General News

Governor John Kitzhaber has announced the appointment of Margaret Shephard Van Vliet to fill the position of Oregon Housing and Community Services Director.

The Missouri House of Representatives approved an economic development bill that includes tax credits towards a China trade hub at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport, a corporate income tax reduction from 6.25 percent to 5.5 percent starting in January 2012, and changes to the historic and low-incoming housing tax programs.

The Missouri House of Representatives approved an economic development bill that includes tax credits towards a China trade hub at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport, a corporate income tax reduction from 6.25 percent to 5.5 percent starting in January 2012, and changes to the historic and low-incoming housing tax programs.

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) last week released a new report entitled “What Have We Learned from Energy Efficiency Financing Programs?” that shows that energy-efficiency loan programs for building upgrades have exceedingly low default rates, ranging from 0 to 3 percent.

U.S. Congressmen Jim McDermott (D-WA), Erik Paulsen (R-MN), and Keith Ellison (D-MN) have introduced a bill that would update the existing tax law to allow formerly homeless young people to pursue a four-year college education and still qualify for Low Income Housing Tax Credits housing units.

The Office of Development in HUD’s Office of Multifamily Housing Programs will host an overview of the revised 2011 MAP Guidebook via webcast on October 17, 2011 from 11:30 am to 3:00 pm with a 45 minute break for lunch between 12:30 and 1:15 pm. The implementation of the MAP Guidebook has been postponed until November 1, 2011 to accommodate more time for interested parties to raise questions and make comments about the revisions.

HUD has released the final fiscal year 2012 fair market rents (FMRs) to become effective October 1, 2011. The primary uses of FMRs are to determine payment standards for the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program, to determine renewal rents for expiring project based Section 8 contracts, to determine initial rents for housing assistance payment contracts in the Moderate Rehabilitation Single Room Occupancy program, and to serve as rent ceilings in the HOME program.

The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA) has provided clarification on utility allowances for 2012 Multifamily Housing Program applicants. The notice does not change the application, rather provides further guidance on acceptable utility allowance submissions.

On August 5, 2011, Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber signed into law the Oregon Low Income Community Jobs Initiative, which created a matching state tax credit to the federal New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC).

The Housing Assistance Council, in partnership with The Atlantic Philanthropies announced a new grant program, the Rural Senior Housing (RSH) Fund. Eligible affordable housing organizations are invited to apply for RSH grants to support activities that will build, preserve, or advocate for housing for low-income older adults living in rural areas.

Environmental Data Resources Inc. has launched a new online mapping tool called the Environmental Issues Report (EIR) that shows “environmental issues” within a one-mile radius of an address.

HUD’s Economic and Market Analysis Division has prepared Comprehensive Housing Market Analyses for the Burlington-South Burlington, Vermont and Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, Florida market areas.