HUD News in Review banner image for December 15, 2021

HUD News in Review: December 15, 2021

HUD News in Review banner image for December 15, 2021

Disclaimer: Affordable Housing Online is not affiliated with HUD, or any HUD agency.

Every week, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) publishes news about important events within the agency. The following are summaries of news for the week of December 15, 2021:

HUD provides disaster assistance for Kentucky

Date Posted: December 13, 2021

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced federal assistance for areas in Kentucky that were affected by the tornadoes beginning on December 10, 2021.

On December 12th, President Biden declared the Kentucky counties of Caldwell, Fulton, Graves, Hopkins, Marshall, Muhlenberg, Taylor, and Warren County as major disaster areas.

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work in the disaster areas.

What this means for renters

Effective immediately, HUD is:

  • Providing immediate foreclosure relief for families who have Federal Housing Administration (FHA) insured mortgages and to Native American borrowers guaranteed under the Section 184 Indian Home Loan Guarantee program. For assistance, call your loan servicer or FHA’s Resource Center at 1-800-304-9320. 
  • Through HUD’s Section 203(h) program, providing FHA insurance to disaster victims whose homes have been destroyed or extensively damaged. Borrowers from participating FHA-approved lenders are eligible for 100 percent financing, including closing costs.
  • Through HUD’s 203(k) loan program, making financing or refinancing of a home along with money needed for repairs available in a single mortgage.
  • Working with FEMA and the Commonwealth of Kentucky by sharing information on housing providers that may have available housing units in the impacted county.
  • Providing flexibility for various housing groups including recipients of the Community Development Block Grant, Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS, the Continuum of Care, Emergency Solutions Grants, HOME Investment Partnership, and Housing Trust Fund programs.
  • Providing flexibility to Public Housing Agencies to apply for needed administrative flexibility through disaster waivers.
  • Ensuring HUD-approved housing counseling agencies are ready to assist those impacted by natural disasters to determine assistance needs and available resources.
  • HUD’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity is available to assist people who believe they have experienced housing discrimination while trying to find housing following a disaster.

More information about these disaster resources can be found here.

800 mortgage notes purchased at HUD vacant lot sale

Date Posted: December 13, 2021

Twenty-three nonprofit organizations and state and local governments participated in a competitive-bid, HUD vacant lot sale, on December 1st, 2021.

What this means for renters

HUD offered up 50% of notes for HUD-held vacant lots, to nonprofits and state and local governments to purchase for future use as low-to-moderate income housing or rent affordable leased apartment housing. In the past, only 10% of the notes were made available for priority bidding from nonprofits and state and local governments.

These various organizations won bids on 814 mortgage notes — the entire volume of notes HUD made eligible for priority bidding.

HHS and HUD announce national Housing and Services Resource Center

Date Posted: December 8, 2021

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and HUD have expanded their partnership to “improve access to affordable, accessible housing and the critical services that make community living possible.”

HUD and HHS have launched a national Housing and Services Resource Center (HSRC) as the hub of their coordinated efforts.

What this means for renters

HUD stated:

“Many people with disabilities, older adults, and people experiencing homelessness need help obtaining housing that is both affordable and accessible. Many also need access to community-based supportive services – such as behavioral health services, personal care assistance, tenancy supports, accessible transportation, and home-delivered meals – in order to live successfully and stably in the community. Without housing and services that meets their needs, they are often left with no choice but to live in facilities, like nursing homes and homeless shelters, or on the streets.”

The effort is to encourage partnerships to better serve and expand community living resources.

The partnership is led by the Administration for Community Living and includes the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation.

According to HUD, the Housing and Services Resource Center is a federally coordinated approach to “providing resources, program guidance, training, and technical assistance to public housing authorities and housing providers; state Medicaid, disability, aging and behavioral health agencies; the aging and disability networks; homeless services organizations and networks; health care systems and providers; and tribal organizations.”

More information about these services can be found here.