Federal / Agency News

Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac (the Enterprises) and the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), in collaboration with the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis and the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco are hosting four Duty to Serve (DTS) Listening Sessions in the Fall of 2019. These listening sessions are an opportunity for the public to provide input on the Enterprises’ proposed plans for the second DTS plan cycle, 2021-2023.

Representative Scott Peters (D-CA) introduced the bipartisan Build More Housing Near Transit Act (H.R. 4307), legislation that aims to increase housing options near transit. This measure would amend the current rating criteria for the Federal Transit Administration’s New Starts program, which funds transit projects, such as commuter rail, light rail and bus rapid transit, through the Capital Investment Grants (CIG) program.

Last week the Department of the Treasury and HUD sent their Housing Finance Reform Plans to President Trump following his March Memorandum, which ordered the reports. The Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs held a hearing on Housing Finance Reform: Next Steps with HUD Secretary Ben Carson, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and FHFA Director Mark Calabria as witnesses.

HUD released Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) Notice (H 2019-09/ PIH 2019-23), which clarifies certain requirements of First Component RAD projects and implements its new RAD for Project Rental Assistance Contracts (PRAC) program, which will allow Section 202 PRAC properties to convert to long-term Project Based Rental Assistance (PBRA) or PBV contracts.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund) released the Notice of Allocation Availability (NOAA) for the calendar year (CY) 2019 round of the New Markets Tax Credit Program (NMTC Program). The NOAA makes up to $3.5 billion in tax credit allocation authority available for the CY 2019 round.

HUD will offer one final SfS registration opportunity before the SfS report is due on October 30, 2019. The final registration window will be from September 9 – September 27. Any property that needs to report to HUD, and does not register for SfS by September 27, will be out of compliance with HUD. 

The Rural Housing Service (RHS or the Agency) is proposing to amend its regulation to remove the stated amount that the Agency will charge for the initial and annual guarantee fees. The regulation change will allow the Agency the flexibility to establish or make any future changes to the initial and annual guarantee fees without […]

Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) has released a housing report, “Locked Out: Reversing Federal Housing Failures and Unlocking Opportunity.” The report offers strategies the federal government could pursue to meaningfully address the nation’s housing affordability challenges – including expanding the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program, making HUD’s Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers an entitlement program to […]

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) updated its Opportunity Zones Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page with information on when investors can adjust basis to fair market value, a list and map of designated qualified opportunity zones, how to become a qualified opportunity fund and whether inventory in transit can be qualified opportunity zone business property.

As Congress returns from its August recess, lawmakers must act to secure funding for fiscal year (FY) 2020 ahead of the September 30 deadline. The White House released a list of requested anomalies, or changes to the current funding levels and legislative language, if lawmakers rely on a continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government past Sept. 30. HUD’s Section 202 Housing for the Elderly secured a coveted spot on that list.

Last week, HUD published the Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 Fair Market Rents (FMRs) in the Federal Register. The new rents will become effective on October 1, 2019 for the Housing Choice Voucher program and Moderate Rehabilitation Single Room Occupancy program, unless HUD receives a valid request for reevaluation of specific area FMRs. The notice also includes responses to public comments from the June 5, 2019 Federal Register notice announcing two method changes in the calculation of FMRs.

The Community Development Advisory Board will hold an open meeting on September 23, from 9 am  3 pm EST at the Department of the Treasury. The meeting will be open to the public who may either attend the meeting in-person (the venue will accommodate up to 50 members of the public on a first-come, first-served basis) or view it as a live webcast. W