National Low Income Housing Coalition

National Housing Trust Fund

National Low Income Housing Coalition

NHTF Logo

Home is the foundation.

But for the 7.1 million American households for whom even a modest rental home is unaffordable and unavailable, life is a daily struggle for survival. Families in this situation find themselves making impossible choices between food and rent. When illness, job loss or other tragedy strikes, they often become homeless.

The National Housing Trust Fund was established as a provision of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008, which was signed into law by President George W. Bush. The passage of National Housing Trust Fund legislation is a major victory for low income housing advocates and the lowest income people in our country with the most serious needs.
 
The NHTF will, once capitalized, provide communities with funds to build, preserve, and rehabilitate rental homes that are affordable for extremely and very low income households. The NHTF’s most important features are:
 
  • It is a permanent program, and will have dedicated source of funding not subject to the annual appropriations process.
  • Targeted toward rental housing, at least 90% of the funds must be used for the production, preservation, rehabilitation, or operation of rental housing. Up to 10% can be used for the following home ownership activities for first-time home buyers: production, preservation, and rehabilitation; down payment assistance, closing cost assistance, and assistance for interest rate buy-downs.
  • Targeted toward extremely low income households, at least 75% of the funds for rental housing must benefit extremely low income households and all funds must benefit very low income households.

GETTING READY TO IMPLEMENT THE NHTF

Money will begin to flow to the NHTF sometime after March, 2016. A final NHTF rule is anticipated in early 2015. Therefore, advocates should be preparing for NHTF implementation. Because the NHTF is a block grant to the states, advocacy needs to start at the state level.

Below are a number of short descriptions covering key topics to help advocates know the basics of the NHTF program and to suggest how to get started influencing how the NHTF program will work in your state.

RESOURCES

  1. About the National Housing Trust Fund (PDF)
  2. The Formula for Distributing NHTF to States (PDF)
  3. How Can I Influence Where the Money Goes? (PDF)
  4. Focused on Extremely Low Income Renters (PDF)
  5. Public Participation Requirements of the Consolidated Plan Process (PDF)
  6. How Can the Money Be Used? (PDF)
  7. Operating Cost Assistance (PDF)
  8. Eligible Project Costs (PDF)
  9. Transit-Oriented Development (PDF to come soon)
  10. Homeowner Features (PDF)
  11. What Rural Advocates Should Know (PDF)
  12. Serving People With Disabilities (PDF to come soon)
  13. Tenant Selection and Tenant Protections (PDF)
  14. Fair Housing Features (PDF to come soon)
  15. Site and Neighborhood Standards for Fair Housing (PDF to come soon)
  16. How Is Resident Income Figured to Determine Eligibility? (PDF to come soon)
  17. Key Time Frames to Know About (PDF)
  18. Accountability (PDF to come soon)
  19. Ineligible Activities (PDF)
  20. Where Will the Money Come From (PDF to come soon)
  21. Housing Tax Reform to Generate Revenues for NHTF (PDF to come soon)

OTHER RESOURCES:

State Agencies Selected to Receive and Administer NHTF Funding (PDF)

National Housing Trust Fund: Frequently Asked Questions (PDF)
A detailed review of the National Housing Trust Fund

Estimated State Allocations if NHTF has $250 Million or $500 Million (PDF)
Estimated funding states would receive through the National Housing Trust Fund

Current Avenues for Funding (PDF)
An overview of different funding sources for the National Housing Trust Fund