Congress has enacted a second continuing resolution (CR) for fiscal year 2020. This latest CR, adopted as the first was expiring on November 21, keeps federal programs funded through December 20.
Congress did not pass any of its 12 annual appropriations bills in time for the October 1 start of the new fiscal year.
Congress is currently funding all federal discretionary programs at fiscal year 2019 levels until midnight December 20 under the CR.
In a November 22 Notice, HUD announced a 60-day comment period to receive ideas for the White House Council on Eliminating Regulatory Barriers to Affordable Housing.
On November 22, HUD published new Operating Cost Adjustment Factors. The new OCAFs are effective 2/11/20. The OCAFs are annual factors used to adjust Section 8 rents renewed under section 515 (mark-to-market) or section 524 of the Multifamily Assisted Housing Reform and Accountability Act of 1997 (MAHRA).
“As both the number and share of older households in the United States increase to unprecedented levels, inequalities are becoming more evident,” says the introduction to the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University’s Housing America’s Older Adults 2019.
As LeadingAge noted as a possibility in an August 20 article, the Trump Administration’s “public charge” rule has been temporarily delayed by a court’s nationwide injunction that prohibits the Administration from enforcing its requirements. Because of the court’s ruling, the public charge rule will not go into effect on October 15 as planned.
On October 11, judges in both New York and California issued injunctions to stop the new regulation from going into effect.
On October 9, HUD issued two notices of funds availability for the Section 811 Housing for Persons with Disabilities program.
The $112 million in funds now available include $75 million for Section 811 Capital Advances and $37 million for Project Rental Assistance that would be coupled with other funds that build the units.
The deadline for applying for these funds is February 10, 2020.
HUD has been under pressure from Congress and advocates to release these funds, which were appropriated in Congress’s fiscal year 2018 and 2019 spending bills.
Given what LeadingAge understands to be contract renewal needs in the Section 202 account, the Senate bill would not fund any new 202 homes (compared to the House bill, which would provide $140 million for new Section 202 homes in FY20). The Senate bill’s lack of funding for new Section 202 homes is greatly concerning to LeadingAge. Advocates are urged to respond to a forthcoming action alert on the subject. Given the extreme need for affordable housing for older adults with very low incomes, LeadingAge is seeking $600 million for new Section 202 homes in FY20.
HUD’s Housing Finance Reform Plan largely focuses on reforming the work of the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). The plan calls for FHA to be a stand-alone government corporation within HUD. “To modernize FHA, Congress should re-charter it as an autonomous government corporation within HUD, which would provide the agency tools and resources necessary to make appropriate risk decisions to respond to changing markets,” the plan says.
A Continuing Resolution (CR) to fund HUD programs after the October 1 start or fiscal year 2020 is all but guaranteed. Right now, talks are underway on Capitol Hill for a CR that lasts until sometime in November or even December.
