HUD

The Florida Housing Finance Corporation posted the application submitted report for “RFA 2019-103 Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) for Small Developments in Areas Deemed Hurricane Recovery Priorities.” The applications review committee will review the applications at its next meeting on November 13 at 2 pm EDT.

Last week, HUD published the Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 Fair Market Rents (FMRs) in the Federal Register. The new rents will become effective on October 1, 2019 for the Housing Choice Voucher program and Moderate Rehabilitation Single Room Occupancy program, unless HUD receives a valid request for reevaluation of specific area FMRs. The notice also includes responses to public comments from the June 5, 2019 Federal Register notice announcing two method changes in the calculation of FMRs.

Pennrose was selected as Master Developer by the Virgin Islands Housing Authority (VIHA) for the disaster recovery and redevelopment efforts in St. Thomas. The redevelopment efforts will serve as Pennrose’s first projects in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Caribbean and is planned for approximately 700 units on St. Thomas. Pennrose will partner with Jackson Development […]

The Florida Housing Finance Corporation posed a Questions and Answers document regarding RFA 2019-102 Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) to be used in conjunction with Tax-Exempt MMRB and Non-Competitive Housing Credits in Counties Deemed Hurricane Recovery Priorities. Florida Housing Finance Corporation also posted a Questions and Answers document regarding RFA 2019-103 Community Development Block […]

HUD published the Notice of Demonstration to Assess the National Standards for the Physical Inspection of Real Estate (NSPIRE) and Associated Protocols in the Federal Register. Comments are due on October 21, 2019.

HUD published its Implementation of the Fair Housing Act’s Disparate Impact Standard proposed rule in the Federal Register. If implemented, the proposed rule would raise the burden of proof to bring a disparate impact claim, making it harder to pursue housing discrimination cases. Comments are due by October 18, 2019.

HUD has released the first set of NSPIRE standards with standards for chimneys, exit signs, sinks, smoke detectors and trash chutes. HUD is seeking feedback about the clarity of the deficiencies, the accuracy of the rationales and the overall usability of the standards. Please review the instructions on how to submit your feedback.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released its Inadmissibility on Public Charge Grounds Final Rule. The rule denies visas to persons the government deems to be a ‘public charge’, through their income and potential use of federal programs like Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers, Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance, and Public Housing programs, as well as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicaid and parts of Medicare. The final rule significantly expands the list of federal programs that can be used to determine if someone is deemed a public charge and is scheduled to take effect on Oct. 15, 2019.

HUD announced that the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) will insure mortgages on mixed-use development in opportunity zones under the agency’s Section 220 program. Historically, Section 220 has provided mortgage insurance for rental housing in downtown urban areas that have been targeted for overall revitalization. Now, all 8,764 Opportunity Zones, including those located in rural area, […]

Florida Housing will hold four Request for Applications (RFA) workshops in August and September. Florida Housing also recently issued RFA 2019-111 for its Rental Recovery Loan Program and RFA 2019-102 for Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) To Be Used In Conjunction With Tax-Exempt MMRB And Non-Competitive Housing Credits In Counties Deemed Hurricane Recovery Priorities

The Arizona Department of Housing (ADOH) is holding a public meeting to receive input on the 2020-2024 Consolidated Plan and Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing on August 20, 2019 from 5 to 6 pm MST at the Scott Resort and Spa Resort, 4925 N. Scottsdale, Arizona 85251. As part of the process, ADOH is conducting two brief surveys to help identify community priorities.

HUD’s forthcoming Notice of Proposed Rulemaking regarding the Discriminatory Effects Standard was recently leaked to Politico. HUD claims that the proposed rule will bring its disparate impact standard in line with the 2015 Supreme Court ruling in Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs v. Inclusive Community Project, Inc. The leaked notice of proposed rulemaking builds upon the Supreme Court’s ruling and proposes five steps for plaintiffs to bring a disparate impact claim.