HUD awards new construction grants for senior housing
Today, HUD’s Office of Multifamily Housing announced over $50 million in Capital Advance grants through its Section 202 program, Supporting Housing for the Elderly. Under Section 202, HUD provides upfront capital advances to nonprofit entities for the development of senior housing with rents affordable for elderly low-income residents.
In addition to the $51.6 million awarded by HUD, recipients will leverage other funding to support development costs for both urban and rural units. The 18 awards will impact development or rehabilitation of nearly 600 units with supportive services for elderly residents.
NAHMA members advocated with Congress for the appropriation of capital advance funding in the Section 202 program, and we applaud both lawmakers and agency staff for supporting the housing and services needs of low-income seniors. A second batch of capital advance funding awards is forthcoming from HUD.
NAHMA policy committees prepare March Meeting priorities for Agency staff
This week, NAHMA hosted a housing policy discussion with our policy committee members to establish priorities for the March meeting sessions with HUD and USDA staff. The call covered industry updates for NAHMA’s Federal Affairs, Advocacy, Regulatory Affairs, Tax Credit, Senior Housing, Rural Housing, and Fair Housing committees.
Key items for discussion included new HUD guidance on reasonable accommodations, new IRS guidance on the Average Income test, changes to LIHTC compliance monitoring regulations, the launch of HUD’s physical inspection demonstration, and streamlining opportunities for rural portfolios.
As NAHMA continues to advocate on behalf of owners and managers, please consider sharing your insight with NAHMA on the following critical items:
- March Meeting Topics and Questions – Make sure your issues are covered during the March Meeting
Help us create a March Meeting agenda that is relevant to you by sharing your advance agency questions or topics. (Send advance questions to us by February 21st)
- Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule (AFFH) – Share your comments with NAHMA
HUD recently proposed changes to the AFFH requirements. (Send us comments by February 14th)
- Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) – Share your thoughts on the Administration’s recent CRA reform proposals
NAHMA is concerned about the impact of CRA modernization on the LIHTC and affordable housing financing. (Send comments to us by February 14th)
- NSPIRE Demonstration – Help NAHMA advocate for a better physical inspection protocol for the broader industry
Are you participating in HUD’s new REAC inspection demonstration? Keep us in the loop about your experiences so that we can. (Ongoing opportunity for member feedback)
The PowerPoint from the February call is available here. To join one of NAHMA’s policy committees, please reach out to Larry or Kris.
Congressional hearing examines future of public housing stock
This week, the House Financial Services Committee heard testimony on the state of the nation’s public housing stock and the investments needed to preserve and revitalize it. Witnesses for the hearing included Ann Gass of the Housing Authority of the City of Austin, Bobby Collins of the Housing Authority of the City of Shreveport, Susan Popkin of the Urban Institute, Kate Walz of the Shriver Center on Poverty Law, and Eugene Jones Jr. of Atlanta Housing Authority.
Among the legislative proposal discussed was the “Housing is Infrastructure Act of 2019,” which would invest $70 billion into the Public Housing Capital Fund to rehab the nationwide public housing stock. Lawmakers also questions witnesses on the “Choice Neighborhoods Initiative Act of 2019,” a bill aimed at transforming neighborhoods of extreme poverty into sustainable, mixed-income neighborhoods with access to economic opportunities, in part by revitalizing distressed housing and investing in services.
To view the a recording of the hearing, please click here.
House Oversight Committee Examines New AFFH Proposed Rule
This week, the House Committee on Oversight and Reform’s Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties held a hearing titled “A Threat to America’s Children: The Trump Administration’s Proposal to Gut Fair Housing Accountability,” to examine the impact of the Trump Administration’s proposed Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule (AFFH). This hearing was part of the Committee on Oversight and Reform’s two-day series of hearings, covering four subcommittees, which examined the “negative effects of regulations proposed by the Trump Administration relating to children….the series of hearings assessed the detrimental impact of the Administration’s actions on child poverty, housing, hunger, and health.”
Guests testifying at the hearing included Ms. Ateira Griffin with BOND, Inc – Building Our Nation’s Daughters; Ms. Ellen Lee with the City of New Orleans; Dr. Megan Sandel with Children’s Healthwatch; Mr. Jorge Andres Soto with the National Fair Housing Alliance; and Mr. Michael Hendrix with the Manhattan Institute. The Committee’s leadership, Committee Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) and Subcommittee Chairman Jamie Raskin (D-MD), were critical of the proposed rule’s approach to implementing AFFH, as required under the Fair Housing Act, due to its non-commitment to housing equity. Please send Larry comments by February 14, 2020.
The Opportunity and Revitalization Council Issues Report to the President
This week during the North Carolina “Opportunity Now” Summit, HUD Secretary Carson issued a report to the President on behalf of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council. Secretary Carson is the Chair of the Council, which includes 17 Federal agencies and Federal-State partnerships, tasked with identifying and disseminating best practices for utilizing the Opportunity Zones tax incentive and existing Federal resources to stimulate economic growth and revitalization, especially in America’s distressed areas. This report provides 180 action items that have been launched by the Council within one year of its creation.
According HUD’s press release, “the report provides updates on reforms that streamline existing regulations; actions that protect taxpayers by optimizing use of Federal resources; practices that stimulate economic opportunity and mobility; ideas that encourage entrepreneurship; pathways to expand quality educational opportunities; efforts to develop and rehabilitate quality housing stock; and recommendations to promote workforce development, safety, and the prevention of crime.”