Housing

HUD: Access to Opportunity for 10,000 Families Increased through New $50 Million Housing Mobility Demonstration

HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge on Thursday announced awards to nine lead public housing authorities (PHAs) that will participate in HUD’s new Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Mobility Demonstration, which will receive $45.7 million in total funding. Through this Demonstration, PHAs will provide over 10,000 families with children better access to low-poverty neighborhoods with high-performing schools…

FHFA: House Price Index Up 0.9 Percent in February 2021; Up 12.2 Percent from Last Year

House prices rose nationwide in February, up 0.9 percent from the previous month, according to the latest Federal Housing Finance Agency House Price Index (FHFA HPI®).  House prices rose 12.2 percent from February 2020 to February 2021. The previously reported 1.0 percent price change for January 2021 remained unchanged. For the nine census divisions, seasonally adjusted monthly…

HUD and Census Bureau: New Residential Sales Report for March 2021 Released

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Census Bureau jointly announced the following new residential sales statistics for March 2021: New Home Sales Sales of new single-family houses in March 2021 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,021,000. This is 20.7 percent (±23.7 percent)* below the revised February…

HUD: Multifamily Housing Inspections to Resume in June

On Friday, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Marcia L. Fudge announced that HUD will substantially increase housing inspections, beginning on June 1, 2021. HUD’s inspections are instrumental in identifying unsafe conditions and supporting HUD’s work with housing providers to mitigate them. Thirteen months ago, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and…

HUD: Proposed Rule Withdrawn and Commitment Reaffirmed to Equal Access to Housing, Shelters, and Other Services Regardless of Gender Identity

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Marcia L. Fudge on Thursday announced that HUD is withdrawing the previous administration’s proposed rule that would have weakened the Equal Access Rule. The Equal Access Rule ensures that all individuals – regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity-have equal access to the Department’s Office of…

FHFA: Extension of COVID-19 Related Loan Flexibilities Announced

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced today that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the Enterprises) will extend some temporary loan origination flexibilities until May 31, 2021. All temporary flexibilities were originally set to expire on April 30, 2021. Alternative appraisals on purchase and rate-term refinance loans are among the flexibilities that will now be…

HUD: Access to Puerto Rico Disaster Relief Funds Accelerated

Department removes onerous restrictions that limited island’s access to funds, obligates $8.2 billion in federal mitigation funding The Department of Housing and Urban Development today announced the obligation of $8.2 billion in Community Development Block Grant Mitigation (CDBG-MIT) funds for Puerto Rico, along with the removal of onerous restrictions unique to Puerto Rico that limited…

HUD: Winners of 2021 Innovation in Affordable Housing Student Design and Planning Competition Announced

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced a graduate student team with members from Pratt Institute and New York University as the winners of HUD’s eighth annual Innovation in Affordable Housing Student Design and Planning Competition. For the 2021 competition, HUD partnered with Fresno Housing in Fresno County, California. The combined Pratt Institute…

CFPB: Interim Final Rule Clarifies Tenants Can Hold Debt Collectors Accountable for Illegal Evictions

Bureau Issues Interim Final Rule on Fair Debt Collection Practices Act The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) today issued an interim final rule in support of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s eviction moratorium. The CFPB’s rule requires debt collectors to provide written notice to tenants of their rights under the eviction moratorium…

HUD: $41 Million Funding Opportunity Announced to Provide Stable Housing to Low-Income Persons Living with HIV and Their Families

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is making $41 million in Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) competitive funding available to states, local governments, and non-profits through the HOPWA: Housing as an Intervention to Fight AIDS funding opportunity. Housing instability has been a major issue facing many persons living with HIV…