Multi-Family Finance

The U.S. Senate rejected an amendment to the financial regulatory overhaul legislation that would established a time frame for ending the government’s support of Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac and for ultimately dissolving the two government sponsored entities.

Over the past several days NH&RA has met with several key House and Senate staffers on the tax writing, banking/financial services and appropriations committees to discuss critical legislation impacting affordable housing, historic rehabilitation and New Markets Tax Credit development.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) is proposing to reorganize existing investment regulations that apply to the Federal Home Loan Banks (FHLB), as well as incorporate limitations on the Banks’ investment in mortgage-backed securities and asset-backed securities, contained in the existing Financial Management Policy.

National Council of Affordable Housing Market Analysts (NCAHMA) is please to offer FIVE digital audio recordings of select panel sessions held during its 2010 Spring Underwriting Forum, April 7-8 in New Orleans.

On March 16 HUD issued a new mortgagee letter that effectively raises the maximum FHA mortgage amount for multifamily FHA-insured loans by excluding land value from the calculation of the statutory mortgage limits. It is expected that this new determination by the FHA will expand the use of FHA insurance for multifamily housing in major high-cost cities such as New York City, San Francisco, Boston, and Philadelphia. NH&RA’s General Counsel Bingham McCutchen provided the following summary:

The Urban Land Institute has published a new report entitled Housing in America: The Next Decade. The first part of this report reviews the current state of the market.

National Housing & Rehabilitation Association (NH&RA) is pleased to announce that it has extended its discounted early registration rate deadline for the 2010 Spring Policy Forum, May 20-21 at the Liaison Hotel in Washington, DC. Simply register online by no later than Friday, April 30 to receive $100 off conference fees.

The Obama administration recently released a set of seven questions for public input on the future of the nation’s housing finance system, including Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, as well as the overall role of the federal government in housing policy.

Major decisions are being made in Washington that affect the future of tax credit development. But these decisions aren’t made in a vacuum – they are made after consultation with industry experts, constituents and consumers. You should be part of the conversation! Join NH&RA in Washington, DC for its 2010 Spring Policy Forum.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund) is conducting two separate conference calls for potential applicants to the Capital Magnet Fund.

The US House of Representatives passed a $16.8 billion package of tax incentives for state and local governments and small businesses Wednesday, the second measure in the Democrats’ “jobs agenda” to pass the chamber this month.

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Sander M. Levin (D-MI), recently introduced draft legislation that would make tax-exempt bond-financed properties eligible for the Section 1602 low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) cash grant exchange program, and allow the new markets tax credit (NMTC) to be used to offset the alternative minimum tax (AMT).