By Robin Lovelace on April 27th, 2022
Disclaimer: Affordable Housing Online is not affiliated with HUD, or any HUD agency.
Here are the latest announcements by the Department of Housing and Urban Development:
Date Posted: April 26, 2022
HUD has charged Major Management Company and Larpenteur Estate Apartments in St. Paul, Minnesota with discrimination because of their alleged refusal to rent an apartment to a woman with a disability who owns a service animal.
The charge alleges the complainant was turned away from renting an apartment because she had an assistance animal. The owner of the apartment building allegedly told the complainant that she was welcome, her animal was not.
The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination against home renters on account of race, color, religion, sexual orientation, nationality, disability, or family status.
People who believe they are the victims of housing discrimination should contact HUD at (800) 669-9777 (voice), 800-927-9275 (TTY), or the Department of Justice at (800) 896-7743 or 202-514-4713. Additional information is available at www.hud.gov/fairhousing and www.justice.gov.
Date Posted: April 22, 2022
HUD showed support for Washington D.C.’s Solar for All program that allows renters in HUD-assisted properties to access solar power without an increase in their housing costs.
Solar energy is part of HUD’s Climate Action Plan. HUD is also using this announcement to highlight the Biden-Harris Administration’s Justice40 Initiative objectives.
The Justice40 Initiative intends to address climate concerns and create benefits for residents of HUD-assisted households through equitable deployment of community solar. It was created to deliver 40% of overall benefits for federal investments in clean energy to disadvantaged communities.
Read more about the Solar for All Plan here.
Date Posted: April 22, 2022
HUD released a Fact Sheet listing HUD’s strategies, goals and successes in the struggle against climate change. The Fact Sheet includes a summary of HUD’s Climate Action Plan.
The Fact Sheet also emphasized HUD’s commitment to lowering carbon emissions in Public Housing and to allow more funds to be spent on providing housing rather than paying utility bills.
Read the full HUD Climate Action Plan here.
Date Posted: April 21, 2022
The Federal Housing Agency closed on a $65.9 million loan to help finance the Metro 19 Apartments in Roselle, Illinois.
Insured under the FHA 221(d)(4) New Construction Mortgage insurance program, the new five story apartment building will be located adjacent to the Metra Commuter Rail Station.
Construction of the new development will start this year with leasing to begin in 2024.
Date Posted: April 21, 2022
HUD has released new guidance documents for property owners of multifamily developments, which clarifies how certain business practices can perpetuate segregation, or violate Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.
Title VI prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance.
This comes eight days after HUD announced a voluntary compliance agreement had been reached with JCL Management and Pilot Cove Manor Housing to resolve a compliance review finding concerning non-discrimination in marketing and renting procedures.
HUD states the two documents were created to “clarify how certain marketing, rental application processing, and waitlist management practices can perpetuate segregation or otherwise discriminate in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.”
The new guidance documents are targeted for HUD-subsidized multifamily units nationwide, including Project-Based Rental Assistance, Section 202, and Section 811 subsidized units.
Read the Title VI Marketing Guidance here.
Read the Implementation Sheet here.
Date Posted: April 20, 2022
HUD is granting a $10.3 million loan guarantee for Los Angeles County, California for the Vermont Manchester Commercial project.
The loan guarantee is intended to be used to finance a mixed-use development of a new 64,000 square-foot community serving retail space as part of the Vermont Manchester Transit Priority Project.
HUD defines mixed-use as a type of flexible zoning that blends multiple uses of land, such as residential, commercial, and office space, to be combined within a single development or district.
The site will accommodate a charter boarding school focused on at-risk youth and financed separately from the other uses on the site. The site will also include a transit plaza, and improvements to a pedestrian and cycling connection to the Silver Line bus rapid-transit station.
HUD states the purpose of the Section 108 Loan Guarantee Program is to provide states and local governments access to low-interest financing for a variety of projects, including: affordable housing developments, public infrastructure improvements and facilities and financing for commercial/industrial development.
Read about HUD's Section 108 Loan Guarantee Program here.
Date Posted: April 20, 2022
HUD announced federal disaster assistance recovery efforts for areas of Massachusetts that had a severe winter storm and snowstorm occurring from January 28 to January 29, 2022.
On April 18th, 2022, President Biden declared the counties of Bristol, Norfolk, Plymouth, and Suffolk, including the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, as a major disaster area.
Federal funding provided by FEMA is also available on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work in the disaster areas.
Effective immediately, HUD is:
Housing discrimination sometimes occurs after a disaster during the time when people try to obtain new housing.
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.
Applying for housing with bad credit.
Most HUD housing programs, like Section 8 and Public Housing, do not have a credit check. But Section 8 landlords will likely require one for an available unit.Ivette Betancourt says:
"Affordable Housing Online is a helpful website that can benefit many families looking for a decent affordable home."