News

Reps. Maxine Waters (D-CA), Wm. Lacy Clay (D-MO) and Denny Heck (D-WA), sent a letter to Dr. Mark Calabria, director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), urging the agency to prioritize economic recovery amid the COVID-19 pandemic crisis by pausing a rulemaking that would set new capital requirements for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (collectively “the Enterprises”) until after the pandemic.

The Senate voted 57-40 to confirm Dana Wade to be the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) commissioner and assistant secretary at HUD. Wade is succeeding acting FHA Commissioner Len Wolfson, who took over when former Commissioner Brian Montgomery was confirmed as deputy secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

USDA announced the appointment of Elizabeth “Beth” Green as the acting administrator, Rural Housing Service (RHS). Green will report directly to Rural Development’s (RD) Deputy Under Secretary, Bette Brand, effective August 3, 2020. Green takes over the role from former RHS Administrator Bruce Lammers who recently retired.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot (D) and the Departments of Housing (DOH) and Family and Support Services (DFSS) announced an expanded Housing Assistance Grant program and a new online portal to assist Chicagoans who have been adversely impacted by the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Representatives Suzan DelBene (D-WA) and Jackie Walorski (R-IN) are circulating a bipartisan sign-on letter to House leadership urging the inclusion of LIHTC priorities as part of COVID response legislation. Please reach out to any House members with whom you have a connection encouraging them to sign on. The deadline is Monday, July 27.

The Housing Assistance Council (HAC) is circulating a sign-on letter to Congressional leadership in support of rural housing being included in the next COVID relief package. The deadline to sign on is today, Wednesday, July 22. NH&RA joined the letter and encourages our members to do the same.

Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY) recently unveiled The Economic Justice Act, a proposal to invest $350 billion in communities of color as a component of the next federal COVID-19 stimulus relief package. The Economic Justice Act would expand LIHTC by $5 billion over five years. In addition, it would provide a renter tax credit that would reduce rent and utilities for low-income individuals and families.

HUD released a proposed rule on rent adjustments in its Mark-to-Market Program, which would revise the Mark-to-Market program regulations to clarify that all annual rent adjustments for projects subject to a restructuring plan are by application of an operating cost adjustment factor established by HUD. Comments are due by September 14.

Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) announced the Rent Emergencies Leave Impacts on Evicted Families (RELIEF) Act on July 16, legislation aimed at keeping residents in their homes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

NH&RA is leading a sign-on letter urging HUD to extend the current moratorium on Real Estate Assessment Center (REAC) inspections for all Multifamily programs through the end of 2020, except where there is a documented threat to health and safety at a property. The letter also requests that HUD waive the 14-day property specific scheduling notice and permit a 30-day scheduling notification. Click

Yesterday, the full House Committee on Appropriations voted along party lines to approve the fiscal year (FY) 2021 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies (T-HUD) bill. A summary of the HUD provisions can be found here. The full committee added the and amendment that allows certain CDBG-DR grantees to request relief from recaptures for overpayments.

The eviction moratorium for HUD-assisted multifamily properties authorized by the CARES Act will expire on July 24. Last week, HUD’s Office of Multifamily Housing published guidance for multifamily property owners on promoting housing stability during the pandemic. Separately, HUD published Notice H 2020-7, Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act Eviction Moratorium that extends […]