Enterprise: Community Developments: HUD Moves Forward on Amending Its AFFH Regulations

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• Yesterday HUD Secretary Ben Carson announced that the agency intends to move forward in amending its 2015 Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) regulations, which require local governments that receive HUD funding to conduct an Assessment of Fair Housing (AFH) to examine patterns of segregation and set fair housing priorities and goals. HUD had previously suspended that requirement until 2020, and earlier this month it published an advance notice of proposed rulemaking inviting public comment on amendments to AFFH regulations. HUD also plans to hold a number of informal listening forums across the country to hear directly from interested stakeholders, including civil rights advocates, public housing authorities, and state and local planners. (HUD, August 22) As previously reported in Community Developments, a federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit against HUD related to the agency's decision to suspend the use of the Local Government Assessment Tool, a digital assessment tool that aided local governments in preparing AFHs. Enterprise supported the final AFFH rule in 2015 because it provided a balanced approach to fair housing that acknowledges that communities may employ differing strategies depending on their circumstances.

• Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) has introduced bills that would create two new tax credits targeted to first-time homebuyers and to middle-income renters. The first would provide first-time homebuyers a refundable tax credit that would equal 2.5 percent of the home purchase, with a $400,000 cap (or a $10,000 credit) on the home's price. The second bill would create a Middle Income Housing Tax Credit, modeled after the successful Low Income Housing Tax Credit (Housing Credit), that would allow states to competitively allocate the tax credits to developers. The Middle Income Housing Tax Credit would require setting aside at least 60 percent of a property's units for households earning up to 100 percent of area median income. Enterprise thanks Senator Wyden for his longtime support and leadership on the Housing Credit and his dedication to addressing the nation's vast and growing housing affordability challenges. Enterprise remains committed to advocating for the lowest-income renter households and looks forward to working with Congress to strengthen our housing delivery system.
  

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Courtesy of Enterprise