HUD awards more than $130 million to provide affordable housing to people with disabilities

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded $131.3 million to 325 local public housing authorities across the country to provide affordable housing to approximately 15,363 additional non-elderly persons with disabilities. Secretary Ben Carson made the national announcement during a visit to Detroit, Michigan. The Detroit Housing Commission received $597,629 to serve the residents in their community living with disabilities. See the local impact of the housing assistance announced today.

“At HUD we’re committed to ensuring people with disabilities have a decent, safe, and affordable place to live,” said HUD Secretary Ben Carson. “The funding announced today allows our local partners to continue helping residents with disabilities live independently.”

The housing assistance announced today is provided through the HUD’s Mainstream Housing Choice Voucher Program which provides funding to housing agencies to assist non-elderly persons with disabilities, particularly those who are transitioning out of institutional or other separated settings; at serious risk of institutionalization; currently experiencing homelessness; previously experienced homelessness and currently a client in a permanent supportive housing or rapid rehousing project; or at risk of becoming homeless.

This program helps to further the goals of the Americans with Disabilities Act by helping persons with disabilities live in the most integrated setting. The program also encourages partnerships with health and human service agencies with a demonstrated capacity to coordinate voluntary services and supports to enable individuals to live independently in the community.

EIG launches interactive map highlighting innovative Opportunity Zone activity across the country

The Economic Innovation Group (EIG) launched the Opportunity Zones Activity Map, an online portal highlighting some of the most innovative and impactful publicly-announced developments catalyzed in the early stages of this new policy. This interactive tool will help raise awareness among policymakers, investors, and the public of the impact Opportunity Zones is having in communities across the country.

The online portal, which will be updated on a rolling basis, depicts core components of the emerging Opportunity Zones marketplace, including investments utilizing the incentive, new funds forming to deploy capital into zones, and public and civic sector initiatives creating an impact in communities. The curated list of activities included in the map showcases the broad geographic reach of Opportunity Zones, the diverse range of sectors involved, and the promising investment ecosystem now being established.

“Every marker in this portal represents an Opportunity Zones success story in progress,” said John Lettieri, President and CEO of EIG. “We designed this project to provide the public with a better understanding of the diversity of the emerging Opportunity Zones marketplace, and to bring greater attention to the important work being done in low-income communities nationwide thanks to this policy.”

Earlier this week, EIG published the first three in a series of Opportunity Zone Development Profiles in partnership with the National Council of State Housing Agencies. The projects in Ohio, Maryland, and Florida, which are also highlighted in the EIG Opportunity Zones Activity Map, incorporate Opportunity Zone investment to create new affordable homes and support community revitalization efforts.

EIG has been a leading advocate for comprehensive tracking, reporting, and measurement requirements at the federal level to ensure the transparent evaluation of Opportunity Zones. This portal, which is intended to highlight qualitative insights in order to scale promising models and best practices, is not a substitute for a comprehensive federal framework.

HUD awards more than $130 million to provide affordable housing to people with disabilities

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded $131.3 million to 325 local public housing authorities across the country to provide affordable housing to approximately 15,363 additional non-elderly persons with disabilities. Secretary Ben Carson made the national announcement during a visit to Detroit, Michigan. The Detroit Housing Commission received $597,629 to serve the residents in their community living with disabilities. See the local impact of the housing assistance announced today.

“At HUD we’re committed to ensuring people with disabilities have a decent, safe, and affordable place to live,” said HUD Secretary Ben Carson. “The funding announced today allows our local partners to continue helping residents with disabilities live independently.”

The housing assistance announced today is provided through the HUD’s Mainstream Housing Choice Voucher Program which provides funding to housing agencies to assist non-elderly persons with disabilities, particularly those who are transitioning out of institutional or other separated settings; at serious risk of institutionalization; currently experiencing homelessness; previously experienced homelessness and currently a client in a permanent supportive housing or rapid rehousing project; or at risk of becoming homeless.

This program helps to further the goals of the Americans with Disabilities Act by helping persons with disabilities live in the most integrated setting. The program also encourages partnerships with health and human service agencies with a demonstrated capacity to coordinate voluntary services and supports to enable individuals to live independently in the community.

EIG launches interactive map highlighting innovative Opportunity Zone activity across the country

The Economic Innovation Group (EIG) launched the Opportunity Zones Activity Map, an online portal highlighting some of the most innovative and impactful publicly-announced developments catalyzed in the early stages of this new policy. This interactive tool will help raise awareness among policymakers, investors, and the public of the impact Opportunity Zones is having in communities across the country.

The online portal, which will be updated on a rolling basis, depicts core components of the emerging Opportunity Zones marketplace, including investments utilizing the incentive, new funds forming to deploy capital into zones, and public and civic sector initiatives creating an impact in communities. The curated list of activities included in the map showcases the broad geographic reach of Opportunity Zones, the diverse range of sectors involved, and the promising investment ecosystem now being established.

“Every marker in this portal represents an Opportunity Zones success story in progress,” said John Lettieri, President and CEO of EIG. “We designed this project to provide the public with a better understanding of the diversity of the emerging Opportunity Zones marketplace, and to bring greater attention to the important work being done in low-income communities nationwide thanks to this policy.”

Earlier this week, EIG published the first three in a series of Opportunity Zone Development Profiles in partnership with the National Council of State Housing Agencies. The projects in Ohio, Maryland, and Florida, which are also highlighted in the EIG Opportunity Zones Activity Map, incorporate Opportunity Zone investment to create new affordable homes and support community revitalization efforts.

EIG has been a leading advocate for comprehensive tracking, reporting, and measurement requirements at the federal level to ensure the transparent evaluation of Opportunity Zones. This portal, which is intended to highlight qualitative insights in order to scale promising models and best practices, is not a substitute for a comprehensive federal framework.

Trump administration announces continued decline in veteran homelessness

During a press conference at Harbor Homes in Manchester, New Hampshire, U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson announced veteran homelessness in the U.S. continues to decline according to a new national estimate. HUD’s Annual Homeless Assessment Report indicates the total number of reported veterans experiencing homelessness in 2019 decreased 2.1 percent and 793 more veterans now have a roof over their heads. View local estimates of veteran homelessness.

“Our nation’s veterans have sacrificed so much for our country and now it’s our duty to make certain they have a home to call their own,” said Secretary Carson. “We’ve made great progress in our efforts to end veteran homelessness, but we still have a lot of work to do to ensure our heroes have access to affordable housing.”

Each year, thousands of local communities around the country conduct one-night “Point-in-Time” estimates of the number of persons experiencing homelessness—in emergency shelters, transitional housing programs and in unsheltered locations. This year’s estimate finds 37,085 veterans experienced homelessness in January 2019, compared to 37,878 reported in January 2018. HUD estimates among the total number of reported veterans experiencing homelessness in 2019, 22,740 veterans were found in sheltered settings while volunteers counted 14,345 veterans living in places not meant for human habitation.

These declines are the result of intense planning and targeted interventions, including the close collaboration between HUD and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Both agencies jointly administer the HUD-VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) Program, which combines permanent HUD rental assistance with case management and clinical services provided by the VA. HUD-VASH is complemented by a continuum of VA programs that use modern tools and technology to identify the most vulnerable Veterans and rapidly connect them to the appropriate interventions to become and remain stably housed. This year to date, more than 11,000 veterans, many experiencing chronic forms of homelessness, found permanent housing and critically needed support services through the HUD-VASH program.

To date, 78 local communities and three states have declared an effective end to veteran homelessness, creating systems to ensure that a veteran’s homelessness is rare, brief, and a one-time encounter.

HUD and VA have a wide range of programs that prevent and end homelessness among veterans, including health care, housing solutions, job training and education. More information about VA’s homeless programs is available. Veterans who are homeless or at imminent risk of becoming homeless should contact their local VA Medical Center and ask to speak to a homeless coordinator or call the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at 1-877-4AID-VET.

NMHC & Kingsley 2020 Apartment Resident Preferences Report takes residents’ pulse on top leasing factors

From must-have technology to popular pet perks, the 2020 Apartment Resident Preferences Report released today by the National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) and Kingsley Associates provides an exhaustive look at what apartment residents want and need in their next home. The report is the largest-ever collection of apartment resident insights, featuring input from nearly 373,000 renters living in 5,336 communities across the U.S.

The report details the apartment features and community amenities that renters can’t live without, how much they expect to pay for them, and what matters during their apartment search.

“While emerging technologies have allowed communities to offer virtual tours and other opportunities for online engagement, we found that the majority of renters still prefer an in-person tour with a community representative,” Rick Haughey, Vice President, Industry Technology Initiatives, NMHC, said. “That said, 14 percent of renters noted they would rent an apartment sight unseen.”

“The 2020 Apartment Resident Preferences Report offers an in-depth look at what renters expect when choosing where to live,” John Falco, Principal, Kingsley Associates, said. “This data is invaluable for not only developers, architects and designers looking to build a new community or renovate an existing community, but also for property managers and leasing agents trying to improve the renter experience for current and future residents.”

Among hot topics and trends covered in the report:

  • Short-term rentals. The view on short-term rental activity on site is strongly reflective of resident age, with younger renters expressing more interest. Nationally, nearly 60 percent of respondents said having short-term rentals would either positively impact their perception of a community or have no effect at all; conversely, 16 percent said they wouldn’t rent at a community that allowed short-term rentals.
  • Coworking. While 42 percent of survey respondents said they telecommuted at least part of the time, just 15 percent said they either had or would use a coworking space, while 55 percent said they were interested in an on-site business center.
  • Coliving. Despite a lot of investment in coliving start-ups, nationally, apartment residents remain skeptical about the trend—at least for now—with 69 percent saying they definitely would not be interested in this type of living arrangement.
  • Voice-activated technology. Forty-three percent of respondents said they were interested in or would not rent without voice-activated virtual assistants like Amazon’s Alexa or Google Home. More than a third said they already owned such devices.
  • Pet amenities. More than one-third of respondents were pet owners, with the majority having dogs. Dog owners, in turn, said they expected to pay between $28 and $34 more per feature per month for perks like a community dog park, pet-washing station or on-site pet services.
About the survey

Since its inception in 2013, the NMHC/ Kingsley Associates Apartment Resident Preferences Report has been the authoritative data source for apartment owners, managers, developers, industry suppliers, as well as architects, financial institutions and others seeking insights into the mind of apartment residents. This biennial survey provides users with reliable data to make a variety of investment, development and operational decisions. For the 2020 report, 372,944 apartment residents from 5,336 professionally managed apartment communities responded to the survey, creating the most robust database full of valuable business intelligence.