HAC News: May 26, 2010

May 26, 2010
Vol. 39, No. 11

MANY HOUSING PROVISIONS PENDING IN SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS AND JOBS BILLS. H.R. 4899, the Disaster Relief and Summer Jobs Act of 2010, would add FY 2010 funds to the Section 502 guarantee program, with a 5% fee. It is available at http://thomas.loc.gov/home/approp/app10.html. H.R. 4213, the American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act, includes $1.065 billion for the National Housing Trust Fund, extends the Low Income Housing Tax Credit exchange program and New Markets Tax Credit for one year, and provides settlement funds for the Cobell class action lawsuit regarding American Indians’ trust accounts and the Pigford suit concerning USDA discrimination against African-American farmers. Its text is posted at http://www.rules.house.gov/111/LegText/111_hr4213_txt.pdf. The current versions of both bills have not yet been approved by either the House or the Senate.


HOUSE PANEL HEARS PROS AND CONS ON HUD RENTAL CHANGES. Opinions varied at a May 25 House Financial Services Committee hearing on the Preservation, Enhancement and Transformation of Rental Assistance Act, submitted to Congress by HUD. Written testimony and an archived webcast are posted at http://www.house.gov/apps/list/hearing/financialsvcs_dem/hrfc_051910.shtml. HUD’s proposed bill is at http://portal.hud.gov/portal/page/portal/HUD/fy2011budget/signature_initiatives/transforming_rental_assistance.

COMMENTS DUE JUNE 14 ON NEXT FARM BILL. The House Agriculture Committee invites comments through a web form at http://agriculture.house.gov as it begins to develop the 2012 Farm Bill. The committee is also holding field hearings around the country; testimony to date, posted at http://agriculture.house.gov/hearings/statements.html, has focused on agriculture issues rather than rural development.

IN 2007, 1.05 MILLION NONMETRO RENTERS HAD WORST CASE HOUSING NEEDS. The recession’s full economic impact is not included in a new HUD report to Congress on renters who pay more than half their income for rent, live in severely substandard housing, or both, and do not receive housing aid. Worst Case Housing Needs 2007: A Report to Congress is free at http://www2.huduser.org/portal/publications/affhsg/wc_HsgNeeds07.html.

CONGRESSIONAL CAUCUS ON HOMELESSNESS LAUNCHED. Co-founded and co-chaired by Reps. Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL), Judy Biggert (R-IL), Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), and Geoff Davis (R-KY), the caucus hopes to coordinate work on the issue. The members’ press releases can be accessed through http://www.house.gov.

NATIONAL HOUSING TRUST AND ENTERPRISE OFFER GREEN PRESERVATION MINI-LOANS. Nonprofit owners and developers can borrow up to $50,000 for up to 30 months at below-market rates to pay for predevelopment activities in connection with green retrofits of older affordable rental communities. Visit http://www.nhtinc.org for a summary. Contact Keiva Dennis, NHT, 202-333-8931 ext. 126, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

SECTION 533 HPG NOTICE CORRECTED. RD added the Rural Economic Area Partnership Zones set-aside to the NOFA published April 27 and corrected some state office information. See Federal Register, 5/21/10 or http://www.regulations.gov. Contact Bonnie Edwards-Jackson, 202-690-0759, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

"PRE-NOTICE" FOR CHOICE NEIGHBORHOODS FUNDING ISSUED. The document describes this new HOPE VI replacement program and tells applicants to register for grants.gov. The NOFA will be issued this summer. Visit http://www.hud.gov/offices/pih/programs/ph/cn/.

USDA RD CONSIDERS CHANGES TO SECTION 502 GUARANTEE PROGRAM. Comments are due July 19 on a proposed rule that would use Fannie Mae’s interest rate to calculate interest on all program loans and would allow USDA to recoup funds it paid on a claim if the lender did not follow program rules. See Federal Register, 5/19/10, or http://www.regulations.gov. Contact Joaquin Tremols, RD, 202-720-1465, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

CENSUS REQUESTS COMMENTS ON NEW POVERTY MEASURE. The new calculation would supplement, not replace, the official poverty measurement. (See HAC News, 3/5/10.) Deadline is June 25. Visit http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty/poverty.html. Contact David Johnson, Census, 301-763-6443, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

HUD REDUCES USE OF SECTION 8 INCOME LIMITS HOLD-HARMLESS POLICY. Income limits for Section 8 tenants will be allowed to decrease if HUD’s formula indicates they should. HUD will continue to publish a second set of income limits that apply the hold-harmless provisions, to be used by some HUD programs and by USDA rural housing programs. Visit http://www2.huduser.org/portal/datasets/il.html. Contact HUD USER, 800-245-2691.

BLACK-WHITE WEALTH GAP QUADRUPLES FROM 1984 TO 2007, RESEARCHERS REPORT. Brandeis University’s Institute on Assets and Social Policy found a large increase in white households’ real wealth over the time period studied, while African Americans’ wealth rose only slightly. “The Racial Wealth Gap Increases Fourfold” is posted at http://iasp.brandeis.edu/pdfs/Racial-Wealth-Gap-Brief.pdf.