
HUD AND CENSUS BUREAU ANNOUNCE NEW RESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY IN JANUARY
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Census Bureau jointly announced the following new residential construction statistics for January 2017

HUD OFFERS GRANTS TO CLEAN UP LEAD-BASED PAINT HAZARDS
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has announced that it is making grants available to help eliminate dangerous lead-based paint hazards from lower income homes in order to protect young children. Additionally, this funding will provide an opportunity for local communities to establish and support programs to control other housing-related health and safety hazards

HUD AND CENSUS BUREAU REPORT NEW RESIDENTIAL SALES IN DECEMBER 2016
Sales of new single-family houses in December 2016 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 536,000, according to estimates released jointly today by the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau. This is 10.4 percent (±12.2%)* below the revised November rate of 598,000 and is 0.4 percent (±11.7%)* below the December 2015 estimate of 538,000

HUD RELEASES COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT OF HOUSING NEEDS OF AMERICAN INDIANS AND ALASKA NATIVES
American Indian tribes are building more housing units after enactment of the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act of 1996 (NAHASDA) but housing conditions are substantially worse among American Indian households than other U.S. households. These are some of the findings of three new comprehensive reports of tribal housing needs released today by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Urban Institute.

HUD AND CENSUS BUREAU ANNOUNCE NEW RESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY IN DECEMBER
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Census Bureau jointly announced the following new residential construction statistics for December 2016

HUD ANNOUNCES $10 MILLION IN “SWEAT EQUITY” GRANTS
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Julián Castro today awarded $10 million in “sweat equity” grants to four non-profit self-help housing organizations through HUD’s Self-Help Homeownership Opportunity Program (SHOP). This funding will create at least 539 affordable homes and significantly lower their purchase price for low-income buyers, who will contribute their own labor toward the construction or rehabilitation of these units.

HUD AWARDS $33 MILLION TO HELP END YOUTH HOMELESSNESS
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is awarding $33 million to build systems intended to end youth homelessness in ten local communities, including four rural areas. HUD’s Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program (YHDP) will support a wide range of housing programs including rapid re-housing, permanent supportive housing, transitional housing, and host homes.

HUD ISSUES FINAL RULE TO HELP CHILDREN EXPOSED TO LEAD PAINT HAZARDS
In an effort to respond quickly when young children living in federally housing experience elevated levels of lead in their blood, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today published a new rule lowering the Department’s threshold of lead in the child’s blood to match the more protective guidance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

HUD ANNOUNCES $15 MILLION TO TEST A NEW APPROACH TO HELP LOW-INCOME SENIORS AGE IN PLACE
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today awarded approximately $15 million to select owners of HUD-assisted senior housing developments to help their low-income senior tenants to age in their own homes and delay or avoid the need for nursing home care. HUD will cover costs related to hiring a full-time Enhanced Service Coordinator and a part-time Wellness Nurse to connect the elderly with

HUD AND VA SECRETARIES JOIN DC MAYOR AND ADVOCATES TO OPEN NEW HOUSING FOR HOMELESS VETERANS
U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Julián Castro, U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) Robert A. McDonald and District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser joined advocates and housing professionals today to open the John and Jill Ker Conway Residence, an architecturally striking apartment building with 60 units of permanent supportive housing for veterans exiting homelessness and 64 affordable and low-income units. The 124-unit mixed income building is among the first of its kind in the country to have full-time, onsite VA case managers.

FHA TO REDUCE ANNUAL INSURANCE PREMIUMS ON MOST MORTGAGES
As the nation’s housing market continues to improve, U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro today announced the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) will reduce the annual premiums most borrowers will pay by a quarter of a percent. FHA’s new premium rates are projected to save new FHA-insured homeowners an average of $500 this year

HUD AND CENSUS BUREAU RELEASE AMERICAN HOUSING SURVEY RESULTS FOR 25 METRO AREAS
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Census Bureau released the results of the 2015 American Housing Survey focusing on 25 metropolitan areas across the country. The data released today includes detailed information on everything from monthly housing costs, hunger, and neighborhood characteristics including crime and the prevalence of rodents and cockroaches. Read the 2015 American Housing Survey data by metro area.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND NONPROFIT PARTNERS LAUNCH BOOK-RICH ENVIRONMENTS INITIATIVE TO BOOST EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY FOR CHILDREN IN PUBLIC HOUSING
In an effort to promote literacy and boost educational outcomes for kids in public housing across the country, the U.S. Departments of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Education (ED) are joining forces with the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading (GLR), the National Book Foundation (NBF) and the Urban Libraries Council (ULC) to launch the Book-Rich Environment (BRE) Initiative

HUD AWARDS $32 MILLION TO PROMOTE JOBS, SELF-SUFFICIENCY FOR PUBLIC HOUSING RESIDENTS
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today awarded $32 million to public housing authorities, public housing resident associations, Native American tribes, and non-profit organizations across the nation to hire or retain service coordinators to help residents find jobs, educational opportunities, and achieve economic and housing independence (see list below)

HUD AND CENSUS BUREAU REPORT NEW RESIDENTIAL SALES IN NOVEMBER
Sales of new single-family houses in in November 2016 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 592,000, according to estimates released jointly today by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. This is 5.2 percent (±14.1%)* above the revised October rate of 563,000 and is 16.5 percent (±19.3%)* above the November 2015 estimate of 508,000.

HUD AWARDS ADDITIONAL $1.8 BILLION TO HELP SIX STATES TO RECOVER FROM 2016 DISASTERS
U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Julián Castro today awarded an additional $1.8 billion to help Louisiana, West Virginia, Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida to recover after severe flooding events that occurred earlier this year. Provided through HUD’s Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) Program, these recovery funds will assist the most impacted communities that experienced the most serious damage to their housing stock.

HUD APPROVES FAIR HOUSING AGREEMENTS BETWEEN WYOMING LANDLORDS AND FAMILIES CLAIMING DISCRIMINATION
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced today two agreements between the owners and managers of Plainview Mobile Home Park in Casper, Wyoming, and two families who complained they were unlawfully denied the reasonable modifications they needed.

HUD AND VA ANNOUNCE ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO HELP MORE HOMELESS VETERANS IN RURAL AREAS FIND PERMANENT HOMES
In a continuing effort to help end veteran homelessness, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) today announce $2.9 million to local public housing agencies across the country to provide a permanent home to 529 veterans and their families who are experiencing homelessness in rural areas (see attached list below).

HUD AWARDS NEARLY $2 BILLION FOR LOCAL HOMELESS PROGRAMS
As part of the Obama Administration’s effort to prevent and end homelessness, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development today awarded a record $1.95 billion in grants to nearly 7,600 homeless assistance programs across throughout the nation, including Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. HUD’s Continuum of Care grants provide critically needed support to local programs on the front lines of serving individuals and families experiencing
HUD SECRETARY CASTRO, MAYOR DE BLASIO, AND T-MOBILE ANNOUNCE 5,000 FAMILIES IN BRONX PUBLIC HOUSING TO RECEIVE FREE TABLETS AND MOBILE INTERNET SERVICE
Mayor Bill de Blasio and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Julián Castro today announced in partnership with T-Mobile that families living in public housing in the Bronx will receive 5,000 new tablet computers connected to T-Mobile’s high-speed data network. As part of this commitment, T-Mobile will also become a national stakeholder in the Obama Administration’s ConnectHome initiative. Beginning in January, the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) will distribute the tablets – valued at $159 each – to qualifying families with children under 19 years old.