Thom Amdur Author Archives

Freddie Mac has published two new white papers titled, “Spotlight on Underserved Markets: LIHTC in Rural Middle Appalachia”  and “Spotlight on Underserved Markets: LIHTC in Indian Areas.” In the first paper, Freddie Mac explores Middle Appalachia’s multifamily housing market with a special focus on the primary means of developing affordable housing in undeserved markets: the […]

In Fiscal Year (FY) 2017, 1,035 completed historic rehabilitation projects were certified by the NPS, representing $5.82 billion in estimated rehabilitation costs that qualify for the 20% Federal tax credit, according to the Annual Report on the Economic Impact of the Federal Historic Tax Credit in 2017.  The report was published through cooperative agreement with […]

Enterprise, in partnership with the FrameWorks Institute, has released a pair of reports that outline an effective language strategy to build public support for affordable housing. “Finding a Frame for Affordable Housing” is an evidence-based approach to countering NIMBYism and public misperception in debates about affordable housing. The companion paper,“Piecing it Together,” takes these findings and translates them […]

On Friday, October 19 the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued several critical documents relating to the Opportunity Zone Incentive. This includes:

The National Low Income Housing Coalition and the Public and Affordable Housing Research Corporation have published the new report “Balancing Priorities: Preservation and Neighborhood Opportunity in the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program Beyond Year 30.”  The report looks at preservation challenges relating to LIHTC properties as they reach the end of their initial use restrictions.  […]

On October 12, U.S. Senator Dean Heller (R-NV) introduced the Seniors Affordable Housing Tax Credit Act (S. 3580), legislation he authored to incentivize housing owners and developers to rent to low-income seniors. Heller’s proposed legislation would create a tax credit program that allocates credits to states, which, in turn, would be awarded to owners and developers […]

The NYU Furman Center and Abt Associates launched LocalHousingSolutions.org, an online, interactive tool to help communities develop local strategies that promote housing affordability. A growing number of communities across the country are struggling with problems tied to high housing costs, including rising homelessness, fear of displacement among longtime residents, and growing numbers of households unable […]

CohnReznick has launched an updated interactive mapping tool designed to assist New Markets Tax Credit and Opportunity Zone Investment stakeholders.  This mapping tool helps access eligibility using census-based criteria from the 2011-2015 and 2006-2010 American Community Surveys.  Either census database may be used to evaluate eligibility through a transition period ending October 31, 2018*.  To identify the […]

Enterprise has published a new whitepaper entitled Gentrification: Framing Our Perceptions, which summarizes several approaches used in recent studies of gentrification and details the complications these create for identifying where it occurs. It describes how different definitions can lead to different findings about the consequences of gentrification, and how these inconsistencies affect policy making.

On October 16, NH&RA Executive Director Thom Amdur was recognized at the NHP Foundation 2018 Symposium & Dinner in Washington DC with their Advocacy Award.   Additional honorees included, Senator Susan Collins, Representative Carlos Curbelo, Representative Suzan DelBene, Representative Jim Himes, former HUD Secretary Henry Cisneros, Michael Bodaken, President, National Housing Trust (1993–2018), Monica Mitchell, VP […]

The Senate Committee On Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs will meet in on October 18 to conduct a hearing entitled “Oversight of Pilot Programs at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.”  The witnesses will be: Ms. Sandra Thompson, Deputy Director, Division of Housing Mission and Goals, Federal Housing Finance Agency;  Mr. Timothy J. Mayopoulos, Chief Executive Officer, […]

The Internal Revenue Services (IRS) has issued an updated Draft Form 3468 and Draft Instructions for the 2018 tax year.  This is the form that taxpayers must submit in order to claim the federal historic tax credit, as well as several other investment and energy credits. Notably, the form answers a significant question coming out of tax-reform — […]