General News

More than half of the nation’s households are now headed by someone at least 50 years of age. These 65 million older households are highly diverse in their living situations, financial resources, health and functional abilities, and life stages, and thus require different types of housing to meet their needs and preferences. Affordable, accessible housing […]

House Ways & Means Chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX) has announced he has completed a draft tax measure to fix the “retail glitch” in the new tax law and address many tax extenders.  The draft measure is expected to be circulated in the next few days. It is unclear at time of press whether any affordable […]

HUD has released the 2019 lists of designated Difficult Development Areas (DDAs) and Qualified Census Tracts (QCTs). The designations, effective January 1, 2019, are made annually and are used for the purposes of the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program. An affordable housing project located in a DDA or a QCT and financed with […]

Like many of you, I was up late watching the returns from yesterday’s mid-term elections.  As I write this we are still waiting for final results  on several races, but a few things are becoming clear. The following are some of my first impressions on what the elections could mean for affordable housing and tax credit […]

The Tidwell Group has published a new article “Income Averaging: Handling a Double-edged Sword.”  The article explores the mechanics of income averaging, potential strategic opportunities, cautionary compliance notes and more…

The National Council of State Housing Agencies has published an online “Opportunity Zone Fund Directory,” which is a compilation of Opportunity Zone funding opportunities. This resource provides descriptions and contact information for publicly-announced funds that have been formed for the purpose of attracting investment in Opportunity Zones. NCSHA is tracking only multi-project opportunity funds.  NCSHA […]

In a new blog post Daniel McCue, a Senior Research Associate at the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies reports on new analysis of rental markets which compares changes in the rental supply at various rent levels with changes in the number of renter households at various income levels.  McCue finds that that a growing number of low-income […]

Freddie Mac has published two new white papers titled, “Spotlight on Underserved Markets: LIHTC in Rural Middle Appalachia”  and “Spotlight on Underserved Markets: LIHTC in Indian Areas.” In the first paper, Freddie Mac explores Middle Appalachia’s multifamily housing market with a special focus on the primary means of developing affordable housing in undeserved markets: the […]

In Fiscal Year (FY) 2017, 1,035 completed historic rehabilitation projects were certified by the NPS, representing $5.82 billion in estimated rehabilitation costs that qualify for the 20% Federal tax credit, according to the Annual Report on the Economic Impact of the Federal Historic Tax Credit in 2017.  The report was published through cooperative agreement with […]

Enterprise, in partnership with the FrameWorks Institute, has released a pair of reports that outline an effective language strategy to build public support for affordable housing. “Finding a Frame for Affordable Housing” is an evidence-based approach to countering NIMBYism and public misperception in debates about affordable housing. The companion paper,“Piecing it Together,” takes these findings and translates them […]

The National Council of State Housing Agencies (NCSHA) held its 2018 Board election on October 14 in Austin during the association’s 48th Annual Conference & Showplace. Voted on by the member state housing finance agencies (HFAs), NCSHA’s newly-elected Board officers are: President: Tia Boatman Patterson | California Housing Finance Agency Vice President: Scott Spivey | […]

The National Low Income Housing Coalition and the Public and Affordable Housing Research Corporation have published the new report “Balancing Priorities: Preservation and Neighborhood Opportunity in the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program Beyond Year 30.”  The report looks at preservation challenges relating to LIHTC properties as they reach the end of their initial use restrictions.  […]