HUD

WASHINGTON, DC - October 19, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today announced HUD will speed federal disaster assistance to 21 counties in Minnesota and provide support to homeowners and low-income renters forced from their homes following severe storms and flooding last month.

SEATTLE, DC - October 18, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today released its 2009 Seattle Metropolitan Area Housing Survey, the most comprehensive analysis of the area's housing stock since the Department's last substantive assessment in 2004. HUD estimates that there were nearly 1.5 million housing units in King, Pierce and Snohomish Counties in 2009, more than 15 percent of which were constructed since 2000 (see attached data).

WASHINGTON, DC - October 15, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today announced that it is charging the owners of a single-family home in Gibsonton, Florida with violating the Fair Housing Act for engaging in discriminatory housing practices, including reneging on their agreement to rent the house to a mother and her children because they are African American. HUD’s charge also alleges that the owners used racial slurs when referring to and addressing the family.

LOUISVILLE, KY - October 14, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Housing and Urban Development Assistant Secretary John Trasviña today announced a new National Fair Housing Collegiate Partnership with Kentucky State University (KSU) at Frankfort. The new HUD-KSU partnership announced today will help develop an innovative curriculum at a historically black university designed to train a new generation of students interested in pursuing careers in civil rights and fair housing. Trasviña joined prominent leaders and KSU President Dr. Mary Evan Sias to kick off HUD’s new education program during the Kentucky Commission on Human Rights 50th Anniversary Civil and Human Rights Conference in Louisville

WASHINGTON, DC - October 14, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- For the first time ever, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is awarding nearly $100 million in new grants to support more livable and sustainable communities across the country. HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan today announced that 45 regional areas will receive funding through a new initiative intended to build economic competitiveness by connecting housing with good jobs, quality schools and transportation.

WASHINGTON, DC - October 8, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today announced President Barack Obama’s selection of Jane Vincent to serve as HUD Regional Administrator for Region III, the Mid-Atlantic region that includes Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and the District of Columbia

WASHINGTON, DC - October 8, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today announced President Barack Obama's selection of Derrith Watchman-Moore to serve as HUD's Regional Administrator for four Great Plains states including Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, and Nebraska.

WASHINGTON, DC - October 8, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development today proposed new regulations to strengthen its authority to force certain lenders to indemnify or reimburse the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) for insurance claims paid on mortgages that are found not to meet the agency's guidelines. In addition, HUD's proposed rule would require all new and existing lenders with the ability to insure mortgages on HUD's behalf ("Lender Insurance" mortgagee) to meet stricter performance standards to gain and maintain their approval status.

WASHINGTON, DC - October 5, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today announced a commitment to insure a mortgage loan to the John & Mary E. Kirby Hospital in Monticello, Illinois. The $31.2 million loan is made possible through the Federal Housing Administration’s (FHA) Section 242 Hospital Mortgage Insurance Program.

WASHINGTON, DC - October 1, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today announced that it is charging Heatherwood-Norwich Gate LLC, the owner and manager of an apartment complex in East Norwich, New York, with violating the Fair Housing Act for allegedly denying a resident with disabilities an accessible parking space he requested. HUD’s charge also alleges that the complex refused to modify its first-come, first-served parking policy to accommodate the resident’s request.

WASHINGTON, DC - October 1, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan announced today that thousands of non-elderly Americans with disabilities will receive housing assistance to enable them to access affordable housing. Public housing authorities across the U.S. will distribute approximately 4,300 rental assistance vouchers to this population.

WASHINGTON - U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan announced today that HUD will provide $4.3 million to local housing authorities in 19 states to provide permanent housing for 550 homeless veterans in America. The funding is provided through The Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing Program (HUD-VASH), a coordinated effort by HUD, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and local housing authorities to provide permanent supportive housing for veterans experiencing homelessness. For a local breakdown of the rental vouchers announced today

WASHINGTON, DC - September 27, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- As part of the Obama Administration’s continuing effort to provide quality housing counseling to the nation’s homeowners, buyers and renters; the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development today announced the availability of more than $5.1 million in grants for housing counseling training. HUD’s goal is to fund eligible organizations to deliver training in the full spectrum of counseling services. HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan made the announcement while meeting with borrowers and homeowners receiving counseling at an event in Oakland, California.

WASHINGTON, DC - September 24, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today awarded $6.3 million to eight Tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) to help build, renovate, expand and equip their own facilities, and to expand the role of TCUs into the community through the provision of needed services such as health programs, job training, and economic development activities. The funding announced today is provided through HUD's Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP).

WASHINGTON, DC - September 24, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today awarded the City of New Orleans $1,042,684 to create a training program to help minority-owned businesses compete for contracting opportunities in federal and state-funded disaster recovery programs. The grant is provided through HUD’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program

WASHINGTON, DC - September 23, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today announced a commitment to insure a mortgage loan to Hayes Green Beach Memorial Hospital in Charlotte, Michigan. The $36.6 million loan is made possible through the Federal Housing Administration's (FHA) Section 242 Hospital Mortgage Insurance Program.

WASHINGTON, DC - September 23, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is offering $19.6 million in grants to prevent and correct housing-related health and safety hazards in low-income housing and to support programs for the control of asthma among residents in federally assisted multifamily housing

WASHINGTON, DC - September 22, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced today that it has approved the demolition of 100 sub-standard public housing units at the Lake Monroe Terrace public housing development in Sanford, Fla. and approved the Sanford Housing Authority’s (SHA) request for 86 rental assistance vouchers for current residents. The vouchers will give these families an opportunity to find long-term housing in a safe and habitable home

WASHINGTON, DC - September 22, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) today announced a new modified version of its Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) product. The HECM loan is a reverse mortgage insured by the federal government. It allows older home owners to tap into their equity to cover living expenses and health care costs while continuing to live in their home without having to make the mortgage payments that are required with a traditional mortgage or equity loan.

WASHINGTON, DC - September 20, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan today allocated $50 million in disaster funding slated for Kentucky, Rhode Island, and Tennessee. The supplemental disaster funding, provided through HUD's Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program, will help support the long-term disaster recovery and critical infrastructure needs in each state and local government receiving funds.

WASHINGTON, DC - September 20, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is making available $1.68 billion in homeless assistance grants to thousands of local projects that house and serve homeless persons and families across the country. In its funding announcement, HUD notified applicants that it will rapidly award renewal grants to prevent interruption in federal assistance to existing local programs while awarding funds to new projects later in the year. To read the full text of the funding notice, visit HUD's website.

WASHINGTON, DC - September 17, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today awarded $7.4 million to 10 historically black colleges and universities to help revitalize neighborhoods, promote affordable housing and stimulate economic development in their communities. The funding announced today is provided through HUD's Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Program. Donovan made the announcement to the Congressional Black Caucus' Annual Legislative Conference in Washington.

WASHINGTON, DC - September 16, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today awarded $2.4 million to three Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian colleges and universities to stimulate neighborhood revitalization, promote affordable housing and promote economic development in their communities. The funding announced today is provided through HUD’s Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian Institutions Assisting Communities (AN/NHIAC) Program.

WASHINGTON, DC - September 15, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced today that it will modify a planned approach to its financial systems modernization effort and focus on a single core financial system

NEW ORLEANS, Dc - September 13, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- In the five years since Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf coast, the New Orleans metropolitan area lost 75,000 housing units or nearly 13 percent of its housing stock. In addition, the median monthly cost of housing rose by nearly 33 percent, from $662 in 2004 to $882 in 2009. These are among the key findings of a new housing survey presented today by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

WASHINGTON, DC - September 13, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Inspector General, Kenneth M. Donohue today announced that he is leaving federal service in October.

WASHINGTON, DC - September 8, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- In an effort to help responsible homeowners who owe more on their mortgage than the value of their property, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development today will begin providing an additional refinancing option for underwater borrowers. Originally announced in March, this enhancement of Federal Housing Administration (FHA) refinance program will offer certain 'underwater' non-FHA borrowers who are current on their existing mortgage and whose lien holders agree to write off at least ten percent of the unpaid principal balance of the first mortgage, the opportunity to qualify for a new FHA-insured mortgage.

WASHINGTON, DC - September 8, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today awarded an additional $1 billion in funding to all states along with a number of counties and local communities struggling to reverse the effects of the foreclosure crisis. The grants announced today represent a third round of funding through HUD’s Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) and will provide targeted emergency assistance to state and local governments to acquire, redevelop or demolish foreclosed properties. For a complete listing of the allocations announced today, visit HUD’s website.

WASHINGTON, DC - September 2, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development today announced that it is making approximately $110 million in grants available to help eliminate dangerous lead-based paint from lower income homes and to protect young children from lead poisoning. The grants to States and local governments are being offered through HUD’s Lead-Based Paint Hazard Control and Lead Hazard Reduction Demonstration Programs.

WASHINGTON, DC - September 1, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan today announced an unprecedented agreement with the nation's top mortgage lenders to offer selected state and local governments, and nonprofit organizations a "first look" or right of first refusal to purchase foreclosed homes before making these properties available to private investors.