NMA Blog

Today in the Federal Register, HUD published a notice waiving timing requirements for disaster recovery action plans and action plan amendments. The waivers for grants under the Community Development Block Grant–Disaster Recovery (CDBG–DR) program are necessary due to the government shutdown “and the resultant inability to satisfactorily complete the review and approval process consistent with (HUD’s) customary timeline.”

As explained in the notice, CDBG-DR grantees are required to submit action plans to HUD describing the intended use of recovery funds. HUD approval is also required for significant amendments to the action plans. HUD is waiving the required 45- to 60-day time limits for review and approval of the plans.

HUD will review the pending Action Plan Amendments and Action Plans and provide affected grantees with a decision within a time period which will be announced by HUD after enactment of funding for the Department’s normal operations.

Failure to extend the review period could lead to deemed approvals upon expiration of the customary 60-day review period, an outcome that would be inconsistent with both HUD’s oversight responsibilities and the purposes of the CDBG–DR funding or, alternatively, disapproval. Grantees with pending submissions are advised that the extension of HUD’s review period and resulting delays should not be considered a commentary on the submissions but is a recognition of the current circumstances.

This morning the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) posted a contingency plan to provide guidance for PHAs in the event of a lapse in appropriations. The 86-page PDF document outlines general guidance and legal decisions, guidance for program operations by HUD office, legal issues, internal and external communications plans, critical information technology and systems infrastructure, contract support, and other topics. The document also contains three appendices, one that includes drafted templates for internal communications, one with FAQs for external stakeholders, and one listing excepted employees by office and exception or exemption. For specific program operations guidance for HUD’s Office of Public and Indian Housing (PIH), see page 8 of the document.

HUD has also posted a 29-page FAQ document titled “Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) in the Event of a Government Shutdown.” The FAQs applicable to PIH programs begin on page 16.

The House Appropriations Committee yesterday released the fiscal year 2017 Omnibus Appropriations bill, which would provide discretionary funding for the federal government for the remainder of the current fiscal year. Congress is expected to vote on the bill later this week, in time to avoid a government shutdown when the current continuing resolution expires on Friday.

Proposed funding for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is described in a summary prepared by the House committee. The legislation includes a net total of $38.8 billion for HUD, a $513 million increase above the fiscal year 2016 enacted level, and $824 million below the requested funding level. Highlights include:

• Section 8 and Public Housing – Included in the bill is $27.5 billion for Public and Indian Housing. This is an increase of $623 million above the fiscal year 2016 enacted level and $760 million below the requested level.
• Office of Housing – Other housing programs are funded at $11.5 billion – an increase of $259 million above the fiscal year 2016 enacted level. Project-Based Rental Assistance is funded at $10.8 billion; Housing for the Elderly is provided with $502 million; and Housing for Persons with Disabilities receives $146 million.
• The bill cuts HUD’s administrative payments to public housing agencies by $427 million below the previous administration’s request. It also includes a provision prohibiting HUD from guaranteeing mortgages seized by eminent domain.
• Community Planning and Development – The bill contains $6.8 billion for Community Planning and Development programs – $152 million above the fiscal year 2016 enacted level.
• Community Development Block Grants are funded at $3 billion – the same as the fiscal year 2016 level. The HOME Investment Partnerships Program is funded at $950 million – the same as the current year. Grants for homeless assistance are funded at $2.4 billion, an increase of $133 million over current level.
• Emergency Funding for Disaster Relief – In addition to regular appropriations, the legislation includes an additional $948 million in disaster relief. Of this amount, $528 million is for the Emergency Relief Program for qualifying emergency road and bridge repair expenses, and $400 million is for Community Development Block Grant disaster recovery assistance.

The full 92-page committee report is available here.

Boston Globe: Housing subsidies represent perhaps the country’s best shot at breaking intergenerational poverty

CityLab: The case for preservation instead of construction

CityLab: Most Americans are worried about losing their housing

Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies: How do U.S. renters fare compared to those around the world?

Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies: Older single women face greatest housing challenges

Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies: New data on incomes suggests growing demand for housing

Next City: What Texas ruling means for fair housing

Next City: Nashville affordable housing advocates score 2 victories

NLIHC: Congress debates stopgap funding to avoid government shutdown

NLIHC: U.S. ranks poorly in housing affordability among advanced countries

Rooflines: Why we need to invest greater resources into the role of residential property managers

San Francisco Chronicle (via Planetizen): Housing crisis linked to public health problems

Urban Wire: What new programs and policies should PHAs be testing?

Urban Wire: How MTW could teach us about the benefits and costs of car access

Urban Wire: How HUD and PHAs can support students

Urban Wire: To increase housing choice, try incentivizing landlords

Good news this morning from Congress, which approved a $1.1 trillion spending package averting a government shutdown.

The bill increases funding for the HOME program (previous versions effectively eliminated HOME), fully funds the renewal of all housing choice vouchers in use as well as vouchers about to be leased up by new voucher holders, and increases funding for both the public housing operating and capital funds.

CNN: Congress clears bill averting shutdown

CityLab: Residents in some public-housing units in Worcester, Massachusetts, must now get a job or go back to school

Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies: Unprecedented growth in the number of renter households over the past 10 years

NLIHC: Committee approves "Housing Opportunity through Modernization Act" despite opposition

NPR: There's shelter, and then there's housing: Utah claims muted victory

To all our blog readers, a very happy holiday! This is the final affordable housing news roundup of 2015, and we’ll be back in 2016 to bring you up to speed on what’s ahead in the new year.