News

The Senate Banking Committee on Thursday, May 15 endorsed the Housing Finance Reform and Taxpayer Protection Act of 2013 (S. 1217), by a bipartisan vote of 13-9.

Last week, Maryland affordable housing advocates celebrate the success of the Multifamily Rental Housing Programs Efficiency Act (HB 453), legislation that will reduce municipal barriers to rental housing production. Advocates also succeeded in securing $25.73 million for the Rental Housing Works (RHW) program, the highest level of funding for the program in its history.

ACEEE’s new State and Local Policy Database includes comprehensive information on energy efficiency policies currently implemented at the state and local level. The database tracks policy activity across multiple sectors, including state and local governments, utilities, transportation, buildings, combined heat and power, and appliance standards. Users can click on a state or city on the […]

Topics include: -What is a utility allowance and why they important? -Methods for UA calculation -Complexities and barriers to increased rents -Workaround and potential solutions -On bill repayment Download

New affordable housing can be decked out with all of the latest green innovations as well as energy-efficient and water-conserving features, but maintaining a green development after construction takes additional work from property managers and residents. Five nonprofit and for-profit developers from around the country shared with Affordable Housing Finance their top strategies for engaging […]

The U.S. House of Representatives Transportation-HUD (THUD) Appropriations Subcommittee on May 5, 2014 released its draft fiscal year (FY) 2015 appropriations legislation for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

QAP Deadlines

Minnesota: Minnesota Housing announced the availability of an estimated $70 million in funding through the 2014 consolidated Request for Proposals (RFP) and $12.5 million in 2015 Housing Tax Credits (Round 1).

Early this week New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced his highly anticipated affordable housing plan entitled, “Housing New York: A Five-Borough, Ten-Year Plan”.

Story Update April 30, 2014: This past week, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), said that he will soon have the Senate vote on the EXPIRE Act. The bill made it out of the Senate Finance Committee with broad bipartisan support on April 3, and industry experts expect it to pass the full Senate with […]

The National Council of Housing Market Analysts (NCHMA) today released a new supporting document to the organization’s Model Content Standards for Rental Housing Market Studies (Model Content). NCHMA’s Model Content offer a set of recommendations for standardized terminology, content, and level of analysis for market studies.

Representative Charles Rangel (D-NY) recently introduced the Renters Tax Credit Act of 2014 (HR 4479), which would provide a tax credit to apartment owners and lenders that subsidize the cost of lower rents for low-income households.

Freddie Mac recently announced a new initiative aimed at broadening the availability of financing for affordable rental properties financed with tax-exempt bonds, in order to keep rental housing affordable for low-income families. The Direct Purchase of Tax-Exempt Loans “program” will increase the liquidity needed for more affordable housing while creating investment opportunities for investors.