NMA Blog

The Atlantic (via CSSP): Affordable housing would be much fairer if it were treated like food stamps

In a letter to executive directors last week, HUD announced an increase in the calendar year (CY) 2015 estimated fee proration factor from 79 percent to approximately 81 percent. The letter, from Principal Assistant Deputy Secretary Lourdes Castro-Ramirez, states that HUD has identified additional funds to support ongoing administrative fees.

Yesterday in the Federal Register, HUD’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) published a proposed rule titled “Quid Pro Quo and Hostile Environment Harassment and Liability for Discriminatory Housing Practices Under the Fair Housing Act.” The 12-page proposed rule seeks to “formalize standards for use in investigations and adjudications involving alleged harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, familial status or disability.”

FiveThirtyEight (via CSSP): The number of homeless students in the country’s classrooms has more than doubled since before the recession

Thank you to everyone who joined us at the 2015 NMA and GoSection8 Housing Conference last week in Miami. To view a gallery of photos from the event, go here. I’d like to extend a warm thank-you to our generous sponsors, GoSection8, HAI Group, HousingHub, HTVN, COTG, and Beacon Hill Associates, who helped make the conference a truly special event.

It was a real pleasure to enjoy face-to-face conversations with so many enthusiastic and thoughtful members of our industry who appreciate the unique challenges and successes we all navigate, whether new to affordable housing or an old pro. I continue to be inspired by what you're doing to improve the lives of the families in your communities. For some more impressive achievements, go here to read about the honorees of the 2015 NMA Housing Awards.