HUD

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released a notice in the Federal Register announcing its plan to implement changes made to the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program in the 2015 HUD Appropriations Act.

President Obama’s Better Buildings Challenge welcomed six new multifamily housing authority and owners. AHEAD, Inc (Littleton, NH), Gragg Cardona Partners (Washington, DC), Housing Authority of the Birmingham District (Birmingham, AL), Newark Housing Authority (Newark, NJ), The DeBruler Co. (Libertyville, IL), and Windsor Locks Housing Authority (Windsor Locks, CT) all announced they are joining the Challenge.

U.S. Department of Housing Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro and California Governor Jerry Brown announced a plan to expand financing for energy efficiency and solar energy in multifamily housing. Their plan includes unlocking property-assessed clean energy (PACE) financing for multifamily housing in California, establishing the California Master-Metered Multifamily Finance Pilot Project, and engaging philanthropy and the financial sector in supporting renewable energy in affordable housing.

Owners of Low Income Housing Tax Credit properties in Colorado now have the option of basing utility allowances on energy, water, and sewage consumption.

The United States Supreme Court recently heard oral arguments related to Texas Department of Housing and Community Development (TDHCA) vs. Inclusive Communities Project (ICP), a case that is examining whether or not disparate impact is “cognizable” under the Fair Housing Act.

HUD recently announced the FY 2014 Choice Neighborhood Planning Grant awardees. HUD is awarding $3.2 million in Choice Neighborhood Planning Grants.

In a recent report Understanding Whom the LIHTC Program Serves, HUD examines several years of demographic and economic data on LIHTC tenants provided by state housing finance agencies through an annual data collection process mandated by HERA.

HUD recently released new guidance regarding tenant protections for households when owners use both HUD-assistance (eg. Project-Based Section 8, Section 236, Section 202) and Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) financing.

HUD recently issued a Notice in Federal Register seeking to streamline requirements across the public housing and Section 8 (tenant- and project-based) portfolios.

On December 23, 2014, HUD released a Notice detailing and clarifying its enforcement policy with respect to application of Davis-Bacon Wage and the second component of the RAD program.

NH&RA signed-on to support the National Low Income Housing Coalition’s campaign to urge lawmakers to to act quickly to stop budget caps and sequestration from taking effect in the upcoming fiscal year.

U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday, December 9 introduced the so-called “Cromnibus” spending legislation, a $1 trillion bill that will fund most of the government through September 30, 2015. The measure combines a three-month continuing resolution (CR) for the Department of Homeland Security and 11 full spending bills for the remaining government agencies through the end of fiscal year (FY) 2015.