2020 Census Archives

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HAC News: January 27, 2020

January 27, 2020/in HAC News Broadband

News Formats. pdf

January 27, 2020
Vol. 49, No. 2

Administration’s FY21 budget to be released February 10 • Rural broadband funds available • USDA proposes rule changes related to faith-based organizations • Disaster funding for Puerto Rico moves forward • USDA offers advice on compliance with disability requirements • Updated guidance on lead-based paint offered by USDA and HUD • USDA annual tenant data released • 2020 Census launches • 2,500 Affordable Apartments in Rural Maine at Risk as Federal Program Ends • Alternative Drinking Water Systems: Use by Very Small Communities, Related Cost Savings, and Technical Assistance provided by EPA and USDA • Family Homelessness: Measuring Progress • How a Dozen Organizations are fighting Persistent Poverty Together • Research Shows Rental Assistance Reduces Hardship and Provides Platform to Expand Opportunity for Low-Income Families • Storytelling Toolkit: Lessons Learned from NHT’s “Where Will We Live?” • Two-thirds of Rural Counties Gain Jobs from November 2018 to 2019 • HAC Seeks Senior Portfolio Manager • SAVE THE DATE FOR HAC’S 2020 RURAL HOUSING CONFERENCE! • HAC offers Section 512 packaging training for nonprofits, March 10-12 in Virginia • Need capital for your affordable housing project?

HAC News Formats. pdf

January 27, 2020
Vol. 49, No. 2

Administration’s FY21 budget to be released February 10.

The Trump Administration is expected to release its budget request for fiscal year 2021 on February 10, beginning the process of funding the federal government for the year that begins on October 1, 2020. Overall spending levels for the year are already in place, set by legislation adopted in July 2019.

Rural broadband funds available.

The application window opens January 31 for the Rural eConnectivity Pilot Program (ReConnect Program), which offers loans, grants and combinations to facilitate broadband deployment in rural areas. State and local governments, tribes, nonprofits, for-profits and coops can apply by March 16. RUS also requests comments on the program by March 16. For more information, visit https://reconnect.usda.gov or contact Chad Parker, RUS, 202-720-9554.

USDA proposes rule changes related to faith-based organizations.

Changes to rules on faith-based entities as federal program providers have been suggested by USDA and several other federal departments and agencies. USDA’s proposal includes eliminating a requirement for a faith-based service provider to refer beneficiaries to an alternative provider if they do not want to receive services from the faith-based provider. It would also ensure that faith-based organizations are not required to provide any assurances or notices unless similar requirements are imposed on non-faith-based organizations. Comments are due February 18. For more information, contact Emily Tasman, USDA Office of General Counsel, 202–720-3351.

Disaster funding for Puerto Rico moves forward.

After missing a September 4 deadline, HUD has now published the conditions Puerto Rico must meet in order to access $8.25 billion in disaster mitigation (not recovery) funds appropriated in 2018. HUD announced it has prepared a grant agreement for another $8.2 billion in hurricane disaster recovery funds, though, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, the agreement’s terms are not publicly available and Puerto Rico has not yet signed it. HUD also recently named a Federal Financial Monitor who will oversee administration and disbursement of hurricane recovery funds for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Additional funding to help Puerto Rico recover from recent earthquakes has been proposed by some members of the House Appropriations Committee, who drafted a bill to provide $3.35 billion in FY20 emergency supplemental funding for the island, including $2 billion in CDBG disaster recovery monies.

USDA offers advice on compliance with disability requirements.

A January 10 Unnumbered Letter summarizes steps USDA staff and operators of USDA-financed rental housing should take to comply with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which requires accessibility for people with disabilities.

Updated guidance on lead-based paint offered by USDA and HUD.

Along with a table showing which HUD regulations on lead-based paint hazards apply to specific programs run by USDA RD agencies, Administrative Notice 4873 (December 5, 2019) lists exemptions, compliance funding sources, implementation responsibilities and details relevant to individual programs. HUD recently posted trainings and other resources online related to its lead safe housing rule.

USDA annual tenant data released.

USDA’s annual update of data on the tenants in Section 515 and 514/516 properties is now available online. Tenant characteristics as of September 2019 were similar to those in September 2018. Section 515 residents are still largely elderly or disabled (65.2%). The average income of all Section 515 residents is $13,551, an increase from $13,112 in 2018. During that one-year period, 214 Section 515 properties and 10 Section 514 properties – about 4,500 units, just over 1% of the total – left USDA’s portfolio. Past reports back to 2010 are posted on HAC’s website.

2020 Census launches.

On January 21 in Toksook Bay, Alaska the 2020 Census began counting U.S. residents to determine the number of seats each state will hold in the House of Representatives and how billions of dollars in federal funds will be allocated. Most U.S. households will receive information in March about responding. The Census is still recruiting temporary workers for positions across the country.

Recent publications and media of interest

2,500 Affordable Apartments in Rural Maine at Risk as Federal Program Ends details how the state is coping with the possibility of losing properties in USDA’s Section 515 rental program. Relying on research by HAC, the article explains the apartments’ continued affordability is uncertain. USDA’s preferred solution is for nonprofits to preserve assistance for tenants by buying the properties and extending the mortgages in the future. Nonprofits struggle with securing enough funding and resources, however.
Alternative Drinking Water Systems: Use by Very Small Communities, Related Cost Savings, and Technical Assistance provided by EPA and USDA is a GAO report describing alternative drinking water systems that serve 500 or fewer people. Researchers found that cost savings from use of these systems varied widely depending on local factors. The report also covers EPA and USDA programs that fund technical assistance and training on small drinking water systems.
Family Homelessness: Measuring Progress, an updated data tool from the National Alliance to End Homelessness, is intended to demonstrate progress on ending family homelessness from 2018 to 2019. Data are presented for each state and Continuum of Care. (The CoCs are listed by number rather than name; find your CoC’s number here.)
How a Dozen Organizations are Fighting Persistent Poverty Together describes the Partners for Rural Transformation coalition of national and local organizations, in which HAC participates, saying it “gives a voice to the moral imperative to eliminate persistent poverty.”
Research Shows Rental Assistance Reduces Hardship and Provides Platform to Expand Opportunity for Low-Income Families, a report by the Center on Budget and Public Policy Priorities, explains how federal rental assistance reduces homelessness and other hardships. The report states that rental assistance lifts 3 million people out of poverty. Another 15.8 million households who need such aid do not receive it due to funding limits.
Storytelling Toolkit: Lessons Learned from NHT’s “Where Will We Live?” explains how telling residents’ stories can support affordable housing. While the kit is based on lessons learned from a national-level effort by the National Housing Trust and Enterprise Community Partners, much of its information applies to local and state work as well.
Two-thirds of Rural Counties Gain Jobs from November 2018 to 2019, reports The Daily Yonder, but job growth is still fastest in central counties of large metropolitan areas. In general, the research shows that the more urban a county, the higher its rate of job growth.

HAC seeks Senior Portfolio Manager.

The Senior Portfolio Manager provides leadership and oversight to a team that performs a range of lending activities – closing, disbursement, monitoring, servicing and asset management of single-family and multifamily housing development loans – in HAC’s Loan Fund Division, based in Washington, DC. Email a resume and brief cover letter to jobs@ruralhome.org with “Senior Portfolio Manager” in the subject line. Applications will be considered as received.

SAVE THE DATE FOR HAC’S 2020 RURAL HOUSING CONFERENCE!

The conference will be held in Washington, DC on December 2-4, 2020 with pre-conference meetings on December 1. The HAC News will announce more details, including registration, as they become available.

HAC offers Section 502 packaging training for nonprofits, March 10-12 in Virginia. This three-day advanced course trains experienced participants to assist potential borrowers and work with RD staff, other nonprofits and regional intermediaries to deliver successful Section 502 loan packages. The training will be held in Glen Allen, VA on March 10-12. For more information, contact HAC staff, 404-892-4824.

Need capital for your affordable housing project? HAC’s loan funds provide low interest rate loans to support single- and multifamily affordable housing projects for low-income rural residents throughout the U.S. and territories. Capital is available for all types of affordable and mixed-income housing projects, including preservation, farmworker, senior and veteran housing. HAC loan funds can be used for pre-development, site acquisition, site development and construction/rehabilitation. Contact HAC’s loan fund staff at hacloanfund@ruralhome.org, 202-842-8600.

Please note: HAC is not able to offer loans to individuals or families. Borrowers must be nonprofit or for-profit organizations or government entities (including tribes).

HAC News: November 15, 2019

November 15, 2019/in HAC News

News Formats. pdf

November 15, 2019
Vol. 48, No. 23

One-month federal funding extension in process • Housing discrimination and hate crimes rose in 2018 • HUD announces veteran homelessness decline continues • Grants offered for community infrastrcuture for homeless individuals and families • Senate committee reviews bills on cabon monoxide alarms and manufactured housing • 2020 Census news: rural participation, minority and low-income undercountys, hiring • Comments requested on Opportunity Zones reporting form • Improved transportation and housing recommended to address rural food insecurity • Rural placemakers gather in Minnesota for Rural Arts and Culture Summit • LIHTC in Rural Lower Mississippi Delta • Poverty in Rural Michigan: Relentless Aging and Few Opportunities for Those of Working Age • Rural America at a Glance: 2019 Edition • Rural Health in America: How Shifting Populations Leave People Behind • HAC News to be published after Thanksgiving • Need capital for your affordable housing project?

HAC News Formats. pdf

November 15, 2019
Vol. 48, No. 23

November is Native American Heritage Month.

One-month federal funding extension in process.

The House and Senate are expected to pass a continuing resolution to fund the federal government through December 20 at FY19 funding levels. To keep the government open, President Trump will have to sign the legislation as well. The current CR ends on November 21.

Housing discrimination and hate crimes rose in 2018.

The National Fair Housing Alliance released its 2019 Fair Housing Trends Report, “Defending Against Unprecedented Attacks on Fair Housing.” NFHA’s research found 2018 had the highest number of housing discrimination complaints since 1995 and hate crime offenses increased by 14.7% since 2017. At the same time, NFHA reports, HUD, the agency charged with enforcing the Fair Housing Act, is working actively to undermine it, most notably by eliminating local governments’ ability to implement 2015 Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing regulations and by proposing to make it almost impossible to prove claims when policies have a “disparate impact” on protected classes.

HUD announces veteran homelessness decline continues.

The total number of reported veterans experiencing homelessness fell by 2.1% from 2018 to 2019, says HUD Secretary Ben Carson. Estimates of homeless veterans for each state and Continuum of Care are available online. The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness lists 78 communities and three states that have ended veteran homelessness. The director of one of them, Mississippi’s Balance of State Continuum of Care, wrote a blog post for the National Alliance to End Homelessness offering “Three Tips for Ending Veteran Homelessness in a Balance of State CoC.”

Grants offered for community infrastructures for homeless individuals and families.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Grants for the Benefit of Homeless Individuals program funds community-based public and private nonprofits to develop and/or expand local implementation of a community infrastructure that integrates substance use disorder treatment, housing services and other critical services for individuals (including youth) and families experiencing homelessness. Deadline is December 16. For more information, contact Michelle Daly, SAMHSA, 240-276-2789.

Senate committee reviews bills on carbon monoxide alarms and manufactured housing.

On November 7, the Senate Banking Committee held a hearing entitled “Examining Bipartisan Bills to Promote Affordable Housing Access and Safety.” The hearing covered several bipartisan bills, including the Carbon Monoxide Alarms Leading Every Resident to Safety Act, H.R. 1690, which passed the House in September, and the HUD Manufactured Housing Modernization Act, S. 1804. The House Subcommittee on Housing will hold a hearing November 20 themed “Safe and Decent? Examining the Current State of Residents’ Health and Safety in HUD Housing.”

2020 Census news: rural participation, minority and low-income undercounts, hiring.

Commentary in the Daily Yonder suggests “How Rural Areas Can Avoid Being Undercounted in the Census”: become census partners, use data to target outreach, provide internet access in community spaces and partner with schools or employers. Black and Hispanic respondents to a Pew Research Center survey, as well as those with incomes under $30,000, are the most likely to say they may not participate in the 2020 count. (The sample size was too small to provide results for Native Americans, Asians and other racial and ethnic groups.) The Census Bureau is accepting applications online as it recruits about half a million temporary workers to help with the census.

Comments requested on Opportunity Zones reporting form.

The IRS has drafted a new version of Form 8996, used by Qualified Opportunity Funds to report their investments in Opportunity Zones. No deadline is set for comments. The draft does not request information on investments’ impacts on residents’ incomes or other changes. That kind of information would be collected if S. 1344/H.R. 2593 become law, but the bills have not moved forward in Congress.

Improved transportation and housing recommended to address rural food insecurity.

In a recently released data dashboard, the Urban Institute highlights the interrelatedness of housing and food insecurity. UI maps counties by “peer groups” based on their level of food insecurity and the correlating risk factors. Rural counties with low food insecurity tend to have a good supply of affordable housing, while rural counties with high food insecurity tend to be experiencing economic challenges and are concentrated in high-needs regions of the Southeast. A corollary list of strategies communities can use to disrupt food insecurity includes efforts that target rural communities’ food capacity by improving transportation to increase food access and promoting affordable housing as a baseline for supporting food security. These strategies connect to HAC’s Rural Voices edition on hunger and housing in rural America, and its rural research note on childhood hunger in rural America.

Rural placemakers gather in Minnesota for Rural Arts and Culture Summit.

PBS News hour recently brought national attention to a Rural Arts conference hosted by Art of the Rural on October 3-5. This gathering was a continuation of the growing nationwide conversation around the role of arts and culture in rural economic development, including the Rural Generation Summit in Jackson, MS last May and the recent CIRD Learning Cohort Summit in Thomas, WV. Community developers are continuing to recognize the role of creative placemaking as a way of combatting narratives of rural decline.

Recent publications and media of interest

LIHTC in Rural Lower Mississippi Delta, a recent white paper by Freddie Mac, highlights the importance of the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program in providing affordable housing in the rural Lower Mississippi Delta.
Poverty in Rural Michigan: Relentless Aging and Few Opportunities for Those of Working Age is a Detroit Free Press description of economic struggles in rural Michigan. The region has high poverty rates, an aging population and limited opportunities.
Rural America at a Glance: 2019 Edition, published by USDA’s Economic Research Service, examines demographic and socioeconomic trends since the end of the Great Recession. Poverty rates in all types of nonmetro counties have fallen, but the gap between poverty rates in the most rural, isolated places and others has grown. Population has increased in metro counties and counties closest to metro areas, while others have lost residents. Employment has grown in all types of counties except for completely rural counties not adjacent to metro areas, with the fastest growth in metro counties.
Rural Health in America: How Shifting Populations Leave People Behind presents National Institute for Health Care Management infographics detailing the state of rural healthcare. They include looks at the impact of population shift toward urban environments, rural population, the number of rural providers and what initiatives exist to address the challenges.

Next HAC News to be published after Thanksgiving.

Because of the Thanksgiving holiday, there will be three weeks, instead of the usual two, between this HAC News and the next. In the meantime, check HAC on the web, Twitter and Facebook for updates about federal funding.

Need capital for your affordable housing project?

HAC’s loan funds provide low interest rate loans to support single- and multifamily affordable housing projects for low-income rural residents throughout the U.S. and territories. Capital is available for all types of affordable and mixed-income housing projects, including preservation, farmworker, senior and veteran housing. HAC loan funds can be used for pre-development, site acquisition, site development and construction/rehabilitation. Contact HAC’s loan fund staff at hacloanfund@ruralhome.org, 202-842-8600.

Please note: HAC is not able to offer loans to individuals or families. Borrowers must be nonprofit or for-profit organizations or government entities (including tribes).

HAC News: September 9, 2019

September 9, 2019/in HAC News

News Formats. pdf

September 9, 2019
Vol. 48, No. 18

Administration releases housing finance reform proposal • Congress to resume work on FY20 appropriations • House will consider rural rental preservation bill • USDA offers Community Facilities grants for disaster relief • Eligibility calculations for Section 504 repair loans and grants revised • Comments requested on economic development in distressed areas • Census Bureau hiring for help with 2020 Census • Fair market rents released • USDA extends manufactured housing pilots • Vermont incentivizes local and rural job creation • “Colonias Investment Areas – Texas” webinar set for September 26 • Need capital for your affordable housing project?

HAC News Formats. pdf

September 9, 2019
Vol. 48, No. 18

Administration releases housing finance reform proposal.

The Trump Administration’s proposed housing finance reform plan was released on September 5. In addition to the Treasury Department plan to release Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from government conservatorship and limit the federal role in the housing market, a separate document presents a HUD plan for FHA and Ginnie Mae. The Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs has scheduled a September 10 hearing on “Housing Finance Reform: Next Steps.” HUD Secretary Ben Carson, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Mark Calabria will be witnesses and the hearing will be webcast live.

Congress to resume work on FY20 appropriations.

The week of September 9, after the House and Senate return from their August recess, the Senate Appropriations Committee will begin to consider funding bills for FY20, which starts on October 1, 2019. Earlier this year the House developed its 12 appropriations bills and passed 10 of them, though its numbers will need to be adjusted because the summer budget deal provided a lower amount for non-defense and a higher amount for defense than the House bills assumed. The House is expected to vote the week of September 16 on a continuing resolution carrying FY19 funding levels until late November or early December. Bloomberg reports the Administration has requested a number of “anomalies” – changes in FY19 provisions – to be included in a CR. No rural housing anomalies are listed, but the request does include authority for HUD to renew contracts for rental assistance to Section 202 properties for the elderly, as well as additional funding for the 2020 Census.

House will consider rural rental preservation bill.

The House of Representatives is scheduled to take up H.R. 3620, the Strategy and Investment in Rural Housing Preservation Act of 2019, on September 10, 11 or 12. The bill, which passed the House Financial Services Committee unanimously in July, would authorize the MPR and preservation technical assistance programs, authorize vouchers for tenants after a mortgage matures or is foreclosed (in addition to after prepayment), allow decoupling of Rental Assistance as a last resort, require USDA to develop a preservation plan and establish a stakeholders’ committee to advise USDA.

USDA offers Community Facilities grants for disaster relief.

Community Facilities grants will be awarded on a rolling basis to public bodies, nonprofits and tribes in rural areas impacted by FEMA-recognized natural disasters. For more information, contact a USDA Rural Development state office.

Eligibility calculations for Section 504 repair loans and grants revised.

USDA revisions to Handbook HB-1-3550, announced in Procedure Notice 527, change the methodology for determining eligibility for loan, grant and combination assistance. They also provide clarification to other program eligibility criteria including credit analysis, medical deductions, property considerations and construction contract considerations. The Section 504 program offers loans to low-income rural homeowners and grants to those who are age 62 or older. For more information, contact a local USDA Rural Development office.

Comments requested on economic development in distressed areas.

In connection with its work on the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council, the Commerce Department seeks recommendations on spurring economic development in Opportunity Zones and other distressed areas. Comments are due October 18. For more information, contact Mara Quintero Campbell, 202-482-5479.

Census Bureau hiring for help with 2020 Census.

The U.S. Census Bureau needs to hire hundreds of thousands of workers to complete the upcoming census. Temporary jobs include census takers, recruiting assistants, office staff and supervisory staff, with locations throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

Fair Market Rents released.

HUD has posted Fair Market Rents for FY20, effective October 1, 2019. Prices are available at the county and zip code levels for efficiency, one-bedroom, two-bedroom, three-bedroom and four-bedroom units.

USDA extends manufactured housing pilots.

Two pilot programs are extended through the end of August 2020. One allows the Section 502 direct and guarantee programs to finance existing manufactured homes that are not already financed by USDA. The second reduces the required land lease term for energy-efficient homes in nonprofit communities. For more information related to Section 502 direct, contact Jeremy Anderson, USDA, 202-690-3971; related to Section 502 guaranteed, contact Kevin Smith, USDA, 517-883-6147.

Recent publications and media of interest

South Carolina Housing Needs Assessment estimates that high housing costs in the state cost a total of $8.4 billion in public assistance, private charity or personal deprivation. The report mentions that the housing crisis looks different in rural areas, where incomes are lower.
#MapMonday is a weekly social media series from the Research and Training Center on Disability in Rural Communities at the University of Montana. For a new map each week related to people living with disabilities in rural America, follow RTC:Rural on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

Vermont incentivizes local and rural job creation.

The Remote Worker Grant Program, which offers remote workers as much as $10,000 in payments and incentives to relocate to Vermont, has seen greater than expected participation and engagement. Since January 2019 a total of 170 people have relocated to the state as part of this program (this number includes family members that moved with the workers). The Vermont Department of Economic Development is hoping to expand on this success by offering another incentive program aimed at creating local jobs, with higher payouts for jobs created in rural communities.

“Colonias Investment Areas – Texas” webinar set for September 26.
HAC, in partnership with Fannie Mae, will hold a webinar presenting data and research on Colonias Investment Areas, a geographic concept developed to target strategies and opportunities for mortgage finance and resource investment in colonia communities along the southwest U.S. border. The September 26 session will focus on colonias in Texas. Recent webinars on colonias in New Mexico and Arizona are available on HAC’s YouTube channel. For more information, contact HAC staff, 404-892-4824.

Need capital for your affordable housing project?

Please note: HAC is not able to offer loans to individuals or families. Borrowers must be nonprofit or for-profit organizations or government entities (including tribes).

HAC News: August 23, 2019

August 23, 2019/in HAC News

News Formats. pdf

August 23, 2019
Vol. 48, No. 17

HUD proposes new rules for fail housing claims based on disparate impact • “Public charge” rule for immigrants takes effect October 15 • ROSS grants available for nonprofits, PHAs and tribes • At end of July, funding obligations for sume rural housing programs lagging • Lawmakers seek input on honoring U.S. promises to Native peoples • Effective date delayed for changes to Section 502 construction-to-permanent guarantees • Research offers strategies to improve rural census participation for 2020 • HUD requests comments on physical inspection demonstration • Foundation prize will honor communities working towards healthier lives for all • “Colonias Investment Areas – Texas” webinar set for September 26 • Need capital for your affordable housing project?

HAC News Formats. pdf

August 23, 2019
Vol. 48, No. 17

HUD proposes new rules for fair housing claims based on disparate impact.

HUD proposes to change its regulations on the use of disparate impact to show housing discrimination has occurred even if it was not intentional. A new five-step process would make it more difficult to substantiate such a claim. Comments are due October 18. For more information, contact David H. Enzel, HUD, 202-402-5557. If possible, HAC will make its comments available online before the deadline.

“Public charge” rule for immigrants takes effect October 15.

A new regulation sets strict standards for how the Department of Homeland Security will determine whether an immigrant applying for admission to the U.S. or for citizenship is considered likely to become a “public charge” needing government assistance. For more information, contact Mark Phillips, DHS, 202-272-8377.

ROSS grants available for nonprofits, PHAs and tribes.

HUD’s Resident Opportunity and Self-Sufficiency Program funds service coordinators who help residents of public and Indian housing move towards economic independence. Applications are due October 15. For more information, contact ROSS-PIH@hud.gov.

At end of July, funding obligations for some rural housing programs lagging.

HAC’s monthly compilation of rural housing funding use shows that ten months into fiscal year 2019, which began with temporary appropriations and a 35-day federal government shutdown, some major rural housing programs are not using their funds as fast as they did in FY18. Programs with slower obligations include Section 502 guaranteed loans and Section 504 repair loans and grants. USDA has obligated $681 million of the $1 billion available for Section 502 direct loans, compared to $822 million at the same point last year, when the agency used the program’s full funding by the end of the fiscal year. Very low-income applicants have received about 35% of the loans so far and about 35% of the dollars obligated. Special authorizations to help use all Section 502 direct funds this year were issued in February and April.

Lawmakers seek input on honoring U.S. promises to Native peoples.

Rep. Deb Haaland (D-NM) and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) are developing a bill to be named the Honoring Promises to Native Nations Act, intended to implement recommendations from the 2018 U.S. Commission on Civil Rights report, Broken Promises: Continuing Federal Funding Shortfall for Native Americans. Input on the bill can be sent to HonoringPromises@mail.house.gov or HonoringPromises@warren.senate.gov by September 30.

Effective date delayed for changes to Section 502 construction-to-permanent guarantees.

Revisions to USDA’s regulation for Section 502 guaranteed single close loans, initially expected to be effective August 21, will now take effect October 1. For more information, contact Joaquin Tremols, USDA, 202-720-1465.

Research offers strategies to improve rural census participation for 2020.

Analysis from a research network in Mississippi indicates that census participation tends to be lower in rural places than in metro areas for a variety of reasons, even though the data is critical for allocating federal funds to communities. The piece also offers ideas for increasing participation, including word of mouth marketing and forming a local Complete Count Committee.

HUD requests comments on physical inspection demonstration.

HUD is asking for input on its new demonstration National Standards for the Physical Inspection of Real Estate, which will be used to test standards and protocols for assessing the physical conditions of housing assisted or insured by HUD (not including tenant-based or project-based vouchers). The NSPIRE demonstration will include approximately 4,500 properties nationwide. Comments are due October 21, and HUD says it will incorporate them into the demonstration. For more information, contact Daniel R. Williams, HUD, 202-475-8873.

Recent publications and media of interest

Shelterforce magazine’s summer issue focuses on rural housing and community development. Articles will be posted online over the next few months. To read them now, order a printed copy of the rural issue for $10.50 or subscribe to the magazine.
Rural Policy: ‘Here’s What We Need,’ Advocates Say shares ideas from rural leaders, including HAC’s David Lipsetz, about federal policy changes that would do the most good for rural America. Common themes in this Daily Yonder piece include increasing both dedicated funding and technical assistance, shifting the mindset from focusing on deficits to emphasizing assets and building partnerships.
American Indian Children Left Behind in Extreme Poverty reports that 17% of Native American children lived in families with incomes less than half the poverty level in 2017. The rate was 16% for African-American, 10% for Hispanic and 5% for non-Hispanic white children.

A Primer on the Democratic Presidential Candidates’ Housing Plans summarizes the detailed housing policy plans proposed so far by Cory Booker, Julián Castro, Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren, and the briefer releases from Pete Buttigieg and Bernie Sanders.

Foundation prize will honor communities working towards healthier lives for all.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Culture of Health Prize defines health in “the broadest possible terms” and honors communities of all sizes, where entities collaborate to “give everyone a fair and just opportunity to reach their best possible health.” Applications are due November 4. For more information, contact info@cohprize.wisc.edu, 608-263-6983.

Need capital for your affordable housing project?

Please note: HAC is not able to offer loans to individuals or families. Borrowers must be nonprofit or for-profit organizations or government entities (including tribes).

HAC News: November 6, 2017

November 6, 2017/in HAC News

HAC News Formats. pdf

November 6, 2017
Vol. 46, No. 22

Tax plan proposed in House would cut mortgage interest deduction • USDA begins periodic review of rural areas • RHS names new deputy for multi-family • VA offers transitional housing funds and amends regs on homeless veterans • CDFI Bond Guarantee Program accepting applications • Lead exposure strategy input sought by HUD • USDA multifamily financial reporting requirements revised • USDA RD extends foreclosure moratoriums for Section 502 guaranteed loans in disaster areas • HUD sets operating cost adjustment factors • House Financial Services chair Hensarling to leave Congress • Senate hearing addresses cost and coverage of 2020 Census • November 11-19 is Hunger & Homeless Awareness Week • Maine case studies address rural seniors’ housing • “Meeting Native American Housing Needs” subject of Rural Voices • HAC offers symposium on Affordable Housing Solutions for Rural Veterans

HAC News Formats. pdf

November 6, 2017
Vol. 46, No. 22

Tax plan proposed in House would cut mortgage interest deduction. H.R. 1 , introduced on November 2, would retain the Low Income Housing Tax Credit, eliminate private activity bonds and the 4% credit, end the New Market Tax Credit Program, and reduce the mortgage interest deduction. Homeowners would be able to deduct interest payments made on up to $500,000 in home loans, rather than the current $1 million. The funds generated by this change would be used to cover the cost of lowering other taxes. The House Ways and Means Committee will consider the bill on November 6.

USDA begins periodic review of rural areas. An Unnumbered Letter dated October 19, 2017 provides guidance for RD field offices’ five-year review of service areas for the rural housing programs. Currently eligible areas that have grown in population may still be considered rural if they are “rural in character.” The UL states that a population density of under 1,000 persons per square mile indicates a place is rural in character.

RHS names new deputy for multi-family. Effective November 12, Bryan Hooper will become RBS’s Deputy Administrator for Business Programs and Joyce Allen will become Deputy Administrator for Multi-Family Housing, leaving her position as Deputy Administrator for Single-Family Housing. Cathy Glover will serve as Acting Deputy for Single-Family.

VA offers transitional housing funds and amends regs on homeless veterans. Nonprofits and state, local, and tribal governments can apply by February 28, 2018 for Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem funds to provide transitional housing beds. For more information, contact Jeffery Quarles, 877-332-0334. VA has also broadened its definition of homeless veterans eligible for VA aid, and will increase the per diem payments for homeless veterans placed in transitional housing that will become permanent housing. For more information, contact Guy Liedke , 877-332-0334.

CDFI Bond Guarantee Program accepting applications. CDFIs can apply by January 9, 2018 to become Qualified Issuers that will issue bonds, and by January 23 to receive bond guarantees. The bond proceeds will be loaned to other CDFIs, which will make loans for community and economic development. For more information, contact CDFI Bond Guarantee Program staff by January 16, 202-653-0421, option 5.
Lead exposure strategy input sought by HUD. HUD co-chairs the Lead Subcommittee of the President’s Task Force on Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks to Children (established in 1997), which is developing a new federal lead strategy. HUD requests comments by November 24 on the strategy, especially on priority risks and goals, strategy development and implementation, and messaging and outreach. For more information, contact Warren Friedman, HUD, 202-402-7698.

USDA multifamily financial reporting requirements revised. Instead of requiring annual audits based on the number of units in a rental property, RHS will require them based on the amount of federal assistance used. For borrower fiscal years beginning on and after January 1, 2018, annual audits will be required for properties with combined federal assistance above $750,000 for nonprofit owners and $500,000 for for-profit owners. HUD will accept RHS audits for properties with Section 8. For properties below those thresholds, owner certifications will be required. Also, all borrowers will now be required to certify there have been no changes in ownership, real estate taxes are current, and replacement reserve accounts have been used only for authorized purposes. For more information, contact Janet Stouder, USDA, 202-720-9728.

USDA RD extends foreclosure moratoriums for Section 502 guaranteed loans in disaster areas. The moratorium in the presidentially declared disaster area for Hurricane Harvey will last until February 21, 2018; for Hurricane Irma until March 9, 2018; and for Hurricane Maria until March 19, 2018.

HUD sets operating cost adjustment factors. The OCAFs will be used to adjust rents for project-based Section 8 contracts being renewed under the Multifamily Assisted Housing Reform and Affordability Act with an anniversary date on or after February 11, 2018. For more information, contact Carisa L. Janis, HUD, 202-402-2487.

House Financial Services chair Hensarling to leave Congress. Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-TX) announced on October 31 he will not run for reelection in 2018. As chairman of the Financial Services Committee, he has overseen efforts to reform the financial system, including housing finance.

Senate hearing addresses cost and coverage of 2020 Census. Asked about reaching rural residents, at an October 31 Senate Committee on Homeland Security hearing Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross summarized planned outreach and advertising efforts including possible installation of census kiosks in Post Offices. He also described a potential relationship with Post Office employees, who know the communities where they work and are more likely to be trusted than outsiders are. Government Accountability Office testimony prepared for the same hearing focuses on GAO concerns about data security, progress on systems and testing, and costs.

November 11-19 is Hunger & Homeless Awareness Week. The occasion , sponsored by the National Coalition for the Homeless and the National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness, features events in hundreds of locations nationwide.

Maine case studies address rural seniors’ housing. A HUD article, “Housing Challenges of Rural Seniors,” reports HAC research on needs and also describes efforts in three rural Maine communities that focus on accessibility, home repairs, and volunteer assistance to help seniors age in place.

“Meeting Native American Housing Needs” subject of Rural Voices. The fall 2017 issue of HAC’s quarterly magazine focuses on the progress being made in improving the housing conditions of Native Americans.

HAC offers symposium on Affordable Housing Solutions for Rural Veterans. The session, to be held December 5 in Washington, DC, will showcase model programs that are providing homeownership, home repairs, service to the homeless, and rental housing options. There is no registration fee, but space is limited and advance registration is required. For more information, contact Shonterria Charleston , HAC, 404-892-4824.

NEED CAPITAL FOR YOUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECT?
HAC’s loan funds provide low interest rate loans to support single- and multifamily affordable housing projects for low-income rural residents throughout the U.S. and territories. Capital is available for all types of affordable and mixed-income housing projects, including preservation, farmworker, senior, and veteran housing. HAC loan funds can be used for pre-development, site acquisition, site development, and construction/rehabilitation. Contact HAC’s loan fund staff at hacloanfund@ruralhome.org, 202-842-8600.
Please note: HAC is not able to offer loans to individuals or families. Borrowers must be nonprofit or for-profit organizations or government entities (including tribes).

HAC News: July 7, 2017

July 7, 2017/in HAC News

HAC News Formats. pdf

July 7, 2017
Vol. 46, No. 14

House subcommittee marks up USDA funding bill • HUD markup set for July 11 • Funding for 2020 Census falls short in House spending bill • FY18-20 housing goals proposed for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac • National Week of Action on housing set for July 22-29 • Research finds housing discrimination against same-sex couples and transgender individuals • HAC webinar: “An Introduction to Proposal Writing for Nonprofits”

HAC News Formats. pdf

July 7, 2017
Vol. 46, No. 14

House subcommittee marks up USDA funding bill. On June 17, the Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee reviewed an agriculture appropriations bill for fiscal year 2018. The full committee has not yet considered the bill.

The subcommittee’s bill does not eliminate rural housing programs, as the Administration proposed. It does reduce funding for many programs below FY17 levels (see table below). It also follows the Administration in defunding the Rural Community Development Initiative, a capacity-building program. It adopts the Rural Economic Infrastructure Account proposed in the Administration’s budget, and moves several Rural Development programs into that pool: Section 504 grants, Section 533 grants, community facilities grants, grants for telemedicine distance learning, and broadband transmission grants. The House would provide $122.7 million for the new account rather than the $162 million proposed by the Administration. Like the Administration’s budget, the House would set aside half of its funding total – $60 million – for Appalachia. The House also establishes a minimum amount for each program, 15 percent of the total, or $18.4 million. It is not entirely clear whether that minimum would apply to Section 504 and 533 combined, or to each separately.

For rental housing preservation, the House bill follows the final FY17 appropriations law. Like that legislation, it does not extend the voucher program to cover properties where mortgages matured, but it does require USDA to help nonprofits and PHAs to preserve rental properties. Nonprofits and PHAs would be allowed to receive returns on investment and asset management fees when purchasing rental properties to preserve them. [tdborder][/tdborder]

USDA Rural Dev. Prog. (dollars in millions)	FY16 Approp.	FY17 Approp.	FY18 Trump Budget Proposal	House Subcmte. Draft
502 Single Fam. Direct Self-Help setaside	$900 5	$1,000 5	0 0	$900 5
502 Single Family Guar.	24,000	24,000	24,000	24,000
504 VLI Repair Loans	26.3	26.3	0	24
504 VLI Repair Grants	28.7	28.7	a	a
515 Rental Hsg. Direct Lns.	28.4	35	0	28.4
514 Farm Labor Hsg. Lns.	23.9	23.9	(-11)b	d
516 Farm Labor Hsg. Grts.	8.3	8.3	0	d
521 Rental Assistance	1,390	1,405c	1,345	1,345
523 Self-Help TA	27.5	30	(-4)b	25
533 Hsg. Prsrv. Grants	3.5	5	0	a
538 Rental Hsg. Guar.	150	230	250	230
Rental Prsrv. Demo. (MPR)	22	22	(-4)b	15
542 Rural Hsg. Vouchers	15	19.4	16	20
Rural Cmnty. Dev’t Init.	4	4	0	0

a. Would become part of Rural Economic Infrastructure Grant program.
b. Budget proposes to rescind unobligated funds from three programs: $11 million from Sec. 523 self-help, $4 million from Sec. 514/516 farm labor housing, and $4 million from MPR.
c. Includes $40 million in advance funding for FY18, so total available in FY17 is $1.365 billion and total available in FY18 would be $1.385 billion.
d. The program levels for Section 514 and 516 are not available yet; they will be specified in the report that will be prepared when this bill is considered by the full House Appropriations Committee. The bill does provide the “budget authority,” which is the actual cost to the government. For grant programs, the budget authority is the same as the program level. For loans, the budget authority is less than the program level, and the calculation changes from year to year depending on variables such as interest rates. In FY17, budget authority of $15.387 million yielded $23.9 million in Section 514 loans and $8.3 million in Section 516 grants. This FY18 bill provides $10.008 million in budget authority. The total program level will be somewhat higher than $10.008 million, but probably not as high as the FY17 program amounts.

HUD markup set for July 11. The House Transportation-HUD Appropriations Subcommittee will review its draft FY18 spending bill on July 11. HAC will post more information at ruralhome.org as soon as the bill’s funding levels are available.

Funding for 2020 Census falls short in House spending bill. The line items that cover preparations for the 2020 Census and the American Community Survey need at least $1.8 billion rather than the $1.507 billion offered in the FY18 Commerce-Justice-Science appropriations bill marked up by a House subcommittee on June 28, according to the Census Project.

FY18-20 housing goals proposed for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Comments are due September 5 on the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s suggested goals for purchases of single-family and multifamily mortgages over the next three years. (These goals are separate from the Duty to Serve requirements.) For more information, contact Ted Wartell, FHFA, 202-649-3157.

National Week of Action on housing set for July 22-29. The Campaign for Housing and Community Development Funding (CHCDF) and other state, local, and national leaders invite everyone to participate in Our Homes, Our Voicesto bring more attention to America’s affordable housing crisis.

Research finds housing discrimination against same-sex couples and transgender individuals. The Urban Institute conducted studies in the Dallas-Fort Worth, Los Angeles, and Washington, DC, metro areas using paired testing, a technique that allows comparison of how housing providers treat different applicants. UI found that in the early stages of the rental search process, housing providers discriminate against gay men and transgender people on some treatment measures but treat lesbians and heterosexual women comparably.

HAC webinar: “An Introduction to Proposal Writing for Nonprofits”
Thursday, July 13, 2017
2:00-3:00 Eastern Time

If you’re new to grant and proposal writing, or if you want a quick refresher, this webinar is for you! Join HAC experts as we break down the elements of a funding proposal and identify the features of strong, successful proposals.
Registration capacity for this webinar is limited. Please register only if you are sure you will be able to attend. Registration will remain open until 30 minutes prior to the event start time.

Tag Archive for: 2020 Census

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