General News

The California Tax Credit Allocation Committee (TCAC) will hold public meetings on January 30 and 31 on its proposed emergency regulation changes, which set the allocation rules for the approximately $1 billion of new Federal LIHTCs from the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2020.

On January 7, 2020, Judge Deborah A. Chimes of the New York Supreme Court—Erie County ruled from the bench that a general partner’s election to redeem the limited partners’ interests in a LIHTC partnership did not trigger liquidation provisions under the partnership agreement because the partnership still owned all, or substantially all, of the assets of the partnership.

On the one year anniversary of Microsoft’s $500 million investment in affordable housing, the company announced an additional $250 million investment in affordable housing. The new investments will be placed with the Washington State Housing Finance Commission to allow them to bridge tax-exempt bond cap as well $50 million to seed the new Evergreen Housing Impact Fund.

Governor Gavin Newsom (D) issued an executive order on January 8 to expedite the state’s response to the homelessness crisis in advance of 2020-21 budget negotiations.

On January 7, in his State of the City address, Mayor Martin Walsh (D) pledged to dedicate $500 million over the next five years for affordable housing. These new investments will create rental and homeownership opportunities, preserve public housing, and establish a city-funded rental voucher program.

On December 17, Governor Charlie Baker (R) signed the supplemental budget to close out the $1 billion surplus from Fiscal Year (FY) 2019. The budget includes $2.5 million for a down payment assistance program for first-time homebuyers with low and moderate incomes as well as $2 million for a rental and mortgage arrearage assistance pilot […]

The Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston (FHLBank Boston) is hosting three sessions to assess its Affordable Housing Program (AHP) priorities and competitive scoring framework to ensure that the program remains a vital, flexible capital source to support a wide range of affordable housing initiatives across New England and the communities its members serve.

Governor Ralph Northam (D-VA) announced his proposed budget will include $92 million in new funding to address housing affordability, eviction rates and supportive housing throughout the Commonwealth. The Governor’s proposed budget invests $63 million in the Virginia Housing Trust Fund (VHTF), bringing the total amount to $84 million over three years.

The United States Conference of Mayors has issued a new report “Mayor’s Vision For America: A 2020 Call To Action” which calls for new investments in infrastructure, innovation and inclusion.  The report outlines 12 priorities including to “make housing more affordable and end homelessness.”  The report specifically calls for increased funding for the Community Development Block Grant and HOME Program as well as the creation of a new program for blighted neighborhood restoration.  Additionally, the report calls for the expansion of rental housing supply noting, “There is an increased need for rental housing. The nation needs to create and pursue policies to develop more rental housing.

On November 20, 2019 Legislation introduced in the South Carolina Legislature  that would create a state low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) for properties in opportunity zones. Analysis of the legislation by Novogradac & Company finds that the measure “would create a 25 percent tax credit for investment in the state’s OZs and add OZs to other state incentive programs.

Lei Ding and Peter Birke of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia have published a report on Opportunity Zones, “How Are Cities Leveraging Opportunity Zones for Community Development? Philadelphia as a Case Study.”  Using Philadelphia as a case study, this study intends to reflect on the selection of Opportunity Zones in major cities and to explore real estate market trends and residential mobility in designated zones in Philadelphia.

Due to the city’s ongoing budget crunch, newly-elected Nashville Mayor John Cooper has proposed to cut funding in half for the Barnes Fund for Affordable Housing.  The city faces an estimated budget shortfall of $41.5 million.  Mayor Cooper indicated the city would only award $5 million in Barnes Fund Grants this year.  The Barnes Fund […]