General News

The House Financial Services Committee has approved H.R. 3045, the Section Eight Voucher Reform Act of 2009. This measure would reform the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program, which provides rental housing assistance to 2 million low-income families nationwide.

The U.S. House of Representatives’ Financial Services Committee convened on July 8 to markup proposed legislation, H.R. 3045, to reform the housing choice voucher program under Section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937.

U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan delivered the Keynote Address at HUD’s 2009 HOPE VI Green Building and Energy Efficient Development Conference on June 25 in Washington, DC.

Members of the U.S. House of Representatives’ Financial Services Committee convened for a public hearing on June 25 to discuss issues and receive testimony from HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan related to proposed legislative options for preserving federally- and state-assisted affordable housing and preventing displacement of low-income, elderly and disabled tenants.

On Wednesday, July 15 the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Financial Services held a hearing to discuss legislative options for preserving federally- and state-assisted affordable housing and preventing displacement of low-income, elderly and disabled tenants. During the hearing, Committee heard testimony from a panel of witnesses.

Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle has announced that funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will be used for a new program to weatherize large, multifamily buildings. The new program aims to weatherize approximately 3,000 units in apartment buildings across the state over the next two years, reducing energy use and creating jobs.

The Ohio Housing Finance Agency has released a marked up version of its draft 2010 qualified allocation plan for administering the low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) program.

The U.S. Department of Treasury has released an update on the Build America Bonds program, including state-by-state data. The Build America Bonds program is a new financing tool created by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to allow state and local governments to obtain much-needed funding to support economic and community development projects.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has released new guidance and documents for the Tax Credit Assistance Program, which will provide federal funds through state housing credit agencies to stalled low-income housing tax credit projects to move them forward.

New York State Assembly member Sam Hoyt and Senator David Valesky (Dem.) announced on July 17, 2009 that the New York State Legislature passed legislation (A.9023/S.6056) to create an expanded historic preservation tax credit program that will offer opportunities for economic development and job creation while utilizing existing infrastructure.

The Nebraska Investment Finance Authority has released its application for funding through the Section 1602 Tax Credit Exchange and Tax Credit Assistance Programs, provided by the Recovery Act (ARRA).

The Washington Housing Finance Commission’s Capital Projects Division has proposed two changes to its 2010 Multifamily Housing Evaluation Policy, which describes the process and criteria that it uses to evaluate and rank projects for allocation of the Commission’s multifamily portion of the Private Activity Bond Issuance Authority.