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Proposed Rule Would Remove Criminal Conviction Restrictions for Fair Housing Testers

November 29, 2023    

To investigate whether screening policies are discriminatory, HUD wants agencies to use testers with actual criminal backgrounds.

 

 

HUD Exercises New VAWA Enforcement Authority Against Two Housing Providers

October 30, 2023    

HUD recently announced settlements with housing providers in Nevada and California, resolving allegations that they denied housing opportunities to two women because they experienced dating violence and stalking.

Local Government Leaders Urge Congress to Expand LIHTC

September 29, 2023    

A group of mayors, county executives, and county board chairs representing communities across the country recently signed onto a letter urging Congress to enact the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act (AHCIA) of 2023, S. 1557 and H.R. 3238, which would strengthen and expand the Low-Income...

HUD Publishes 2024 Qualified Census Tract and Difficult Development Area Designations

September 29, 2023    

In the Sept. 21 issue of the Federal Register, HUD published its annual notice designating the 2024 Qualified Census Tracts (QCTs) and Difficult Development Areas (DDAs) for the LIHTC program. HUD is required to designate these areas under Internal Revenue Code Section 42. Both QCTs and DDAs are...

Get Signed Agreement When Taking Deposits from Applicants

August 31, 2023    

Reduce the risk of a lawsuit based on an application misunderstanding.

 

Latest Civil Penalty Amounts for Fair Housing Violations

August 31, 2023    

Q I suspect that civil penalties for Fair Housing Act violations have gone up again this year. What are the new amounts and where I can find them?

 

IRS Issues Final Rules on Bonus Tax Credits for Affordable Housing Sites

August 31, 2023    

The DOE will begin accepting applications for the Bonus Credit Program in early fall 2023.

 

 

Don't Use ChatGPT for Marketing Purposes

July 28, 2023    

Like other real estate businesses, you may be using ChatGPT, Bard, Bing, and other generative AI products, a.k.a. chatbots, for marketing purposes, such as developing advertising strategies, analyzing housing markets, and generating property listings, ads, social media posts, and other marketing...

Consider Subsidy When Screening Section 8 Applicants

July 28, 2023    

Make sure you take into account the Section 8 subsidy in determining a Section 8 voucher holder’s ability to pay rent. If your site requires applicants to have a minimum income level, don’t let this policy improperly reject voucher holders who don’t meet your site’s...

Report Grades State QAPs on Energy Efficiency, Racial Equity, Healthy Building Practices

July 28, 2023    

The BlueGreen Alliance Foundation recently released a report that ranked all states based on their criteria for allocating LIHTCs through Qualified Allocation Plans (QAPs). The report scored each state based on how the states’ QAPs promoted healthy building practices, energy efficiency,...

Latest “State of the Nation’s Housing” Report Is Released

June 28, 2023    

The Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University recently released its annual report, State of the Nation’s Housing 2023. The report combines analyses of data from the U.S. Census Bureau, HUD, Freddie Mac, the National Association of Realtors, RealPage, and other sources to...

Reintroduced AHCIA Bill Seeks to Expand and Improve LIHTC Program

May 25, 2023    

On May 11, bipartisan groups of senators and representatives introduced the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act (AHCIA) of 2023 in the Senate and House. The AHCIA was first introduced in Congress in 2016, and has had increasing bipartisan support since then. Although it hasn’t passed...