• Congress passes spending cuts and additions  • Gulf Coast tax package signed into law  • Indian housing bill passed  • HAC posts grants.gov help  • Affordable Housing Program changes proposed  • CDFI NOFA republished.  • RD adopts parts of lead-based paint regs  • CDBG job-pirating rule published  • HUD proposes metro definition changes  • Section 8 Annual Adjustment Factors announced by HUD  • Public housing project expense computations explained  • USDA reallocates funds for hurricane relief  • House committee supports CDBG  • Season's greetings!

 • Spending cut possible this week  • Administration homesteading bills introduced  • House passes housing bills important to rural areas  • CDFI and BEA funding notices published  • HUD encourages early registration at grants.gov  • FEMA hotel deadline extended  • Hurricane housing updates posted  • HUD reports on worst case needs  • Housing costs remain out of reach for many

 • Congress sends THUD bill to President  • House Committee approves housing bills  • New manufactured home standards published  • USDA RD gives CNA guidance  • Housing assistance eases welfare-to-work transition, says HAC report

 • USDA and HUD appropriations progress  • Budget-cutting measures affect HUD preservation tool  • Bill improves coordination of USDA and NAHASDA funds  • Vouchers offered for people with disabilities  • HUD corrects date for public housing operating formula revisions  • RHS, RBS, RUS, and FSA revise fund disbursement rules  • CRA staff guidance proposed  • Housing impact research summarized  • Rural human services databases inventoried

 • USDA 2006 appropriation almost complete  • Senate passes FY 2006 HUD funding measure  • House adopts GSE bill with voter registration restrictions  • White House suggests rescissions  • Funds offered for schools to help Gulf Coast  • Section 8 adjustment factors published  • Manufactured housing dispute rules proposed  • HUD lists Rita waivers  • HUD issues fair housing reminder for Gulf Coast  • Rural housing goes green in Rural Voices

 • Hill votes possible this week on 2006 funding  • Hurricane relief bills pass House  • Housing fund bill set to restrict voter registration  • Final rule issued for HUD project-based vouchers  • HUD still accepting comments on disability discrimination  • Grants offered for hurricane relief, including housing  • New and revised hurricane housing resources available: HAC's updated guide, A fact sheet for survivors, USDA Rural Development, Information about programs, and from HUD  •October 23-29 is National Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Week  •Residential choices related to rural poverty, report says

 • CR reduces some housing spending  • Rural Housing Hurricane Relief Act introduced  • Homesteading legislation drafted  • HUD launches KDHAP  • HOPWA deadline extended  • HUD lists hurricane-related waivers  • FMRs published for FY 2006  • Comments sought on lead impact model  • Grants offered for building diversity  • Majority of Katrina-damaged homes were affordable for low-income

 • Katrina affecting housing legislation  • Subcommittee hears about Katrina's rural housing impact  • Bush proposes urban homesteading  • CDFI Fund will consider NMTC deadline extensions  • HUD final rule revises public housing operating costs  • OFHEO reviews its regulations  • OFHEO reports on GSEs' performance in 2004  • Nonmetro middle-income places listed for new CRA rule  • Online calculator compares owning and renting  • Enterprise offers HAC affiliates a special conference rate

 • HAC provides hurricane information  • Websites link housing needs and offers  • RD/RHS and HUD offer aid  • Events may affect appropriations  • SHOP funds available for intermediaries  • RHS proposes new surety threshold  • HUD lists areas with 50th percentile FMRs  • "Next door" programs to merge  • RHED grantees announced  • Damages awarded on prepayment claims  • Poverty up in 2004

 • Court upholds preservation law  • Second HOPWA round opens  • HUD announces Difficult Development Areas for tax credits  • RHS revises Section 515 management fees  • DataPlace compiles housing data online  • Effects of rural recreational development studied  • Forty percent of HUD tenants over- or underpaid rent, report says  • Groups call for changes in HUD definition of homelessness  • Online database gives federal funding data  • Forums online have community development information  • Affordable housing innovation award offered  • Conference call to cover self-help housing  • September training to focus on Midwest

 • Senate committee passes GSE bill, but without affordable housing fund  • USDA proposes eliminating rental prepayment restrictions  • HUD to allow some SuperNOFA paper applications  • HUD reopens more SuperNOFA competitions  • RCDI funds offered  • HECM regulation revision proposed  • Study says low incomes and indoor air pollution connected for rural residents  • Poor rural housing quality can lead to pest infestations  • New data on children released  • Aid to Alaska Natives studied

 • Senate Appropriations Committee passes 2006 HUD bill  • Senate starts work on GSE bill  • HUD reopens three SuperNOFA competitions  • Final CRA rule creates new test for mid-sized banks  • New Markets Tax Credits available  • HUD requests comments on multifamily handbook  • Dorr confirmed for USDA post  • KnowledgePlex to hold rural rental preservation online chat on August 9  • Committees examine trust land title delays  • ADA 15th anniversary celebrated  • SACI advisory committee report released  • Rural Voices features farmworker housing successes

 • HAC reports on advantages of self-help housing  • Rural child poverty rates higher than urban, concentrated in South  • Data and details available on proposed Affordable Housing Fund  • Changes in self-help TA grant applications explained  • RHS discourages state variations on multifamily housing rules  • RBS amends Intermediary Relending Program rules  • Lead assessment funds available for tribes.  • Website focuses on resolving land use disputes  • Recommendations on nonprofit governance and ethics published  • Brochures on acquisition and relocation posted  • Awards offered  • RHS obligations data on HAC’s website

 • Senate committee acts on rural housing funding  • House committee passes 2006 HUD funding billSenate committee cuts funds for data  • HUD seeks input on measuring outcomes  • Comments sought on HUD treatment of people with disabilities  • USDA requests comments on legislation  • Fair housing protest leads to cancellation of TV show  • Housing and transportation costs high and linked  • Mississippi Delta training set for July 20-22

 • House passes USDA appropriations  • Work begins on HUD appropriations  • IDA program adds a round, calls scheduled  • HUD proposes 2006 FMRs, provides new data  • Homeownership and cost burden rates both rising, says Harvard study  • Housing-assisted children are better nourished  • Articles focus on retirement destination and low-education counties  • Green building information online  • Register now for Mississippi Delta training

 • House committee supports rural housing funding  • New housing fund proposed in legislation  • HUD extends some SuperNOFA deadlines, RHED's now July 11  • Section 525 funds available  • Economic development due date extendedFair housing rule proposed  • Comments sought on New Markets Tax Credit regs  • Consolidated HOME regulation online  • June is National Homeownership Month  • HUD responds to regulatory barriers comments  • Hispanic homeowners victims of predatory lending, report says  • Survey shows when public supports affordable housing  • Advocates' guide published

 • Section 515 cut in first appropriations bill  • House appropriations subcommittee allocations made  • HUD extends some SuperNOFA program deadlines  • RHS announces Section 515 demonstration  • RHS revises packaging grant counties  • RHS clarifies Section 538 notice  • HHS corrects capacity building funding notices  • Guidance posted on using closed military bases  • Homeownership lasts longer for whites than for minorities, study says  • Marketing affordable housing is Rural Voices focus

 • Congress adopts budget guidelines for 2006  • Capacity building funds available  • Water/wastewater funding offered to intermediaries  • DOL has farmworker housing assistance funds  • Housing Application Packaging Grant counties updated  • Report says CRA is effective, recommends withdrawing most new regulations  • Working families’ housing needs rising, studies find  • Housing discrimination complaints increased in 2004  • Register now for Rural Gateway Native American training

 • Bill would change vouchers and public housing  •HUD proposes revising public housing operating costs  •Economic development grants offered  •Rural expert heads SACI committee  •Rental preservation recommendations issued  •Rural preservation guide published  •Data on lost HUD-assisted units available  •Answers available for frequently asked questions on HMDA data  •HUD launches Energy Action e-newsletter  •Correction: fair housing toolkit  •Conferences: - The National Low Income Housing Coalition - The New Markets Tax Credit Coalition

 • April is Fair Housing Month  • Capital grants available to serve homeless vets  • Economic development funds offered  • CRA rules updated  • Energy assistance rule takes effect  • Rental preservation task force to release final report  • Fair housing materials available  • HUD is trying to reduce its rent overpayment, GAO reports  • Population loss counties identified  • Guide lists resources for community development and more  • Multifamily housing award offered  • Rural Gateway Native American training set

 • House and Senate budgets support CDBG, cut other programs  • USDA officials testify on RHS and RD budget, GAO reports possible inaccuracies in RHS data  • HUD issues SuperNOFA  • Water/wastewater revolving funds available  • Comments on CRA proposals due May 10  • Updated disaster guide available from HAC  • In memoriam: Cushing N. Dolbeare, board member  • In memoriam: Linda Kravitz, former staffer

 • Senate reorganizes appropriations subcommittees  • CRA regulatory changes adopted, more suggested  • HUD revises Fair Market Rents  • IHBG formula revisions proposed  • RHS withdraws bonding rule  • Advance registration required to apply for HUD funds in 2005, SuperNOFA expected soon  • USDA website helps find rental units  • Nonprofit Innovation Awards offered  • HUD suggests CDBG formula revisions  • Public Relations Guide for Rural Housing Organizations published by HAC  • Rural Voices provides rental preservation primer and update

 • House reorganizes appropriations subcommittees  • Funding offered for manufactured housing.  • RHS delays legal resident requirements for tenants  • HUD income limits published  • HUD seeks IHBG committee nominees  • Guidance provided on assisting people with disabilities through Section 8  • Local HUD voucher loss data posted  • HAC reports on rural gentrification  • Registration open for preservation conference  • Register for Rural Gateway training in the colonias

 • FY 2006 budget released February 7 (USDA - HUD)  • IDA applications accepted on rolling basis  • Native American development funds available  • HUD extends IHBG minimum funding  • Energy assistance rule issued  • RHS adjusts rules for Section 502 and 504 programs  • New Market Tax Credit regulations corrected  • Farmworker study suspended  • Study shows manufactured home prices vary  • Rural rental preservation conference set for April

 • HUD changes rumored  • HAC announces new Green Fund  • RHS to demonstrate multifamily revitalization  • Section 538 regulations amended  • Section 8 annual adjustment factors published  • HUD corrects LIHTC Difficult Development Areas notice  • Survey underway on assistance to RHS homeowners  • New guidelines for green building published, conference planned  • Access to stable housing essential for prisoner re-entry, study says  • Good and affordable rental housing can meet many of the same goals as homeownership  • Website lists HUD, USDA, and VA homes for sale Audio conferences to focus on work-family balance

 • USDA management changes coming  • HUD corrects HOPE VI NOFA  • RHS raises bonding threshold.  • Uniform relocation assistance rules revised  • HUD proposes Consolidated Plan revisions  • Release of more mortgage data suggested  • GAO suggests changes to RHS "rural" definition  • Anti-predatory lending materials offered  • Housing policy myths debunked  • USDA and HUD publish 2004 performance reports  • Federal budget primer and state information available  • HUD award to recognize reduction of barriers  • Housing and services conference call set  • HAC publishes colonias guide