Jeff Falcusan's blog

NAHRO members:  Be sure to check out our August 30 Direct News item, which provides updates on the administration's operating reserves offset proposal as well as HUD's initiative to collect PHA compensation information.  

Summary: This final rule sets forth the minimum standards for the state licensing and registration of residential mortgage loan originators, requirements for operating the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System and Registry (NMLSR), and HUD’s Federal oversight responsibilities pursuant to the Secure and Fair Enforcement Mortgage Licensing Act of 2008 (SAFE Act or Act), to ensure proper monitoring and enforcement of states’ compliance with statutory requirements.

The NAHRO team has a new addition: Emily Pasi, our summer intern.  For the next few months Emily will be working with the Policy and Program Development staff, along with John Bohm and our Congressional Relations team.  She will be introducing herself shortly, but I'm pleased to let you know that one of her assignments will involve posting to this blog on a regular basis.  So watch this space for Emily's daily updates from Washington on housing and community development policy and programs.

In case you missed it, HUD posted FY 2011 formula allocations for CDBG, HOME, ESG, and HOPWA on Friday, May 27.  HUD's press release announcing the allocations is available here. 

NAHRO and its partners recently submitted the following letter to the editor of the Washington Post:

The undersigned national organizations representing elected officials and housing practitioners are strong supporters of the HOME Investment Partnerships Program.   We are disappointed that the Post’s recent reporting on the program has favored misleading, blanket assertions while ignoring HOME’s twenty-year track record of success providing decent, safe and affordable housing opportunities for millions of low- and moderate-income Americans.

Have you been wondering why HUD hasn't released the final report on the Capital Needs Assessment?  You're not alone.  As recently as last October, the Department assured the industry that the results of the CNA would be unveiled by November 2010.

Our comprehensive overview of the year-long FY 2011 spending bill is now online.  

Related: NAHRO CEO Saul Ramirez is quoted in this Wall Street Journal blog entry examining the impact of the budget compromise on housing programs.  

Here's a video clip from HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan's recent appearance at our 2011 Legislative Conference here in Washington. The moderator is Jim Tankersley from the National Journal. 

With the FY 2011 appropriations process still unresolved (and a shutdown looking increasingly likely), House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.) has been making the rounds in support of a Republican budget roadmap for FY 2012 and beyond.  Chairman Ryan argues that his budget resolution - titled "The Path to Prosperity: Restoring America’s Promise" - "tackles the existential threat posed by rapidly growing government and debt, applying the nat

Busy week here at NAHRO headquarters as we prepare for our 2011 Legislative Conference.  If you haven't seen our 2011 Legislative and Regulatory Agenda yet, check it out.

Along with my counterparts from other community development industry groups, I attended a meeting yesterday at HUD headquarters with senior Community Planning and Development officials.  I'll provide a more detailed report at a later date but wanted to provide two quick takeaways.