Rural Housing

On December 31, the Rental Policy Working Group (RPWG) released its administrative proposals for the realignment of federal affordable rental housing programs. The report, called “Federal Rental Alignment Administrative Proposals” proposes ways to reduce the cost and burden of various affordable housing programs operated by the Departments of Agriculture, Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Treasury and others.

The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) has announced a meeting for the Rural Housing Workgroup. This meeting is being held in response the agency’s increased awareness of the unique challenges in serving rural populations.

The White House Rental Policy Working Group which includes officials from the White House, the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Department of Agricultural Rural Development has unveiled a pilot program, the Physical Inspections Alignment Program, as part of the Obama Administration’s recent goal to streamline Federal rental housing policy.

The Housing Assistance Council (HAC) has published “Rurality in the United States,” the first in its new series of Rural Research Notes, highlighting economic and housing characteristics of rural America.

The White House’s Rental Policy Working Group recently released realignment requirements for several critical administrative policy areas in order to better align Federal rental policy. As one of the first initiatives to be tested, the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) has been selected as the nation’s first housing authority to implement federal subsidy layering review realignment.

The Housing Assistance Council, in partnership with The Atlantic Philanthropies announced a new grant program, the Rural Senior Housing (RSH) Fund. Eligible affordable housing organizations are invited to apply for RSH grants to support activities that will build, preserve, or advocate for housing for low-income older adults living in rural areas.

Responding to this need for better coordinated Federal rental policy, the White House’s Domestic Policy Council established the interagency Rental Policy Working Group in 2010.

The Council for Affordable and Rural Housing (CARH) has released a detailed summary of the recent legislation signed by President Obama to increase the debt limit from $2.1 to $2.4 trillion and create a bipartisan “super committee” tasked with developing a strategy to lower the national debt by $1.5 trillion over the next 10 years.

NH&RA is pleased to offer .PDF versions of the PowerPoint slides presented at the 2011 Summer Institute & New Markets Tax Credit Symposium.

The Obama Administration has announced the formation of the first White House Rural Council.

NH&RA is pleased to make available the slides presented at the recent 2011 NCAHMA Spring Affordable Housing Policy & Underwriting Forum, April 27-28 in Washington, DC. Slides will be available to the public for a limited time only, and then only available to NH&RA members.

Housing Assistance Council (HAC) Executive Director Moises Loza has submitted written testimony in response to the Obama Administration’s proposed FY-2012 budget with regard to the nation’s rural housing programs.