Federal / Agency News

HUD published a Notice of Emergency Approval of an Information Collection: National Standards for the Physical Inspection of Real Estate (NSPIRE) Demonstration. The document outlines a few important details for the new 2-year Real Estate Assessment Center (REAC) demonstration which HUD hopes will identify potential adjustments to standards, protocols, and processes.

Chairman David Perdue (R-GA) and Ranking Member Bob Menendez (D-NJ) of the Senate Banking subcommittee on Housing, Transportation, and Community Development Subcommittee introduced S.1463, a bill to establish a scorekeeping rule to ensure that increases in guarantee fees of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac shall not be used to offset provisions that increase the deficit.

HUD announced $5 million will be made available this summer for the purchase and installation of carbon monoxide (CO) detectors in public housing units where they are necessary. HUD also announced it has been working with Congressional leaders on the Senate Banking Committee on legislation that will require CO detectors in HUD-assisted housing units that need them.

The Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (T-HUD) Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee will markup the FY 2020 T-HUD appropriations bill at 8:30 am EDT on May 23.

Last week Representative Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), along with Reps. Darrin LaHood (R-IL), Terri Sewell (D-AL), Mike Kelly (R-PA), Michael Turner (R-OH) and Brian Higgins (D-NY), introduced the Historic Tax Credit Growth and Opportunity (HTC-GO) Act, H.R. 2825. 

This American Banker article explores the remarks from President Trump at the recent National Association of Realtors event. “This is a pretty urgent problem.  We’re doing well with it now… We have many geniuses looking at it and we’ll figure something out.”

At the Mortgage Bankers Association conference, Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Dr. Mark Calabria said “ while I’m committed to working with Congress, I’m not going to wait on Congress.”

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) has announced that Clinton Jones, Lynn Fisher and Matt Grinney will join the Agency. Jones has been named Senior Advisor for Legal Affairs and Policy, Fisher will serve as Senior Advisor for Economics and Grinney will be a Senior Communications and Policy Advisor. 

USDA Rural Development (RD) announced today that Jen Larson has accepted the position of Director for the Multi-Family Housing Portfolio Management Division, effective May 28, 2019.

The House Appropriations Committee recently approved FY 2020 allocations for its 12 subcommittees, known as 302(b)s. The allocations total $1.295 trillion in discretionary funding and were approved on a 30-22 vote.

On May 1, Deputy Assistant Secretary in HUD’s Office of Multifamily Housing Program Lamar Seats sent a memo to HUD field offices titled “What to Do When a Project Receives a Zero as a Result of an Owner Refusing to Allow HUD to Inspect.”

HUD awarded nearly $1.5 billion to support seven states in their recovery from 2018 disasters, including Hurricane Michael, Hurricane Florence and wildfires in California.

On May 21 at 10 am, the full House Financial Services Committee (HFSC) will hold a hearing, titled “Housing in America: Oversight of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.”