and 516 farm labor housing, Section 523 self-help housing, Section 521 rental assistance, and the multifamily housing preservation program also receive increases. The table below has details. Visit https://thomas.loc.gov/home/approp/app10.html for the bill text and committee reports.

HUD APPROPRIATIONS BILL AWAITS CONFERENCE COMMITTEE ACTION. HAC will post updates at https://ruralhome.org as available.

HOUSE AND SENATE BILLS WOULD FUND NATIONAL HOUSING TRUST FUND. H.R. 3766, introduced by Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA), would transfer $1 billion from the bank bailout Troubled Asset Relief Program to the NHTF. S. 1731, sponsored by Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI), would rely on funds generated from certain TARP transactions. A National Low Income Housing Coalition comparison of the bills’ contents is posted at https://www.nlihc.org/doc/Comparison-frank-reed-bills.pdf. Both bills are available at https://thomas.loc.gov (search by bill number).

FAMILY UNIFICATION PROGRAM FUNDS OFFERED. Applications are due December 3. Visit https://www.hud.gov/offices/adm/grants/fundsavail.cfm. Contact Stephanie Y. McQueen, Stephanie.Y.Mcqueen@hud.gov, 202-708-0477, or the NOFA Information Center, 1-800-HUD-8929.

COMMENTS REQUESTED ON LEAD DUST AND PAINT. Comments are due October 21 on issues raised in a petition to EPA from the National Center for Healthy Housing, Alliance for Healthy Homes, and others. See Federal Register, 10/6/09 or https://www.regulations.gov. Contact Colby Linter, EPA, 202-554-1404, TSCA-Hotline@epa.gov

REVISIONS PROPOSED FOR ENTERPRISE INCOME VERIFICATION SYSTEM. This system will check the employment and income of tenants with HUD assistance. Comments are due November 16. See Federal Register, 10/15/09 or https://www.regulations.gov. Contact Nicole Faison, HUD, 202-402-4267.

HUD TO CHANGE TAX CREDIT EQUITY ESCROW REQUIREMENTS. HUD seeks comments by December 8 on rule changes intended to reduce burdens on use of Low Income Housing Tax Credits, including removing the requirement to escrow equity to cover future costs. See Federal Register, 10/9/09 or https://www.regulations.gov. Contact Iris Agubuzo, HUD, 202-402-2662.

DEADLINE EXTENDED FOR SECTION 8 INCOME LIMITS “HOLD HARMLESS” PROVISION. (See HAC News, 9/16/09.) Comments are now due November 6. See Federal Register, 10/7/09 or https://www.regulations.gov. Contact Marie L. Lihn, HUD, 202-708-0590.

DIFFICULT DEVELOPMENT AREAS AND QUALIFIED CENSUS TRACTS DESIGNATED. HUD identifies DDAs and QCTs for the Low Income Housing Tax Credit. See Federal Register, 10/6/09 or https://www.huduser.org/datasets/qct.html. Contact Michael K. Hollar, HUD, 202-402-5878, Michael.K.Hollar@hud.gov.

DEADLINE NOW OCTOBER 20 FOR COMMENTS ON NEW H2-A RULE. (See HAC News, 9/16/09.) See Federal Register, 10/2/09 or https://www.regulations.gov. Contact William L. Carlson, DOL, 202-693-3010.

FACT SHEETS SUMMARIZE TAX CREDIT SHORTAGES AND BENEFITS FOR EACH STATE. Published by Affordable Rental Housing A.C.T.I.O.N., a coalition of nonprofit and for-profit developers and others, the briefs are posted at https://rentalhousingaction.org.

SURGEON GENERAL SUGGESTS ACTION FOR HEALTHY HOMES. Recommendations are included for governments, community organizations, individuals, health care providers, and others. The Surgeon General’s Call to Action for Healthy Homes is available at https://www.surgeongeneral.gov/topics/healthyhomes/index.html or from the Centers for Disease Control, 1-800-CDC-INFO or cdcinfo@cdc.gov.

BENEFITS OF REDUCED BLOOD LEAD LEVELS CALCULATED. A scholarly article in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine estimates the substantial dollar value of the lower crime and higher high school graduation rates that might occur if all U.S. children had low blood lead levels. An abstract is at https://archpedi.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/163/9/844 and the full article can be purchased there for $15 plus local tax.

HAC PUBLISHES RURAL FORECLOSURE RESEARCH. What is the Housing Foreclosure Situation in Rural America? reports on available data, notes special rural considerations, and provides recommendations, and is free at https://ruralhome.org or for $3.00 from Lawrence Adams, HAC, 202-842-8600, lawrence@ruralhome.org.

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