General News

HUD’s director of Multifamily Development, Theodore Toon, recently issued a memo to provide guidance on Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and MAP Guide policy regarding age restrictions in FHA-insured housing.

Federal Housing Administration (FHA) Commissioner Carole Galante recently announced leadership changes in the Office of Multifamily Housing including the resignation of Marie Head from the role of Multifamily Deputy Assistant Secretary and the promotion of Ben Metcalf to replace Ms. Head.

HUD recently published the final rule (24 CFR Part 92) amending the HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) Program regulations. These amendments represent the most significant changes to the HOME Program in 17 years. The overall goal of these changes was to provide participating jurisdictions (PJs) and their partners with regulatory guidance to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the HOME Program in the context of a more complex housing and community development environment.

Florida Housing Finance Corporation will host a Housing Credit Allocation Process Workshop on July 30, 2013 at 1:00PM to solicit public comments concerning the distribution of the 2014 housing credits. Topics include proximity requirements in scoring, limited development areas, housing credit request amount tests, total development cost limitations, funding selection based off of county size, the 2014 QAP, and other discussions.

Nebraska Investment Finance Authority (NIFA) will hold a Focus Group Meeting to gather comments in preparation of creating the 2014 Qualified Allocation Plan.

The Montana Board of Housing (MBOH) is having a Planning Session for the 2015 QAP on August 21-22. This Planning Session allows discussion, brain-storming and collaboration between all parties involved in the development of affordable multifamily rental housing in Montana. An additional HOME program session will take place on August 20.

Minnesota Housing is developing the Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER) for 2013. The state must submit a CAPER to HUD annually as one of the conditions of receiving federal funds. The CAPER provides information to measure the state’s progress during the past year in meeting assistance goals and priorities identified in the Consolidated Plan. The CAPER includes a summary and analysis of progress made on identified actions that state agencies have elected to undertake to affirmatively further fair housing and overcome impediments to fair housing.

Minnesota Housing is developing its annual Action Plan for 2014. The draft Action Plan will be available beginning August 13, 2013 at http://www.mnhousing.gov.

After ten years of serving as the Commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) in Georgia, Mike Beatty is moving on to become the President and CEO of Georgia’s Great Promise Partnership, Inc., a nonprofit offering a unique workforce development opportunity for Georgia. Beatty was appointed to serve as Commissioner of DCA in June 2003 by Governor Sonny Perdue and was reappointed by Governor Nathan Deal in January 2011.

Senators Tim Johnson (D-SD), Chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, and Mike Crapo (R-ID), the Committee’s Ranking Member, released a discussion draft of the Federal Housing Administration Solvency Act of 2013, which would implement several reforms designed to improve the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and to ensure the solvency of the Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund.

A recent letter from Shelley R. Poticha, Senior Advisor and Director of the Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), indicated that her last day at HUD was July 12 and will soon begin work at the Natural Resources Defense Council on August 5.

Governor Steve Beshear (Democrat) recently approved of the 2014 Kentucky Qualified Allocation Plan (QAP). There were a few minor revisions from the QAP drafts and Guidelines that are highlighted in yellow on the final version, including certain appraiser standards if Housing Credit exeeds $250,000. The total amount of Housing Credit expected to be available to Kentucky for 2014 is estimated to be approximately $9,500,000.