LIHTC

HUD Posts Proposed Changes to Methodology for Calculating Section 8 Income Limits

~ Tushar Gurjal ~ Leave a comment

On January 9, HUD posted a pre-publication copy of a notice in the Federal Register titled “Changes to the Methodology Used for Calculating Section 8 Income Limits under the United States Housing Act of 1937.” Since Fiscal Year (FY) 2010, in calculating the thresholds for “low-income families” and “very low-income families,” HUD has limited the increase from one year to the next as the higher of either five percent or twice the percentage change in the national median family income. The Department also does not allow income limits to decrease by more than five percent from the previous year. This notice proposes adding an additional requirement that the annual income limits never increase by more than 10 percent per year and also proposes changes to the definition of national median family income.

The Department has identified two rationales for limiting income limit increases and decreases. The first is that the American Community Survey (ACS)–which is used to calculate area median family income estimates–is subject to error and may fluctuate despite the underlying median income staying the same. The second reason is that certain programs, such as the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC), use the income limits to determine rent for low-income families and by limiting decreases, HUD helps to ensure that certain properties remain financially viable. Similarly, by limiting increases, HUD helps to ensure that low-income families do not face large rent increases very quickly.

The Department would also like to calculate the national median family income by using “the most recent unadjusted estimates of median family income provided by the Census Bureau via the ACS.” The Department states that “[b]y continuing to remove inflation adjustments from its cap calculation, HUD is keeping the calculation in line with its purpose of capturing trends in median family income data addressing survey volatility rather than volatility introduced by accelerating or decelerating inflation.”

Comments on the proposed changes will be due 30 days after the notice is published.

The full pre-publication copy of the notice, including questions to which HUD is looking for responses, can be found here.

Guidance on SLRs for PBVs

~ Tushar Gurjal ~ Leave a comment

On June 29, HUD published a notice titled “Process for Requesting Subsidy Layering Reviews for Project-Based Vouchers” (PIH Notice 2023-15). When PHAs project-base vouchers in combination with other governmental assistance (i.e., other federal, state, or local funds), the project is required to undergo a subsidy layering review (SLR). This review ensures that projects do not receive excessive compensation. If a project-based voucher (PBV) property is not using other governmental assistance, then no SLR is required.

Depending on the specifics of the project, a PHA may request that HUD or its state Housing Credit Agency (HCA) perform the SLR. The notice details the procedures for a PHA to request which entity perform the SLR in certain instances. The HCA’s participation is voluntary and it may charge a reasonable fee. The PHA has discretion on whether to use its administrative fees for this HCA fee.

  • PHA requests that HUD perform the SLR – a PHA may request that HUD perform the SLR whether a project does or does not contain a low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC). The PHA must communicate, in writing, to the HUD field office that they would like HUD to perform the SLR. The request can be stated as “AB123 would like HUD HQ to perform the SLR.“
  • PHA requests that the participating HCA perform the SLR – 1) for projects without a LIHTC, the PHA will follow steps detailed in section 4 of the notice, but the memo to the field office will confirm that the PHA requests that the HCA perform the SLR, if the HCA is available for review; 2) for projects with a LIHTC, the PHA sends the request directly to the HCA, but the PHA must notify the field office that it has made the request.

In instances where there is no HCA, the PHA has requested that HUD perform the SLR, or in instances where the HCA will not perform the SLR, the field office public housing representative will submit the appropriate documentation to HUD headquarters for the SLR.

Section 4 of this notice contains a list of steps required for a PHA to request that HUD perform the SLR, including a list of the appropriate documentation.

A list of participating HCAs can be found here.

The full notice can be found here.

Administration Announces Housing Supply Action Plan

~ Tushar Gurjal ~ 1 Comment

On May 16, the administration announced a housing supply action plan that is intended to “ease the burden of housing costs over time, by boosting the supply of quality housing in every community.” The plan includes both legislative and administrative actions and is meant to align with other policies currently in effect (e.g., federal rental assistance) to create more affordable rents and make homeownership more affordable.

While the plan includes many specific actions, many of those actions can be grouped into the following categories.

  • Incentivizing jurisdictions to reform their zoning and land-use policies by giving higher scores to jurisdictions that do this in federal grant allocations.
  • Implementing new financing mechanisms to build and preserve housing, including manufactured housing; accessory dwelling units; two to four unit properties; and other multifamily buildings.
  • Improving existing federal financing for development and preservation, which includes making construction to permanent loans more available; promoting the use of COVID recovery funds for affordable housing; reforming the low-income housing tax credit and the HOME program.
  • Ensuring that more housing goes to owners that live in the units or non-profits that will rehabilitate them.
  • Addressing supply chain issues by working with the private sector.

The White House’s full announcement of their housing supply action plan can be found here.

House Passes $1.75 Trillion Build Back Better Plan

~ Georgi Banna ~ Leave a comment

House Takes Steps Toward Historic Housing Investments

The largest single housing investment in American history took a monumental step forward this morning, passing the House by a narrow 220-213 margin. The Build Back Better Act now moves to the Senate for further consideration. 

NAHRO led the fight to fully fund the Public Housing Capital Fund backlog at $70 billion, strongly championed the expansion of the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, and ardently supports the increase in Housing Choice Vouchers and Project-Based Rental Assistance contracts.  

NAHRO members – thank you for raising your voices in support of affordable housing! The more than 50,000 letters you sent to Congress and the White House this year, maintained the spotlight on housing as infrastructure and made sure the critical housing provisions remained in the Build Back Better bill. But the fight isn’t over yet! Be ready to speak out after Thanksgiving to preserve housing in the bill as it moves to the Senate.  

The vote was originally scheduled for Thursday night, but an extended floor speech by Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) delayed the final vote. Build Back Better passed along party lines, with a single Democrat opposing.  

The path forward is not clear in the Senate, as several Democratic Senators have issues with several provisions. Negotiations are expected to heat up after Thanksgiving, aiming for a final vote in the Senate by Christmas. Though there is widespread support for the housing provisions in Build Back Better, it is possible that changes to the bill could put the housing investments at risk. If the bill is approved by the Senate, it is likely to go back to the House for another vote. 

NAHRO member advocacy will be needed to ensure these critical housing resources remain in the Build Back Better bill as it is debated in the Senate. NAHRO will be reaching out to you through future Direct News emails and also follow NAHRO on social media (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Linkedin) for the latest information. 

The bill currently proposes the largest one-time investment in housing and community development programs ever, including: 

  • $65 billion for Public Housing investments 
  • $24 billion for Housing Choice Vouchers 
  • Expanded Low-Income Housing Tax Credits 
  • $15 billion for the National Housing Trust Fund 
  • $10 billion for the HOME Investment Partnerships Program 
  • $3 billion for Community Development Block Grants 
  • $1 billion for Project-Based Rental Assistance 
  • $450 million for Section 811 Supportive Housing for People with Disabilities 
  • $450 million for Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly 

Want more information? Check out NAHRO’s detailed breakdown of the bill’s housing provisions. 

NAHRO’s New Housing Proposals Focus on the Future

~ Georgi Banna ~ Leave a comment

The nation’s public housing agencies and community development agencies have been housing our nation’s families and creating vibrant, stable communities for decades. And they’re continuing to do this vital work of providing shelter, creating opportunity, and addressing inequities during a pandemic that’s straining both local and national resources.

But even as we continue to cope with the fallout of COVID-19, we must also work on solutions for both current and future housing needs. We need new housing construction, more resources for existing housing programs, and flexibilities that prioritize progress over paperwork. NAHRO’s What Happens Next: Housing Beyond the Pandemic provides funding and policy proposals that will:

  • Increase housing supply and improve affordability
  • Preserve existing affordable housing
  • Stabilize families, and
  • Prioritize progress over paperwork.

The paper is available here.

HUD Publishes PBV Subsidy Layering Review Guidelines

~ Tushar Gurjal ~ Leave a comment

Last week, HUD published a notice in the Federal Register titled “Administrative Guidelines: Subsidy Layering Review for Project-Based Vouchers.” Subsidy layering reviews (SLRs) ensure that excessive public assistance is not used when combining Housing Assistance Payments (HAP) from project-based vouchers with other forms of public assistance from federal, state, or local agencies including through tax assistance or credits. Subsidy layering reviews are not required when a project is already subject to a project-based voucher (PBV) contract (even if it is recapitalized with outside funding) or when PBVs are the only assistance provided to a development. Subsidy layering requirements are required when a PBV project includes other governmental assistance. The Department and, in certain cases, the local Housing Credit Agency are the entities that conduct the review. This notice provides information about subsidy layering reviews with appendices on PHA submissions required, a sample notice of intent to participate in subsidy layering reviews by housing credit agencies, and a sample housing credit agency certification.

Continue reading →

New RAD Notice, Revision 4 Released

~ Tushar Gurjal ~ Leave a comment

Earlier today, HUD released the new Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) notice: “Rental Assistance Demonstration – Final Implementation, Revision 4” (Notice H-2019-09; PIH-2019-23 (HA)). The RAD program allows for units to be converted from certain Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funding streams, such as public housing, to either a Section 8 project-based voucher (PBV) funding stream or a Section 8 project-based rental assistance (PBRA) funding stream. There are several major changes in this notice, including changes to the First Component of RAD (which allows public housing units to be converted to PBV or PBRA) and implementation of the 2018 Appropriations Act provision allowing Section 202 project rental assistance contracts (PRAC) to be converted to PBV or PBRA.

The changes to the First Component of RAD include the following:

  • A policy that RAD rents will be updated every two years (RAD awards after each update will use the updated rents);
  • A newly added “Concept Call” step to the RAD process, to allow PHAs to receive confirmation that project plans are sufficiently advanced to submit a Financing Plan;
  • More stringent notice requirements for residents in developments to be converted (the new notice details resident participation requirements at each step of the RAD process);
  • A policy that all households residing in regular PBV units will have the same resident rights extended to them as households that reside in RAD-PBVs in converted developments;
  • A mechanism for PHAs to enter into partnerships with each other to convert developments;
  • A policy allowing for rent increases in certain scenarios for PBRA conversions, such as developments located in Opportunity Zones;
  • Elimination of the requirement to submit the Capital Needs Assessment (CNA) tool in certain scenarios; and
  • Other changes (including changed requirements for portfolio awards, a change in how PHAs report debts owed, and broadening the use of “tiered environmental reviews”).

At this time, NAHRO staff are still reviewing the new notice. Additional analysis will be provided in future NAHRO publications.

The RAD Notice, Revision 4 can be found here.

[2:17 pm edit – The new notice can also be found on HUD’s RAD website here.]

Election Impact on Congressional Committees

~ Tess Hembree ~ Leave a comment

The analysis below is simply a prediction of who is likely to serve as leadership on the committees based on the current information available. Frequently after a large number of losses or retirements, members of Congress shift between committees and chair/ranking member positions, changing the seniority structure of committees as a result. One Senator choosing to take an unexpected chair position can have ripple effects across several committees that are difficult to predict. This is particularly true at the subcommittee level. Additionally, Republicans have established a six-year term limit for committee chairs and ranking members, which causes more committee changes than Democrats who don’t have a term limit.

Finally, one of the biggest impacts on committee change is a flip of party control or a dramatic change in majority size. The committee structure is based on majority party and size, and when for example Senate Republicans increase their majority overall in the Senate, their control of committee seats also increases. Depending on how the remaining three Senate races are called, it could force lower-seniority Democrats off committees.

Appropriations

The House Appropriations Committee will see some turnover in the 116th Congress; while all Democrats won his/her races, four Republican members either lost or are retiring, in addition to Rep. Evan Jenkins (R-W.V.) who retired earlier this year.

The Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) Subcommittee will look very different next year. Included in the Republican losses/retirements are two members of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Subcommittee, Rep. John Culberson (R-Texas) and Rep. David Young (R-Iowa). Also retiring is full committee Chair Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-N.J.). There may be some consistency in the THUD leadership, as current Chair Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.) will have the option of remaining chair if he chooses.

Democratic leadership on the committee is expected to remain fairly stable. Current Ranking Member Nita Lowey has stated that she will take over the gavel in January and has already started pushing Republicans to make a budget deal for FY 2020. THUD Ranking Member David Price (D-N.C.) also has the option of taking over as chair of the subcommittee.

The Senate Appropriations Committee will have far less turnover in the 116th Congress and leadership will likely remain the same. Only a single member of the committee is at risk of losing her seat; Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith was forced into a run-off election that will take place on November 27.

Full Committee Chair Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) will remain in the top position on the committee, which he took over in April after the retirement of former chair Thad Cochran (R-Miss.). Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) has the option of remaining ranking member, though as a high-ranking Democrat he may have other committee options. Leadership of the THUD Subcommittee is likely to continue with current Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Ranking Member Jack Reed (D-R.I.).

Authorizing Committees

As a result of a high number of losses and retirements, the House Financial Services Committee will be a significantly different committee in the next Congress. Eight Republicans either lost their re-election bid or are retiring and four additional races are too close to call. Four Democrats are retiring.

Current Ranking Member Maxine Waters (D-Cali.) will take over as chair in January. Current Chair Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) is retiring and Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) has declared his intention to take over as ranking member. Leadership of the Housing and Insurance Subcommittee is likely to remain the same, with current Ranking Member Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) expected to take the chair position and current Chair Sean Duffy (R-Wisc.) likely to be ranking member. The composition of the subcommittee will be extremely different, though, as six Republican members and two Democrats will not return to Congress.

Unlike the big changes coming to Financial Services, the membership of the Senate Banking Committee is likely to remain consistent. Only two Republicans and two Democrats lost their re-election or are retiring. Leadership could see some changes, though. Depending on the committees that other members choose to chair, current Chair Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) could move to head another committee. There are several scenarios that could result in either Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) or Sen. Patrick Toomey (R-Penn.) taking over the committee. Current Ranking Member Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) is expected to remain in his position.

Tax Writing Committees

The Senate Finance Committee is set for a change in leadership thanks to the retirement of current Chair Orrin Hatch (R-Utah). It’s unclear at this point who will take over, though Sen. Grassley does have the option of taking the Chairmanship if he is willing to give up his current role as the Chair of the Judiciary Committee. If he elects to remain at Judiciary, current Banking Committee Chair Mike Crapo would be next in line for the position. Current Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) will probably remain in place, though if he does take a position on another committee, Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) would be next in line. I

The House Ways and Means Committee will be lead by current Ranking Member Richard Neal (D-Mass.) and current Chair Kevin Brady will probably take over as Ranking Member, though he will need to request a waiver from leadership.

This Tuesday!! NAHRO e-Briefing – RAD: Program Updates and PHA Experiences

~ Georgi Banna ~ Leave a comment

RAD: Program Updates and PHA Experiences
A NAHRO Professional Development e-Briefing
Tuesday, February 13, 2018
1:30 – 3:00 pm EST

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The Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) continues to be a critically important tool for housing authorities looking to pursue innovation while renovating and preserving their local affordable housing stock. As we begin 2018, join the NAHRO Policy Team for an in-depth review of the current status of RAD. Participants will also hear from PHAs that have gone through the RAD conversion process. These RAD agencies will discuss why RAD worked for them, explain how they chose between Project Based Vouchers (PBV) or Project Based Rental Assistance (PBRA), and share lessons learned and best practices. Whether your agency is a RAD veteran or exploring whether RAD is a viable option for the future, don’t miss this opportunity to have your questions addressed by industry experts during this interactive online training.

Only $95 for NAHRO members!

Registration closes Monday, February 12 at 11:59 ET pm. 

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Reminder: Whether you’re watching alone or with an audience of 100, only one registration per connected device is required, making NAHRO Professional Development’s e-Briefings an outstanding value! Can’t attend the session at the scheduled time? Register anyway, and we will email you a link to the archived recording as soon as it’s ready to be stream.

Why the 4% LIHTC Matters: Housing Authority of the City of Austin

~ Georgi Banna ~ Leave a comment

North Loop Apartments
North Loop Apartments & Gaston Place Apartments. Photo: HACA

The Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) is one of the most effective tools for creating new and critically needed affordable housing, and accounts for the vast majority of all affordable rental housing created in the United States. This is one in a series of articles that show how public housing authorities (PHAs) and community development agencies have successfully used federal tax credits and tax-exempt bonds to build and/or preserve public housing and affordable housing, and to increase the sustainability of their communities.

Housing Authority of the City of Austin: Portfolio Modernization

The Housing Authority of the City of Austin (HACA) is fully converting its public housing portfolio to RAD, and for many properties, has used 4 percent LIHTC and Private Activity Bonds (PABs) to improve its public housing stock through HUD’s Rental Assistance Demonstration Program (RAD).

“Our ability to use 4 percent Low Income Housing Tax Credits and Private Activity Bonds has been crucial to meeting Austin’s affordable housing challenge,” said HACA President and CEO Michael Gerber. “We are fully converting our public housing portfolio to RAD, and PABs layered with 4 percent credits have provided us with the necessary financing to dramatically rehabilitate our properties – including new kitchens, bathrooms, flooring, and accessibility features.  There is intense competition in Texas for 9 percent tax credits, and winning them is difficult.  Without PABs and 4 percent credits, our RAD program would be dead in the water.”

“In just the past three years, HACA has issued $150 million in Private Activity Bonds, coupled with 4 percent credits, to develop 1,600 high-quality apartment units,” Gerber explained.” These developments would not have happened without the PAB  / 4 percent tax credit program. One thousand people a week are moving to Austin, and recent studies show that the city needs another 55,000 affordable housing units on the ground today.  Losing PAB capacity effectively kills the 4 percent tax credit.  And, without these financing tools, low-income people – seniors, persons with disabilities, veterans, and far too many children – will lose the opportunity for safe, decent housing.”

For more information about this project or to share your organization’s 4 percent LIHTC success story, please contact nahro@nahro.org.