Nearly 400 housers attend NHC’s Solutions for Housing Communications

Last week, NHC convened its annual Solutions for Housing Communications event in Washington, D.C. Nearly 400 housing communicators, experts, thought leaders, advocates, and policymakers from across the country came together in person and virtually to exchange insights on effective communication and messaging strategies to elevate the conversation on affordable housing. 

"It's sad to say that the reason we talk about affordable housing so much now is there's so many people that don't have access to it," said U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Acting Secretary Adrianne Todman in remarks to attendees. She emphasized actions such as the Green and Resilient Retrofit Program, the Housing Supply Action Plan, the utilization of American Rescue Funds, and recent initiatives in President Biden’s State of the Union speech as steps HUD is taking to address the shortage of affordable housing in the country.

During a Q&A with NHC President and CEO David Dworkin, Todman announced HUD's plans to publish a proposed HOME Investment Partnership Program regulation for comment in the Spring. The proposal intends to modernize the program and make it more user-friendly. “It’s the program you love to hate," said Todman. "It’s critical to get to the income brackets of the people who we know need housing the most in this country, but we know sometimes it doesn’t marry well with other parts of the capital stack."

Todman also stated they are exploring ways to improve the voucher program under their administrative authorities to simplify it. She highlighted a working group that convened to discuss the current bottlenecks of the program and discussed efforts to address inconsistencies across agencies working with HUD. This includes adopting best practices for things like inspections and recertifications.

In a conversation about the current state of homelessness in the country, Dworkin stated, “I think of our homeless population as the failing report card for every single person in this room, including me. It is the example of what happens when we don’t do all the rest of our work well enough.” Todman followed up with actions HUD is undertaking, which involve allocating the highest levels of funding feasible to direct service providers and programs tailored specifically for rural homelessness and unsheltered homelessness initiatives, alongside forging partnerships with the Department of Health and Human Services.  

The event also featured Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post investigative reporter John Sullivan, who delved into the influence of data on shaping news narratives. CNBC's Senior Climate and Real Estate Correspondent Diana Olick moderated a panel discussion of the current housing market featuring Ed Brady, President and CEO of the Home Builders Institute; Mark Jones, Chairman of the Mortgage Bankers Association; and Robert Pinnegar, President and CEO of the National Apartment Association. The panel explored various issues, from financing, supply, and labor challenges to office conversions and insurance matters. 

Other panels focused on a wide range of timely topics, including the role of nonprofit-corporate partnerships in the housing sector, using data to tell the housing story, tactics for addressing housing challenges among older Americans, and successfully combatting NIMBYism. Panel sessions will be available to watch on NHC’s website.

NHC thanks JPMorgan Chase & Co., the National Association of REALTORS®, Bilt Rewards, CoreLogic, and NeighborWorks® America for their generous event sponsorship.

Fannie Mae holds convening on heirs’ property and tangled title

Fannie Mae hosted a gathering in Washington, D.C., bringing together experts to discuss heirs’ property and tangled title issues. The event featured research developed by the Housing Assistance Council in partnership with Fannie Mae titled “A Methodological Approach Estimate Residential Heirs’ Property in the United States,” which estimated the national prevalence and impact of heirs’ title issues. 

The research offered insights into the widespread consequences of unclear property titles stemming from inheritors’ lack of wills or estate planning. The findings underscore the financial hurdles inheritors encounter, including challenges in accessing equity for home maintenance, selling properties at fair market rates, or securing mortgages, leaving them vulnerable to forced sales and property loss. The report aims to inform strategies for addressing and mitigating the impacts of heirs’ property concerns on a national scale.  

During the session "People and their Property,” panelists delved into the difficulties inheritors face due to unclear property titles, emphasizing the necessity of legal aid and community outreach initiatives to tackle these issues effectively. Experts shared their perspectives on bolstering economic resilience and deploying philanthropic strategies to advocate for equitable housing practices during the panel “Forward Together: Charting our Path,” underscoring the crucial role of collaborative endeavors in addressing upcoming challenges and effecting constructive transformations to safeguard property ownership and intergenerational prosperity.

Professor Thomas Mitchell, a MacArthur “Genius Grant” recipient and expert in property law, delivered a keynote address focused on reforming laws and policies to address heirs’ property and tangled title issues. As the principal drafter of the Uniform Partition of Heirs Property Act (UPHPA) of 2010, Mitchell discussed the challenges, solutions, and historic reforms related to the subject, shedding light on the importance of legal reform in rectifying the historical disenfranchisement of Black and disadvantaged American families from their land and real estate wealth.

The event concluded with a continuing “call to action” to further educate everyone on the importance of the issue of heirs’ property and how work in this area can help all families across the nation to gain generational wealth. 

Biden Administration allocates $20 billion in climate grants to community development groups

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced an allocation of $20 billion in Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GRRF) grants. Eight groups will receive grants under the fund's $14 billion National Clean Investment Fund and the $6 billion Clean Communities Investment Accelerator. Awardees include Climate United, a nonprofit formed by Calvert Impact to partner with the Self-Help Ventures Fund and Community Preservation Corporation; Coalition for Green Capital, a nonprofit; Power Forward Communities, a nonprofit coalition including Enterprise Community Partners, Local Initiatives Support Corporation, Rewiring America, Habitat for Humanity, and United Way; Opportunity Finance Network, a nonprofit CDFI Intermediary; and Native CDFI Network, among others.

"We are grateful to the EPA for bringing this historic program to life and are honored to be one of the awardees," said Beth Bafford, Climate United CEO, in a press release. "We are ready to work together to ensure we meet the program's three ambitious objectives: dramatically reducing carbon pollution, creating direct benefits for American families, and catalyzing market transformation; all of which need to happen in tandem in order to meet our country's climate goals equitably."

According to the announcement, the awardees will collectively reduce or avoid up to 40 million metric tons of climate pollution annually. Further, they are expected to mobilize $7 of private capital for every $1 of investment from federal funding. The groups will also dedicate over $14 billion of capital towards low-income and disadvantaged communities to ensure equitable distribution of funding.

“President Biden and Vice President Harris have put communities at the center of their Investing in America agenda. Today, we’re putting an unprecedented $20 billion to work in communities that for too long have been shut out of resources to lower costs and benefit from clean technology solutions,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “The selectees announced today will deliver transformational investments for American communities, businesses, and families and unleash tens of thousands of clean technology projects like putting solar on small businesses, electrifying affordable housing, providing EV loans for young families, and countless others. That translates to good-paying jobs, energy bill savings, and cleaner air, all while delivering on President Biden’s historic agenda to combat climate change.”

HUD celebrates Fair Housing Month, awards efforts to combat discrimination and expand homeownership opportunities

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Acting Secretary Adrianne Todman commemorated the start of Fair Housing Month and the signing of the Fair Housing Act of 1968 by releasing a statement that read, "Everyone in this country deserves to live free from discrimination, bias, and danger. This Fair Housing Month, we are recommitting ourselves to the important work of protecting individuals and families across America from harm." 

This year's Fair Housing Month theme is, Fair Housing: The 'Act in Action,' which underscores HUD's commitment to combat discrimination in housing. The Department awarded over $30 million to fair housing organizations through the Fair Housing Initiatives Program, aiming to address violations and end discrimination. These grants will support enforcement, education, and outreach activities to protect housing rights. Additionally, HUD granted $13.5 million to nonprofit housing providers to construct or rehabilitate homes for low-income, first-time homebuyers. The innovative "sweat equity grants" empower homebuyers, allowing them to contribute labor and reduce housing costs. This initiative not only makes homeownership more affordable but also instills a sense of hope and encouragement. The Self-Help Homeownership Opportunity Program further amplifies this initiative, promoting homeownership for underserved communities.