Tuesday’s Regulatory & Legislative Round-Up

  • President Obama recently signed the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act into law.  The legislation contains numerous provisions related to housing including, “pay for success” housing demonstration in which private contractors will enter into contracts to upgrade the efficacy of federal housing, and be compensated based on the effectiveness of their work.
  • The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has proposed a new rule aimed at combating gender discrimination in the provision of housing services. Among other things, Equal Access to Housing in HUD Programs, Regardless of Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity prohibits inquiries into the gender and sexual status of tenants by housing providers.

Friday’s Government Reports Roundup

Tuesday’s Regulatory & Legislative Round-Up

Friday’s Government Reports

  • The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released its Annual Report to Congress on the Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund, an independent actuarial analysis that found capital reserves at 2.7%.  Congress mandates a minimum 2% reserve. The findings also reveal a 3rd consecutive year of growth for the fund which is now worth 23.8 Billion (up 19 billion from 2014).

Monday’s Adjudication Roundup

Friday’s Government Reports Roundup

  • HUD’s Office of Policy Development and Research released paper, which describes its “Bridge to Family Self-Sufficiency” Program. The program is intended to determine if low-income families in public housing improve their overall stability, with the right support.
  • HUD released public, Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing, which is intended to more efficiently further the purposes and policies of the Fair Housing Act.

Tuesday’s Regulatory & Legislative Update

  • The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) released a final notice, The Small Buildings Risk Sharing Initiative invites private sector lenders to partner with the FHA to provide long term fixed rate capital to small building owners with mortgages of $3 – 5 million. Lending under this initiative will be limited to properties which are willing to meet affordability requirements.  The FHA will guarantee 50% of the mortgages.  The FHA is also pursing a change to Section 542(b) of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1992  to allow SBRSI lenders to access capital through Ginnie Mae and to authorize securitization of the loans. In the mean time lenders can access low interest long term capital through the U.S. Treasury’s Federal Financing Bank.
  • The Mayor of Seattle has released an Action Plan to address the affordability crisis in that city, where 15-20% of the population is severely rent burdened and minorities are disproportionately impacted. The Mayor’s goal is to create 50,000 units over the next 10 years.
  • The U.S. Department of the Treasury has proposed a rule which, “provides for the enforcement of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964…to that end no person in the United States shall on the grounds of race, color, or national origin be denied participation in, be denied benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination under any program or activity that receives Federal financial assistance from the Department of the Treasury.”  The rule, open for comment until September 11, provides guidance to recipients and provisions for “consistent and appropriate enforcement.” The proposed ruled covers 12 programs including the Community Developments Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI).