Weekly update from the National Housing Conference
December 18, 2018
President's Message I By David M. Dworkin
Greetings!

This is our last Member Brief for 2018. On behalf of everyone here at NHC, we wish you all a wonderful holiday and a happy New Year! It has been a fantastic year for us, and we are deeply grateful for your support and your hard work on behalf of our American Home.

Next year will be even better. With 200 members and plans to grow even more in 2019, NHC will be a leading voice for affordable housing in the Congress and the administration. We want to be sure that you will a part of our team, so your interests will be represented in our policy development and advocacy. If you haven’t renewed your membership yet, please do so by Dec. 31 to take advantage of membership discounts (Basic and Full memberships) and additional member benefits (Silver and Gold memberships). If you haven’t received your invoice, please contact Amanda Mitchell right away.

NHC has led the way forward in the development, advocacy and enactment of major national housing legislation in 1934, 1936, 1937, 1949, 1965 and 1968. Today, America is overdue for a comprehensive national housing policy. Over the next year, the National Housing Conference will work with our members to craft a bold and effective national housing policy for the 21 st century.

We will host discussions on every facet of housing policy including increasing homeownership, production of affordable rental housing, ending homelessness, disaster relief, community development and market reform. Our goal is to have these key elements in the political platforms of both parties and make quality, affordable housing for all a key campaign issue in 2020 and the objective of the first bill to be introduced in the 117 th Congress – HR.1. in 2021.

Not a member yet? Join us today!
News from Washington I By Tristan Bréaux
NHC prepares group letter on Opportunity Zones regs

NHC will submit comments on the Internal Revenue Service’s regulations on Opportunity Zones (OZ). The letter emphasizes the importance of adopting comprehensive reporting requirements, so the impact of the OZ incentive may be accurately assessed; and to develop clear definitions of abuse to avoid the potential for fraud and displacement that would ultimately increase the cost of the initiative and turn the initiative in to a costly tax shelter. To sign on to this letter, contact Tristan Bréaux by 12 p.m. EST on Friday, Dec. 21.
Trump pushes resources to Opportunity Zones

President Trump signed an executive order directing more federal funds and resources into Opportunity Zones, which was originally enacted in the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The order will create a White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council, covering 13 federal agencies and led by HUD Secretary Ben Carson. The 13 agencies together have already created a list of at least 150 potential actions they could take to support investment in the zones.
FHFA issues proposed rule on credit score models

FHFA is requesting comments on a proposed process for GSEs to consider the use of third-party credit score models. The rule does not require the enterprises to use third-party models, but provides clear criteria and standards that must be used in order to approve and validate any credit score models that will be used.
Minneapolis ends single family zoning

With a historic 12-1 vote, the Minneapolis City Council voted to allow duplex and triplex housing throughout the city in areas previously reserved for single-family homes. The new comprehensive plan, called Minneapolis 2040, addresses housing affordability and many other issues from climate change to living wage jobs and civic participation. The plan also calls for eliminating parking requirements and encouraging greater density along transit corridors.
Homelessness tied to rent burden thresholds

New research from Zillow shows that communities where people spend more than 32 percent of their income on rent experience a more rapid increase in homelessness, providing evidence for the traditional affordability threshold measure of 30 percent of income. Across the country, the rent burden already exceeds the 32 percent threshold in 100 of the 86 markets included in the study. This week, the Department of Housing and Urban Development sent its 2018 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress. The report details an increase in the number of homeless people in the United States for the second year in a row following six years of decline. HUD reported that 552,830 individuals experienced homelessness on a single night in 2018, and nearly 195,000 were unsheltered. 
Patenaude steps down as HUD deputy secretary

HUD Deputy Secretary Pam Patenaude submitted her resignation to Secretary Ben Carson. Patenaude held a number of high-profile roles in housing, recently as president of the Terwilliger Foundation for Housing America’s Families, director of housing policy for Bipartisan Policy Center and executive director of the Terwilliger Center at the Urban Land Institute. She served as assistant secretary for Community Planning Housing and Development in the George W. Bush administration.Secretary Carson has appointed FHA Commissioner Brian D. Montgomery as acting deputy secretary. Montgomery was the keynote speaker at NHC’s recent Solutions for Affordable Housing 2018 convening.

Read NHC’s statement here
GSEs suspend evictions for the holidays

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac announced they will suspend evictions on foreclosed single-family homes for the holiday season through Jan. 2. During the suspension, legal and administrative proceedings will continue, but families can remain in their homes.
The National Housing Conference has been defending the American Home since 1931. We believe everyone in America should have equal opportunity to live in a quality, affordable home in a thriving community. NHC convenes and collaborates with our diverse membership and the broader housing and community development sectors to advance our policy, research and communications initiatives to effect positive change at the federal, state and local levels. Politically diverse and nonpartisan, NHC is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.
Defending our American Home since 1931
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