by Mike Feinberg
Shared equity models are often locally (neighborhood) based. The homes financed may carry resale restrictions on value appreciation and may only be sold to an income-eligible purchaser. These models may not be conducive to rural areas with vast geographies and limited markets.
Read the complete blog post on the Bipartisan Policy Center’s site.
Through my work researching housing for rural seniors, two things have become evident: first, rural America is older than the nation overall, and second, aging in place is the best option for seniors. “Aging in place” refers to older adults living independently in their current residences or communities for as long as possible. The vast majority of rural seniors own their own homes, so this often means remaining there; it can also be accomplished, however, by moving to a more manageable dwelling (such as a smaller apartment).
Numerous reports have proposed that aging in place… Read more
In November, theWashington Postpublished an article entitled“Too Much of Too Little”about recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps, in Hidalgo County, Texas, one of the fastest growing and poorest places in the nation. The article highlighted families who are forced to choose between affordable yet unhealthy foods that keep their families fed throughout the month or healthy options that are less affordable and may not feed a family for as long. Low-income Americans dependent upon SNAP are often forced to shop “quantity over quality” in order to stretch paltry food budgets throughout the month. As a result, more and more people who do not have enough food to eat are facing obesity and diabetes at alarming rates.
HAC News Formats. pdf
November 13, 2013
Vol. 42, No. 22
• November is Native American Heritage Month • November 16-24 is National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week • Fewer rural jobs, more poverty, and declining population, research shows • RD changes multifamily transfer process • HUD considers risk sharing initiative for small multifamily properties • FEMA issues final rule on assistance for housing damage • Housing counseling comment period extended • USDA used most Section 502 funds, but not Section 504 loans, in FY13 • USDA encourages local partnerships to address veteran homelessness • HUD and DOT launch site on housing and transportation costs • Sequestration’s impact on government activities, including housing, described • Research from sources including HAC covers veterans housing issues • Record share of young adults living at home • HAC reports on farmworker housing
November 13, 2013
Vol. 42, No. 22
NOVEMBER IS NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH. President Obama’s proclamation also designates November 29 as Native American Heritage Day. A USDA press release highlights support for Native Americans.
NOVEMBER 16-24 IS NATIONAL HUNGER AND HOMELESSNESS AWARENESS WEEK. Information, planned events, and ideas are available from the National Coalition for the Homeless.
FEWER RURAL JOBS, MORE POVERTY, AND DECLINING POPULATION, RESEARCH SHOWS. The USDA Econom-ic Research Service’s annual “Rural America at a Glance” report says rural unemployment is declining, but – with exceptions in some areas – the change is due to declining populations rather than job creation. An article in the online rural news source the Daily Yonder summarizes ERS’s findings. A separate Daily Yonder analysis of unemploy-ment data in August 2012 and August 2013 includes an interactive map with figures for every county in the U.S.
RD CHANGES MULTIFAMILY TRANSFER PROCESS. An Unnumbered Letter dated September 30, 2013 focuses on determining the financial feasibility of a transfer or preservation transaction, including reducing Rental Assistance. Contact RD State Office preservation staff.
HUD CONSIDERS RISK SHARING INITIATIVE FOR SMALL MULTIFAMILY PROPERTIES. Comments are due January 3 on a proposal for mission-driven lenders, including CDFIs, to originate, underwrite, and service loans with HUD mortgage insurance for refinancing or rehab of small properties. Lenders would assume 50% of the risk on each loan. Contact Lynn Wehrli, HUD, 202-402-5210.
FEMA ISSUES FINAL RULE ON ASSISTANCE FOR HOUSING DAMAGE. Revisions to FEMA’s repair, replacement, and housing construction assistance regulations are intended to clarify the eligibility criteria for assistance and to implement legislative changes. Contact John Carleton, FEMA, 202-212-1000.
HOUSING COUNSELING COMMENT PERIOD EXTENDED. Comments are now due December 12 on changes to HUD’s housing counseling program regulations, published September 13 (see HAC News, 9/11/13). Contact Ruth Román, HUD, 202-708-0317.
USDA USED MOST SECTION 502 FUNDS, BUT NOT SECTION 504 LOANS, IN FY13. Despite USDA’s success-ful efforts to attract borrowers near the end of the year (see HAC News, 8/1/13 and 8/28/13), HAC estimates that USDA used only 53% of its Section 504 home repair loan funds in FY13. Section 504 grant funds were fully used, and Section 502 direct and guaranteed loans were almost entirely obligated. HAC’s final USDA obligations reports for the year are posted online.
USDA ENCOURAGES LOCAL PARTNERSHIPS TO ADDRESS VETERAN HOMELESSNESS. An Unnumbered Letter dated November 8, 2013 suggests that RD field staff inform local organizations about RD housing programs.
HUD AND DOT LAUNCH SITE ON HOUSING AND TRANSPORTATION COSTS. The Location Affordability Portal is intended to provide consumers, researchers, and policymakers with data and resources on combined housing and transportation costs for all parts of the U.S. including remote rural areas.
SEQUESTRATION’S IMPACT ON GOVERNMENT ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING HOUSING, DESCRIBED. Faces of Austerity: How Budget Cuts Have Made Us Sicker, Poorer, and Less Secure, published by NDD United, compiles data, quotes, and individual stories. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities has updated its data on use of HUD vouchers, including the number of vouchers that will be lost in each state if sequestration continues in FY14.
RESEARCH FROM SOURCES INCLUDING HAC COVERS VETERANS HOUSING ISSUES. “Housing Our Heroes: Veterans in Rural America,” a HAC research brief, summarizes data on demographics, housing conditions, and homelessness. USDA’s Economic Research Service provides demographic and economic data in “Rural Veterans at a Glance.” (ERS uses data for nonmetro areas, while HAC uses a definition of rural based on census tracts.) Housing Instability Among Our Nation’s Veterans, a National Low Income Housing Coalition report, examines housing issues for veterans nationwide. “Rental Assistance Helps More Than 300,000 Veterans Afford Homes, But Large Unmet Needs Remain,” from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, also covers the topic on a national basis.
RECORD SHARE OF YOUNG ADULTS LIVING AT HOME. More than one-third of Millennials aged 18-31 are living with their parents, according to A Rising Share of Young Adults Live in Their Parents’ Home, published by the Pew Research Center. A Forbes analysis of the report suggests that federal policies favoring homeownership led to high housing prices that young adults cannot afford.
HAC REPORTS ON FARMWORKER HOUSING. Housing Conditions for Rural Farmworkers explains character-istics of farmworker housing and obstacles to its improvement.
USDA’s annual occupancy survey shows 2,135 fewer units and 1,254 fewer occupied units (households) in Section 515 and 514/516 properties in 2012 than 2011. There are 1,243 more households receiving Section 521 Rental Assistance and 931 fewer with rental aid from other sources. The number of cost burdened households dropped by 1,562.
February 25, 2013. The Housing Commission of the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) today released its much anticipated report entitled Housing America’s Future: A New Direction for a National Policy. In addition to major recommendations on mortgage finance reform, homeownership, rental housing, and demographic drivers, the BPC’s report devoted substantial attention to rural housing issues and priorities. Championed largely by Commission Co-Chair Kit Bond, former U.S. Senator and Governor from Missouri, the report presents four major recommendations on rural housing:
1. Support and strengthen USDA’s role in rural housing. The report specifically states that Congress should not pursue proposals to shift USDA programs to other government agencies where they will be absorbed by other federal programs, noting that USDA is well-positioned to leverage the existing resources and infrastructure of rural service providers that understand the unique conditions of local markets.
2. Extend the current definition of rural areas through the year 2020. Any area currently classified as rural for the purposes of USDA housing programs should remain so at least until after the receipt of data from the decennial census in 2020, provided the area’s population does not exceed 25,000.
3. Increase budget allocations to serve more households. The report states that additional funding for the Section 502 Direct Loan program would enable more rural households to become homeowners at relatively low cost to the federal government.
4. Dedicate resources for capacity-building and technology to strengthen USDA providers. The BPC recommends that local agencies receiving USDA funds should be incentivized to operate on compatible software to ease data and information sharing. These improvements could help USDA monitor and improve the performance of its rural housing programs.
https://bipartisanpolicy.org/sites/default/files/BPC_Housing%20Report_web.pdf#page=110
https://bipartisanpolicy.org/sites/default/files/BPC_Housing%20Report_web.pdf
Founded in 2007 by former Senate Majority Leaders Howard Baker, Tom Daschle, Bob Dole and George Mitchell, the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) is a non-profit organization that drives principled solutions through rigorous analysis, reasoned negotiation and respectful dialogue. With projects in multiple issue areas, BPC combines politically balanced policymaking with strong, proactive advocacy and outreach.
by Eric Oberdorfer and Leslie Strauss
Homes in Indian Country are three times more likely to be crowded than those in the United States as a whole, according to the 2010 Census. Many of the people sleeping on sofas or floors in these crowded dwellings are homeless – not living outdoors or in a car, but not living in permanent homes of their own, either. Strong kinship networks often enable people to find a place to stay and there are few shelters and service providers in places with small, spread-out populations.
Year-end reviews generally cover events, but in 2012 the things that did not happen may have been more notable. That certainly seems to be the case regarding affordable housing for the lowest income residents of rural America. A couple of the non-events listed below are positive, but unfortunately most are not. Read More…
Stacey Epperson, Executive Director of Next Step, has been selected as one of 11 recipients of an Ashoka fellowhip for leading social entrepreneurs. For more information on this award, go to Next Step’s website.
For more on Ashoka, visit https://usa.ashoka.org/.
|
To have an event posted on our calendar*, please e-mail Dan Stern. Or send event description or brochure to: Housing Assistance Council Or fax to (202) 347-3441 [addthis2][/addthis2] *Calendar Posting Guidelines: HAC’s calendar posts announcements about periodic conferences, training sessions, audioconferences, and the like. Topics must be relevant to professionals in the rural housing and community development arena. HAC reserves the right to accept or decline any request to post an item. We do not include sessions provided by entities (for-profit or nonprofit) that offer numerous regularly scheduled training events; links to such entities are provided below. Community Connections |
 |
Housing Our Heroes: What City Leaders Can Do To Ensure All Veterans Have a Place to Call HomeDate: October 17, 2012 With the drawn down of troops from Iraq and Afghanistan, cities and towns will welcome home more than 1 million veterans. These men and women will join the more than 20 million veterans in the United States who have served our country since World War II who are already a part of our communities. Like everyone, veterans need accessible and affordable homes as foundations for success and reintegration. To help cities meet the housing needs of all veterans, the National League of Cities is hosting a webinar focusing on the solutions to provide housing for disabled veterans across the “disability spectrum”.
Moderator:
Presenters:
|
by Mike Feinberg
Shared equity models are often locally (neighborhood) based. The homes financed may carry resale restrictions on value appreciation and may only be sold to an income-eligible purchaser. These models may not be conducive to rural areas with vast geographies and limited markets.
Read the complete blog post on the Bipartisan Policy Center’s site.
Through my work researching housing for rural seniors, two things have become evident: first, rural America is older than the nation overall, and second, aging in place is the best option for seniors. “Aging in place” refers to older adults living independently in their current residences or communities for as long as possible. The vast majority of rural seniors own their own homes, so this often means remaining there; it can also be accomplished, however, by moving to a more manageable dwelling (such as a smaller apartment).
Numerous reports have proposed that aging in place… Read more
In November, theWashington Postpublished an article entitled“Too Much of Too Little”about recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps, in Hidalgo County, Texas, one of the fastest growing and poorest places in the nation. The article highlighted families who are forced to choose between affordable yet unhealthy foods that keep their families fed throughout the month or healthy options that are less affordable and may not feed a family for as long. Low-income Americans dependent upon SNAP are often forced to shop “quantity over quality” in order to stretch paltry food budgets throughout the month. As a result, more and more people who do not have enough food to eat are facing obesity and diabetes at alarming rates.
HAC News Formats. pdf
November 13, 2013
Vol. 42, No. 22
• November is Native American Heritage Month • November 16-24 is National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week • Fewer rural jobs, more poverty, and declining population, research shows • RD changes multifamily transfer process • HUD considers risk sharing initiative for small multifamily properties • FEMA issues final rule on assistance for housing damage • Housing counseling comment period extended • USDA used most Section 502 funds, but not Section 504 loans, in FY13 • USDA encourages local partnerships to address veteran homelessness • HUD and DOT launch site on housing and transportation costs • Sequestration’s impact on government activities, including housing, described • Research from sources including HAC covers veterans housing issues • Record share of young adults living at home • HAC reports on farmworker housing
November 13, 2013
Vol. 42, No. 22
NOVEMBER IS NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH. President Obama’s proclamation also designates November 29 as Native American Heritage Day. A USDA press release highlights support for Native Americans.
NOVEMBER 16-24 IS NATIONAL HUNGER AND HOMELESSNESS AWARENESS WEEK. Information, planned events, and ideas are available from the National Coalition for the Homeless.
FEWER RURAL JOBS, MORE POVERTY, AND DECLINING POPULATION, RESEARCH SHOWS. The USDA Econom-ic Research Service’s annual “Rural America at a Glance” report says rural unemployment is declining, but – with exceptions in some areas – the change is due to declining populations rather than job creation. An article in the online rural news source the Daily Yonder summarizes ERS’s findings. A separate Daily Yonder analysis of unemploy-ment data in August 2012 and August 2013 includes an interactive map with figures for every county in the U.S.
RD CHANGES MULTIFAMILY TRANSFER PROCESS. An Unnumbered Letter dated September 30, 2013 focuses on determining the financial feasibility of a transfer or preservation transaction, including reducing Rental Assistance. Contact RD State Office preservation staff.
HUD CONSIDERS RISK SHARING INITIATIVE FOR SMALL MULTIFAMILY PROPERTIES. Comments are due January 3 on a proposal for mission-driven lenders, including CDFIs, to originate, underwrite, and service loans with HUD mortgage insurance for refinancing or rehab of small properties. Lenders would assume 50% of the risk on each loan. Contact Lynn Wehrli, HUD, 202-402-5210.
FEMA ISSUES FINAL RULE ON ASSISTANCE FOR HOUSING DAMAGE. Revisions to FEMA’s repair, replacement, and housing construction assistance regulations are intended to clarify the eligibility criteria for assistance and to implement legislative changes. Contact John Carleton, FEMA, 202-212-1000.
HOUSING COUNSELING COMMENT PERIOD EXTENDED. Comments are now due December 12 on changes to HUD’s housing counseling program regulations, published September 13 (see HAC News, 9/11/13). Contact Ruth Román, HUD, 202-708-0317.
USDA USED MOST SECTION 502 FUNDS, BUT NOT SECTION 504 LOANS, IN FY13. Despite USDA’s success-ful efforts to attract borrowers near the end of the year (see HAC News, 8/1/13 and 8/28/13), HAC estimates that USDA used only 53% of its Section 504 home repair loan funds in FY13. Section 504 grant funds were fully used, and Section 502 direct and guaranteed loans were almost entirely obligated. HAC’s final USDA obligations reports for the year are posted online.
USDA ENCOURAGES LOCAL PARTNERSHIPS TO ADDRESS VETERAN HOMELESSNESS. An Unnumbered Letter dated November 8, 2013 suggests that RD field staff inform local organizations about RD housing programs.
HUD AND DOT LAUNCH SITE ON HOUSING AND TRANSPORTATION COSTS. The Location Affordability Portal is intended to provide consumers, researchers, and policymakers with data and resources on combined housing and transportation costs for all parts of the U.S. including remote rural areas.
SEQUESTRATION’S IMPACT ON GOVERNMENT ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING HOUSING, DESCRIBED. Faces of Austerity: How Budget Cuts Have Made Us Sicker, Poorer, and Less Secure, published by NDD United, compiles data, quotes, and individual stories. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities has updated its data on use of HUD vouchers, including the number of vouchers that will be lost in each state if sequestration continues in FY14.
RESEARCH FROM SOURCES INCLUDING HAC COVERS VETERANS HOUSING ISSUES. “Housing Our Heroes: Veterans in Rural America,” a HAC research brief, summarizes data on demographics, housing conditions, and homelessness. USDA’s Economic Research Service provides demographic and economic data in “Rural Veterans at a Glance.” (ERS uses data for nonmetro areas, while HAC uses a definition of rural based on census tracts.) Housing Instability Among Our Nation’s Veterans, a National Low Income Housing Coalition report, examines housing issues for veterans nationwide. “Rental Assistance Helps More Than 300,000 Veterans Afford Homes, But Large Unmet Needs Remain,” from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, also covers the topic on a national basis.
RECORD SHARE OF YOUNG ADULTS LIVING AT HOME. More than one-third of Millennials aged 18-31 are living with their parents, according to A Rising Share of Young Adults Live in Their Parents’ Home, published by the Pew Research Center. A Forbes analysis of the report suggests that federal policies favoring homeownership led to high housing prices that young adults cannot afford.
HAC REPORTS ON FARMWORKER HOUSING. Housing Conditions for Rural Farmworkers explains character-istics of farmworker housing and obstacles to its improvement.
USDA’s annual occupancy survey shows 2,135 fewer units and 1,254 fewer occupied units (households) in Section 515 and 514/516 properties in 2012 than 2011. There are 1,243 more households receiving Section 521 Rental Assistance and 931 fewer with rental aid from other sources. The number of cost burdened households dropped by 1,562.
February 25, 2013. The Housing Commission of the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) today released its much anticipated report entitled Housing America’s Future: A New Direction for a National Policy. In addition to major recommendations on mortgage finance reform, homeownership, rental housing, and demographic drivers, the BPC’s report devoted substantial attention to rural housing issues and priorities. Championed largely by Commission Co-Chair Kit Bond, former U.S. Senator and Governor from Missouri, the report presents four major recommendations on rural housing:
1. Support and strengthen USDA’s role in rural housing. The report specifically states that Congress should not pursue proposals to shift USDA programs to other government agencies where they will be absorbed by other federal programs, noting that USDA is well-positioned to leverage the existing resources and infrastructure of rural service providers that understand the unique conditions of local markets.
2. Extend the current definition of rural areas through the year 2020. Any area currently classified as rural for the purposes of USDA housing programs should remain so at least until after the receipt of data from the decennial census in 2020, provided the area’s population does not exceed 25,000.
3. Increase budget allocations to serve more households. The report states that additional funding for the Section 502 Direct Loan program would enable more rural households to become homeowners at relatively low cost to the federal government.
4. Dedicate resources for capacity-building and technology to strengthen USDA providers. The BPC recommends that local agencies receiving USDA funds should be incentivized to operate on compatible software to ease data and information sharing. These improvements could help USDA monitor and improve the performance of its rural housing programs.
https://bipartisanpolicy.org/sites/default/files/BPC_Housing%20Report_web.pdf#page=110
https://bipartisanpolicy.org/sites/default/files/BPC_Housing%20Report_web.pdf
Founded in 2007 by former Senate Majority Leaders Howard Baker, Tom Daschle, Bob Dole and George Mitchell, the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) is a non-profit organization that drives principled solutions through rigorous analysis, reasoned negotiation and respectful dialogue. With projects in multiple issue areas, BPC combines politically balanced policymaking with strong, proactive advocacy and outreach.
by Eric Oberdorfer and Leslie Strauss
Homes in Indian Country are three times more likely to be crowded than those in the United States as a whole, according to the 2010 Census. Many of the people sleeping on sofas or floors in these crowded dwellings are homeless – not living outdoors or in a car, but not living in permanent homes of their own, either. Strong kinship networks often enable people to find a place to stay and there are few shelters and service providers in places with small, spread-out populations.
Year-end reviews generally cover events, but in 2012 the things that did not happen may have been more notable. That certainly seems to be the case regarding affordable housing for the lowest income residents of rural America. A couple of the non-events listed below are positive, but unfortunately most are not. Read More…
Stacey Epperson, Executive Director of Next Step, has been selected as one of 11 recipients of an Ashoka fellowhip for leading social entrepreneurs. For more information on this award, go to Next Step’s website.
For more on Ashoka, visit https://usa.ashoka.org/.
|
To have an event posted on our calendar*, please e-mail Dan Stern. Or send event description or brochure to: Housing Assistance Council Or fax to (202) 347-3441 [addthis2][/addthis2] *Calendar Posting Guidelines: HAC’s calendar posts announcements about periodic conferences, training sessions, audioconferences, and the like. Topics must be relevant to professionals in the rural housing and community development arena. HAC reserves the right to accept or decline any request to post an item. We do not include sessions provided by entities (for-profit or nonprofit) that offer numerous regularly scheduled training events; links to such entities are provided below. Community Connections |
|
Housing Our Heroes: What City Leaders Can Do To Ensure All Veterans Have a Place to Call HomeDate: October 17, 2012 With the drawn down of troops from Iraq and Afghanistan, cities and towns will welcome home more than 1 million veterans. These men and women will join the more than 20 million veterans in the United States who have served our country since World War II who are already a part of our communities. Like everyone, veterans need accessible and affordable homes as foundations for success and reintegration. To help cities meet the housing needs of all veterans, the National League of Cities is hosting a webinar focusing on the solutions to provide housing for disabled veterans across the “disability spectrum”.
Moderator:
Presenters:
|