Author: Brian Waters

CDFI Fund: Public Data for NMTC Program for FYs 2003-2019 Released

The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund) today released transaction level data collected on New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) investments across the nation through fiscal year (FY) 2019. The CDFI Fund requires all Community Development Entities (CDEs) that have been awarded NMTC allocations to submit an annual report detailing…

FHFA: House Price Index Up 1.0 Percent in July; Up 6.5 Percent from Last Year

 House prices rose nationwide in July, up 1.0 percent from the previous month, according to the latest Federal Housing Finance Agency House Price Index (FHFA HPI).  House prices rose 6.5 percent from July 2019 to July 2020. FHFA also revised its previously reported 0.9 percent price change for June 2020 to 1.0 percent. For the nine census divisions, seasonally…

ABA: Statement on the Federal Reserve’s ANPR to Modernize CRA Rules

“Today’s Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking is an important step toward modernizing the Community Reinvestment Act in a manner that benefits communities and provides banks with regulatory clarity going forward. While we are still reviewing the ANPR with our members, we appreciate the Fed’s measured, research-based approach to formulating this critically important rule. “As the…

HUD: Nearly $2 Billion Awarded in CARES Act Relief Funds Focusing on Communities with Higher Risk of Eviction

United States Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson today announced the allocation of the remaining $1.988 billion in CARES Act funding for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. The allocation focuses funds towards places with households facing higher risk of eviction. To date, HUD has provided nearly $5 billion in CDBG funding nationwide…

EDA: $800,000 Invested to Establish Revolving Loan Fund to Serve Small Businesses in Seven Disaster-Impacted South Dakota Counties

Today, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding an $800,000 grant to the West River Foundation for Economic and Community Development in Sturgis, South Dakota, to establish a Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) to assist small businesses impacted by natural disasters in Bennett, Butte, Custer, Fall River, Meade, Pennington, and Perkins counties….

FEMA: President Trump Approves Major Disaster Declaration for Tennessee Due to Severe Storms

FEMA announced that federal disaster assistance has been made available to the state of Tennessee to supplement state, tribal and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by severe storms, flooding, straight-line winds and tornadoes from April 12 – 13, 2020. The President’s action makes federal funding available to affected individuals in Bradley and Hamilton…

Federal Reserve: Rule Change Announced to Bolster the Effectiveness of the SBA’s Paycheck Protection Program

The Federal Reserve Board on Friday announced a rule change to bolster the effectiveness of the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The change will temporarily modify the Board’s rules so that certain bank directors and shareholders can apply for PPP loans for their small businesses. To prevent favoritism, Board rules limit the…

HUD: $200 Million in COVID-19 Relief Funding Available to Help Native American Communities Across the Nation

Recovery funding will help American Indian Communities respond to COVID-19 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson today announced $200 million in Indian Housing Block Grants (IHBG) to American Indian Tribes and Tribally Designated Housing Entities (TDHEs) across the country to respond to COVID-19. This funding will be used to help…

Pandemic Planning: Joint Questions and Answers Regarding State About the Use of Capital and Liquidity Buffers

Summary The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), along with the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Federal Reserve) and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) (collectively, the agencies), recognize the potential for Coronavirus Disease (also referred to as COVID-19) to adversely affect the customers and operations of financial institutions. On…