Green/Sustainable Housing

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.

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a new report entitled “Corporate Tax Expenditures: Information on Estimated Revenue Losses and Related Federal Spending Programs.” The report comes out as the U.S. Congress begins more serious consideration of tax reform. Presumably the data will be used to inform decisions as the topic is debated further and could have an impact on various programs utilized by NH&RA members. The report does not make any policy recommendations or endorsements regarding specific programs but does outline costs, revenue forgone and provides a basis for comparison acorss budget functions.

In a recent speech given at Georgetown University, President Obama recently unveiled his Climate Action Plan, which aims at reducing carbon pollution and tackling climate change. The report is meant to be a blueprint for achieving steady, responsible, national, and international action to slow the effects of climate change in order to achieve a cleaner, more stable environment. In the report, President Obama referenced several initiatives that would have an impact on the multifamily affordable housing community.

NH&RA hosted nearly 150 professionals at the 2013 Spring Developers Forum May 7-8 in Marina del Rey, CA. All conference materials, Power Point presentations, relevant articles, reports, memos, etc. are available for review.

The California Tax Credit Allocation Committee CTCAC has released a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document for California Utility Allowance Calculator (CUAC) submissions to the agency.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) yesterday released Notice 2012-39 to provide guidelines and a safe harbor to determine when construction has begun on a facility eligible to receive the renewable electricity production tax credit (PTC) or the energy investment tax credit (ITC).

The NH&RA Advocacy Archive was created to provide a one-stop-shop for NH&RA members who are interested in advocating to elected officials to support key affordable housing and tax credit programs. We have collected a variety of documents, reports, templates and best practices that should be helpful in this effort. Please note this is a work in progress–check back often as we add additional resources.

The National Housing Trust (NHT) recently released an action guide to serve as a practical tool for affordable housing developers and other providers seeking better partnerships among utility companies, providers and investors.

The Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) recently released the final rule and proposed implementation guidance for its Major Capital Investment Projects program (also known as New Starts/Small Starts), which includes updated provisions for assessing a plan’s commitment to affordable housing.

After months of stalemate on December 31 (US Senate) and January 1 (US House of Representatives) respectively, has passed HR 8, The American Taxpayer Relief Act, which addresses the tax provisions of the “fiscal cliff.” The legislation is expected to be signed into law by President Obama imminently. The legislation includes a number of tax extenders including extensions of most of the expiring “Bush-era” income tax rates, a permanent “patch” for the alternative minimum tax, and most notably for NH&RA members extensions of the New Markets Tax Credit and the fixed 9 percent rate for the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit through 2013. The measure also postpones sequestration, automatic spending cuts to government spending that was set to occur in January, by two months to allow time for further negotiation.

The National Housing & Rehabilitation Association, in association with the National Trust Community Investment Corporation, honored developers, architects and historic preservation professionals that brought new life to ten historic buildings through its awarding of the 2012 J. Timothy Anderson Awards for Excellence in Historic Rehabilitation.

The California Tax Credit Allocation Committee (CTCAC) recently released the Sustainable Building Method and Minimum Construction Standards for Energy Efficiency.