Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee Holds Hearing on Rural Housing Legislation
The U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs’ Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation, and Community Development held a hearing, “Rural Housing Legislation,” on May 2. Senator…
Department of Justice Refuses to Prosecute Civil Rights Violation Regarding Mitigation Funding in Texas after HUD Referral
A recent decision by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has hampered efforts to ensure that federal civil rights law is being followed in the distribution of disaster mitigation funding in Texas,…
Senate Banking Committee Holds Hearing on Reforms to National Flood Insurance Program
The U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs held a hearing concerning the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) on May 2. The hearing, “Reauthorization of the National Flood…
FEMA Releases Five-Year Data Strategy
FEMA’s Data Management Branch released a five-year data strategy in March in an effort to modernize how FEMA personnel share data across the myriad divisions and branches of the agency. The document…
Disaster Housing Recovery Update – May 8, 2023
Administrative, Congressional, and National Updates President Biden has issued an executive order aiming to revitalize the nation’s commitment to environmental justice. The order directs the U.S.…
More States and Localities Pass Right-to-Counsel Legislation
Since 2017, three states and 15 cities have passed right-to-counsel protections for tenants – an impressive achievement given that no jurisdiction had enacted such a right prior to 2017. Since the…
Senators Smith and Rounds Introduce Rural Housing Service Reform Bill
Senators Tina Smith (D-MN) and Mike Rounds (R-SD) introduced the “Rural Housing Service Reform Act of 2023” (S.1389) in the U.S. Senate. The bill would aim to improve the housing programs…
White House and HUD Release New Resources to Support Successful Reentry for People Exiting Incarceration
The White House released on April 28 the “White House Alternatives, Rehabilitation, and Reentry Strategic Plan,” a multi-year strategy to improve rehabilitation efforts in carceral settings and…
NHLP to Host Webinar Overviewing Recent HOTMA Changes Affecting Income Calculation and Recertification
The National Housing Law Project (NHLP) will hold a webinar on May 18 to review three new sets of regulation changes arising from the “Housing Opportunity through Modernization Act of 2016” (HOTMA).…
OSAH Campaign Sends Letter to Congress Urging Leaders to Reject Budget Cuts
The Opportunity Starts at Home (OSAH) campaign sent a letter to Congress on April 21 urging congressional leaders to reject any proposal to cut domestic spending, including investments in affordable…
Philadelphia Settles Lawsuit with Property Owner to Retain Affordable Housing, Relocate Displaced Residents Following Years of Resident Organizing
The City of Philadelphia reached an agreement with IBID Associates on March 17 to transfer part of IBID’s property to the City to be redeveloped as affordable homes and provide $3.5 million to…