Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) recently released a housing report entitled, “Locked Out: Reversing Federal Housing Failures and Unlocking Opportunity.” It calls on the federal government to “reassert its partnership to become a constructive force for equity, accessibility...
During the August recess, the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act garnered more support and co-sponsorships from Congressional members. The Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act of 2019 was reintroduced in June by U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), Ron...
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) recently announced that it will increase caps on the amount of multifamily loans Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac can purchase next year while also closing some loopholes. The regulatory agency will now limit the two firms to purchasing $100 billion in...
The Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies recently published a report called “A Home Builder Perspective on Housing Affordability and Construction Innovation.” It found that both single-family and multifamily home builders identify labor and building-material costs and...
The California Tax Credit Allocation Committee recently released a memorandum that lists proposed changes for the state’s low-income housing tax credit program. For 2020, the $500 million in state credits will be available through the noncompetitive application process. The committee also...
The National League of Cities (NLC) Housing Task Force recently published “Homeward Bound: The Road to Affordable Housing.” The report focuses on the challenges and solutions communities are using to address the nation's growing affordable housing crisis. The report offers...
The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act created Opportunity Zones (OZs) to stimulate long-term investments in low-income communities. As the initiative offers capital gains tax relief to those who invest in these distressed areas, the tax incentives are anticipated to spur $100 billion in private capital...
According to an analysis by the National Council of State Housing Agencies (NCSHA), the amount of capital targeted for investment in designated Opportunity Zones (OZs) has increased dramatically. NCSHA compiles a directory of OZ funding opportunities. This resource provides descriptions and...
Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies (JCHS) recently released its annual report, “The State of the Nation’s Housing 2019.” The report examines the state of the housing market in 2018. It found that:
Senators Todd Young (R-Ind.), Angus King (I-Maine), and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), along with a group of 13 bipartisan senators, reintroduced the Task Force on the Impact of the Affordable Housing Crisis Act, which aims to better understand and respond to America’s housing affordability...
Presidential candidates are increasingly focused on affordable housing. Most recently, Former HUD Secretary Julián Castro joined other presidential hopefuls, including Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), in...
The National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) recently released the 30th anniversary edition of the Out of Reach report. The report documents the gap between renters’ wages and the cost of rental housing throughout the U.S. The national Housing Wage--the hourly wage a full-time worker...
