Federal Update
Senate Moves to Avert Shutdown, White House Refuses to Sign
Last night, in the face of a partial government shutdown on December 21, the Senate passed a Continuing Resolution (CR) that would fund the government through February 8. The CR would extend the authority for the National Flood Insurance Program through February 8. The extension does not include any LIHTC provisions. The CR would have allowed lawmakers more time to negotiate 2019 spending, however the President indicated this afternoon that would not sign the bill.
Homeless Assessment Report
On December 17, HUD released its 2018 Annual Homeless Assessment Report. The report shows that 552,830 individuals experienced homelessness on a single night in 2018, an increase of 0.3 percent since last year. According to the report, nearly 360,000 of homeless individuals were located in emergency shelters or transitional housing programs. 195,000 individuals were unsheltered. The assessment finds that homelessness among veterans dropped 5.4 percent and homelessness experienced by families with children fell 2.7 percent nationwide since 2017.
White House Creates Opportunity and Revitalization Council
On December 12, President Trump signed an Executive Order creating the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council. The Council will align federal agency priorities with Opportunity Zones. The interagency council, which will be chaired by HUD Secretary Ben Carson and comprised of 13 federal agencies.
State Update
Final 2019 QAP Released
The North Carolina Housing Finance Agency has released the final 2019 Qualified Allocation Plan for the low income housing tax credit. The deadline for application is January 18, 2019. Among the changes from 2018 was the 12.5% allocation increase to the Eastern region to accommodate disaster recovery efforts.
Supportive Housing Development Program NOFA
The North Carolina Housing Finance Agency is pleased to announce the availability funding for our Supportive Housing Development Program under the 2019 funding cycle. A Pre-Application Project Description Form is requested by Friday, January 11, 2019. Because of the short timeframe for the pre-applications, they will be accepted after this deadline as long as there is adequate time for a NCHFA site visit and for the applicant to complete their full application. The deadline for application submission is: 5:00 PM on Friday, March 1, 2019.
Reports
Freddie Mac: The Major Challenge of Inadequate US Housing Supply
Urban Institute: The Community Reinvestment Act Lending Data Highlights
NYU Furman Center: Implementing New York City’s Universal Access to Counsel Program:
Lessons for Other Jurisdictions
Brookings Institution: The Goldilocks problem of housing supply: Too little, too much, or just right?
Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies: Where Have All the Renters Gone?
