In the News

RSS

The Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University (JCHS) recently released “The State of the Nation’s Housing” report for 2017. The data shows that renters are continuing to experience affordability challenges and that construction hasn’t been keeping pace with demand for affordable housing.

In response to HUD’s recent decision to remove resources for members of the LGBTQ community from its website, a group of 29 Senate Democrats sent a letter to HUD’s Secretary Ben Carson urging him to protect members of the LGBTQ community from housing discrimination.

The ranking member of the committee on financial services, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA), recently introduced the Public Housing Tenant Protection and Reinvestment Act of 2017. Its goal is to preserve public housing, increase tenant protections, and provide additional funds to address the significant backlog of capital needs. If passed, the bill would require replacing demolished or sold public housing units on a one-for-one basis, reinstating a provision that Congress elim...

HUD and Japan have formally agreed to work cooperatively on researching innovated approaches to housing both nations’ vulnerable senior population. “Our nations have much to learn from each other, and we recognize that our strength is measured by our regard, respect, and care of the elderly,” said HUD Secretary Carson. “Working together, the U.S. and Japan will combine our strengths to find new and innovative approaches to housing our older citiz...

HUD recently released an updated Section 8 Renewal Policy Guide that is effective July 28, 2017. The Section 8 Renewal Guide assists those handling the renewal of expiring Section 8 HAP contracts. The guide replaces the last version, which was published in August of 2015.

There are 27 revisions in the updated guide, as well as a reorganized and updated chapter on rent comparability studies. The more significant changes are listed below:

To celebrate 25 years of the Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) Program, HUD’s Office of Public and Indian Housing (PIH) and Office of Multifamily Housing Programs (Multifamily) each issued FSS guidebooks for their respective programs. The guidebooks provide information about promising practices that may help housing authorities and private owners establish and run effective FSS programs.

Representative David Rouzer (R-NC) recently introduced a bill that would amend the Social Security Act by requiring individuals to pass a drug screening process in order to be eligible for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Public Housing, and Section 8 Rental Assistance programs.

On May 23, the Trump administration released its “Taxpayer First” fiscal year 2018 budget request. The request includes the 2018 proposed budget for HUD. HUD’s request includes $40.68 billion in gross discretionary funding for the Department. This amounts to a decrease of 13.2 percent under the proposed budget. The proposed reductions would be implemented primarily through rental assistance reforms and eliminating funding for programs. Additional savin...

HUD Secretary Ben Carson and Deputy Secretary-designate Pamela Patenaude recently defended the Trump administration’s HUD budget at separate committee hearings in the Senate. Secretary Carson appeared before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies. Nearly every Subcommittee member criticized the administration’s proposal to reduce funding for HUD programs and terminate some, particularly t...

President Trump recently signed a $1 trillion spending bill to keep the government operating through September. The bill cleared both houses of Congress and Trump signed it into law just ahead of a midnight deadline after which some government operations would’ve had to begin shutting down. The bill passed with bipartisan support in both chambers by a vote of 309-118 in the House and 79-18 in the Senate.