News

The Oregon legislature approved $896 million invested in housing solutions in Oregon Housing and Community Services’ 2021-2023 biennium budget, more than double that of the last biennium:  

In a press release, House Financial Services Committee Chairwoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) announced she secured a commitment from President Joe Biden (D) to include housing in the partisan, reconciliation bill. In a speech on July 7 in Illinois, the president said the following on the reconciliation package, “We need to deal with the shortage of affordable housing in America. Over 10 million renters in this country […]

NH&RA signed a letter to Congress along with 120 organizations supporting federal legislation that would create tax credits for zero-carbon buildings and retrofits. Buildings are the largest single contributor of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, producing approximately 40 percent of global emissions.

On Monday, the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee approved FY 2022 funding for HUD. The bill includes $56.5 billion in HUD funding, a $6.8 billion (12 percent) increase over FY 2021. If enacted in its current form, several programs would see substantial increases over FY 2021 levels.

A new proposed rule from HUD, Reinstatement of HUD’s Discriminatory Effects Standard, would rescind the Department’s 2020 disparate impact rule and restore the 2013 discriminatory effects rule. Comments are due by August 24.  

The Supreme Court of the U.S. (SCOTUS) issued a temporary stay on a lower court ruling seeking to overturn the federal eviction moratorium issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The eviction moratorium will remain in place through July 31, 2021.  

NH&RA sent a letter to the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs supporting the nomination of Julia Gordon as Federal Housing commissioner/assistant secretary for housing at HUD. The committee will consider Gordon’s nomination after they return from the Independence Day recess next week.  

HUD published a notice in the Federal Register extending the period by 180 days for which certain 2019 and 2020 qualified census tracts (QCTs) and difficult development areas (DDAs) are effective for purposes of the LIHTC. The notice, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and presidentially declared emergency, extends the eligibility period from 730 days to 910 days for properties in QCTs and DDAs that are not on subsequent lists of QCTs and DDAs and that submitted applications while the area was a 2019 or 2020 QCT or DDA.

HUD published a list of all the waiver requests it granted in the first quarter of 2021 for the offices of Community Planning and Development, Office of Housing and Office of Public and Indian Affairs. For further information about the regulatory waivers, please see the name of the contact person that immediately follows the description of the waiver granted.

A new report from the National Low Income Housing Coalition and the Public and Affordable Housing Research Corporation examines the locations of project-based federally assisted properties in relation to risks for 18 types of natural hazards ranging from flooding and hurricanes to earthquakes and wildfires. One-third of federally assisted homes are in areas at very high or relatively high risk for negative impacts from natural hazards compared to one-quarter of all renter-occupied homes and just 14 percent of owner-occupied homes. 

A new property tax incentive passed the Illinois General Assembly in the landmark affordable housing omnibus and is now on to Governor JB Pritzker (D) for signature. The incentive establishes tiers of affordability and property tax relief

The Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh is encouraging applicants of its Affordable Housing Program (AHP) to initiate their application by July 9. Applicants will receive a link to the bank’s recorded AHP Tips Webinar. Applications are due by 5 p.m. ET on August 10. For more info, please see the Technical Guide for Sponsors or Technical Guide for Members. If you have questions about the AHP application process, please contact ahp@fhlb-pgh.com.