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HUD has proposed using Small Area Fair Market Rents (FMRs) for the Housing Choice Voucher program, including project-based vouchers, in metropolitan areas where voucher use tends to be concentrated to specific neighborhoods or areas. Comments on the proposed rule are due by August 15.

On Tuesday, January 5, HUD hosted a listening session focused on fair housing standards related to HUD’s Rental Assistance Demonstration program. Before attending the session, NH&RA Executive Director worked with our RAD User Group to compile feedback for HUD officials. During the session, developers, public housing authorities, and fair housing advocates provided comments to senior and program leadership from HUD offices involved in public housing, multifamily housing and fair housing.

The Senate Appropriations Committee recently approved its fiscal year (FY) 2015 Transportation-HUD spending bill by a measure of 29-1. The draft bill would provide $36 billion in discretionary spending for Housing and Urban Development programs, offsetting receipts estimated by CBO at $9.8 billion, which allows for program funding levels totaling $45.8 billion.

A recently released bipartisan spending measure funds U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) programs at $45.46 billion, increasing funding for certain programs such as the Project-Based Rental Assistance and Tenant Based Rental Assistance programs over FY 2013 post-sequestration levels, but dramatically altering the landscape for others, in particular the Rental Housing Demonstration (RAD) program.

A new initiative for members involved with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) was announced at NH&RA’s recent Annual Meeting. At the request of HUD, NH&RA has formed a new working group for RAD users to meet with HUD on a regular basis to discuss challenges and share ideas for improvements to the program. At a kick off session featuring Margaret Salazar, Director of HUD’s Office of Affordable Housing Preservation, was held in conjunction with last week’s NH&RA Annual Meeting. NH&RA members identified the following tips for developers and houing authorities pursuing RAD transactions…

On Wednesday, October 9, the Senate Banking Committee held a hearing on Hosing Finance Reform: Essential Elements of the Multifamily Housing Finance System,” which focused on the multifamily perspective of housing finance reform.

The U.S. Senate and House of Representatives Appropriations Committees have both approved the T-HUD Subcommittee versions of the fiscal year (FY) 2014 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (T-HUD) and FY 2014 Agriculture and Rural Development funding bills.

HUD recently released the final rule (24 CFR Part 891) in the Federal Register governing the use of funding for Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly Program (Section 202) and the Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities Program (Section 811) to streamline the requirements applicable to Section 202 and Section 811 mixed-finance developments.

HUD recently published the final rule (24 CFR Part 92) amending the HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) Program regulations. These amendments represent the most significant changes to the HOME Program in 17 years. The overall goal of these changes was to provide participating jurisdictions (PJs) and their partners with regulatory guidance to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the HOME Program in the context of a more complex housing and community development environment.

HUD Secretary Sean Donovan today announced a major restructuring and reorganization of the Multifamily Programs within U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development.

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a new report entitled “Corporate Tax Expenditures: Information on Estimated Revenue Losses and Related Federal Spending Programs.” The report comes out as the U.S. Congress begins more serious consideration of tax reform. Presumably the data will be used to inform decisions as the topic is debated further and could have an impact on various programs utilized by NH&RA members. The report does not make any policy recommendations or endorsements regarding specific programs but does outline costs, revenue forgone and provides a basis for comparison acorss budget functions.

HUD has released several notices recently regarding sequestration and budget impacts on programs including FHA mortgage insurance firm commitments, homeless assistance grant programs, and more.