News

Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN) introduced the Homes for All Act of 2019, which will dramatically expand the public housing stock in the U.S. and guarantee housing as a human right. The bill will authorize construction of 12 million new public housing and private, permanently affordable rental units.

House Committee on Financial Services Chairwoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) and Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) introduced the Housing is Infrastructure Act of 2019 (H.R. 5187/S. 2951). The bills contain the following investments in housing:

The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund) released a Summary Report and data collected on New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) investments across the nation through fiscal year (FY) 2017. Nearly 70 percent of NMTC investments made through 2017 have been concentrated in single/mixed-use real estate, health care and social assistance, manufacturing, and educational services.

On November 19, the House of Representatives voted 231-192 on H.R. 3055 to approve a continuing resolution (CR) that would fund the federal government through December 20. The new CR maintains an important adjustment for the Section 202 Housing for the Elderly program that will prevent renewal delays for Project Rental Assistance Contracts set to […]

Kingsley Associates released an executive summary of findings from confidential interviews with 31 large institutional investors and investment advisors on the topic of affordable housing investment. They found three main reasons these investors chose not to invest in affordable housing:

The Federal Government’s “onerous rules and regulations.”
The miseducation (or under-education) of the investment community.
Investing in affordable housing solely to meet a mandate.

The National Council of State Housing Agencies (NCSHA) and the Economic Innovation Group (EIG) published three case studies of developments that incorporate Opportunity Zone investment to create new affordable homes and support community revitalization efforts in Ohio, Maryland and Florida. These are the first in a new series of Opportunity Zone Development Profiles that detail project financing, community socioeconomic data and projected economic impact. The profiles demonstrate how Opportunity Zone investments are being utilized to develop affordable homes for very-low- to moderate-income households, and how that investment is furthering community revitalization efforts and enhancing positive community impact.

Representatives Jim Clyburn (D-SC), Alma Adams (D-NC) and Lacy Clay (D-MO) introduced the Opportunity Zone Reform Act (H.R. 5042) which would eliminate Opportunity Zones that are not low-income and allow states to replace those zones with ones that are low-income as defined by the New Markets Tax Credit. The bill also would prohibit investments in […]

Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) announced full funding for affordable and workforce housing programs. Unveiled in his Bolder, Brighter, Better Future Budget, the Governor recommends providing $387 million to the affordable housing trust funds – $119.8 million for the State Apartment Incentive Loan (SAIL) program and $267.2 million for the State Housing Initiative Partnership (SHIP) program.

HUD User published a case study on the Riverport Family Scholar House, one part of a larger multi-generational housing development. Riverport provides affordable housing and a network of support services to single parents and foster care alumni who are pursuing post-secondary education in Louisville, KY. Residents receive access to free or heavily subsidized child care, […]

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released Revenue Procedure 2019-44, which sets state ceilings for nine percent LIHTCs and private activity bonds (PAB). The LIHTC cap is the greater of $2.8125 multiplied by the state population or $3,217,500. The PAB cap is the greater of $105 multiplied by the state population or $321,775,000.

HUD published proposed revised forms of the Public Housing Authority Annual Contributions Contract (ACC) and Mixed Finance Amendment to the ACC (MFACC Amendment) for public review and comment. HUD also published a side-by-side comparison chart of the revisions to the ACC, and redline versions of the ACC and MFACC Amendment.

Democratic presidential hopeful Mayor Pete Buttigieg (South Bend, IN) released An Economic Agenda for American Families which includes spending $430 billion on affordable housing measures. “He will enable more than 2 million more units of affordable housing to be built or restored where it is needed most, using billions of dollars of investments in the Housing Trust Fund, Capital Magnet Fund, HOME and CDBG funds, and the Low Income Housing Tax Credit.”