HUD

Senators Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Todd Young (R-IN) introduced the Senate version of the Reforming Disaster Recovery Act of 2019 (S. 2301). The bill would help target Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) resources to survivors with the greatest needs, ensure greater data transparency and oversight, protect civil rights and fair housing, and encourage disaster mitigation and resiliency.

Following the House passage of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2019, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Chairwoman of the House Financial Services Committee, sent a letter to the Chairs and Ranking Members of the House Appropriations Committee requesting $5 billion in FY 2020 funding for HUD’s McKinney Vento Homeless Assistance Grant program. Chairwoman Maxine Waters introduced […]

HUD opened registration for its new National Standards for the Physical Inspection of Real Estate (NSPIRE) Demonstration. NH&RA encourages all eligible PHAs, owners and agents to participate in the NSPIRE demonstration. Properties will be given an advisory NSPIRE score and the most recent UPCS score will remain on the books. NSPIRE demonstration participants will have the opportunity to shape the new REAC inspection protocol and to prepare in advance of the mandatory changes.

In an ongoing effort to make information available on the impacts of RAD in communities around the country, HUD has published new state-by-state RAD fact sheets that provide summary information on the RAD activity in each state. The data is “live” and updates real-time as properties complete the conversion process.

HUD’s Office of Asset Management and Portfolio Oversight (OAMPO) recently issued a memo clarifying owners’ responsibilities to notify residents in advance of physical inspections, to make final inspection documents available for review and comment and suggested collaborative implementation of new house rules. 

Last week HUD announced $330 million in grants to clean up lead-based paint hazards and other housing-related health and safety hazards. HUD’s grants will direct funds to qualifying cities, counties, states and Native American tribal governments to eliminate dangerous lead paint hazards.

Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) reintroduced the Fair Housing Improvement Act of 2019 to protect veterans and low-income families from housing discrimination. This bill would expand the Fair Housing Act’s protections to prohibit housing discrimination based on source of income or veteran status.

Last week the House Financial Services Committee (HFSC) marked up and approved by a voice vote the Safe Housing for Families Act of 2019 (H.R. 1690). The bill provides $300 million over three years to fund the installation and maintenance of carbon monoxide detectors in HUD-assisted housing units that have combustion-fueled appliances or a ventilation system that connects them to such units.

On June 25, the House passed five of the twelve FY 2020 appropriations bills, including funding for HUD and RD, in H.R. 3055 with a 227-194 vote. The House has yet to approve FY 2020 funding for three appropriations subcommittees and has yet to raise the FY 2020 spending caps set by the Budget Control Act of 2011. Absent congressional action to raise the spending caps, all discretionary funding is estimated to receive a ten percent cut.

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia (D-TX) introduced S. 1904/H.R. 2763 that would bar HUD from enacting is proposed rule that would prohibit mixed immigration status families from living in HUD-assisted housing.

On June 20, the Senate confirmed Hunter Kurtz as Assistant Secretary of Public and Indian Housing at HUD. The Senate also confirmed Seth Appleton as Assistant Secretary of Policy Development and Research (PD&R) at HUD.

On June 25, President Trump signed an Executive Order establishing the White House Council on Eliminating Barriers to Affordable Housing and named HUD Secretary Ben Carson as its Chairperson.