HUD

WASHINGTON, DC - August 27, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan today awarded nearly $312 million to 13 states to invest in efforts to reduce the human, physical, and economic toll of future disasters. The grants announced today are provided through HUD's Disaster Recovery Enhancement Fund (DREF) and are intended to encourage states to undertake activities and long-term strategies that focus on reducing damages from future natural disasters.

WASHINGTON, DC - August 25, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today announced that it is charging Testa Family Enterprises, LTD, owner of Royal Arms Apartments in Ravenna, Ohio, and the complex’s manager with housing discrimination for allegedly refusing to rent certain apartments to families with young children. HUD’s charge alleges that manager Christine Testa and Testa Family Enterprises, LTD, violated the Fair Housing Act by limiting or refusing to rent to families with small children.

WASHINGTON, DC - August 25, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced today that it is making $189 million in grants available to transform public and assisted housing and to revitalize communities. Appearing in today’s Federal Register are the Notices of Funding Availability, the federal application, for two revitalization initiatives: The Choice Neighborhoods FY 2010 and the HOPE VI FY 2010. Both applications can be accessed at www.grants.gov.

WASHINGTON, DC - August 20, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan announced today a major Recovery Act milestone: 100 affordable housing developments, including 8,112 homes, around the country have been awarded more than $100 million to complete energy efficient renovations with Recovery Act funds. These renovations will not only generate many necessary upgrades to thousands of affordable apartments, but they will also create jobs and save money for thousands of residents. A complete list of Recovery Act Green Retrofit Program awards being issued today can be viewed in full here.

WASHINGTON, DC - August 20, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan announced today a major Recovery Act milestone: 100 affordable housing developments, including 8,112 homes, around the country have been awarded more than $100 million to complete energy efficient renovations with Recovery Act funds. These renovations will not only generate many necessary upgrades to thousands of affordable apartments, but they will also create jobs and save money for thousands of residents. A complete list of Recovery Act Green Retrofit Program awards being issued today can be viewed in full here.

WASHINGTON, DC - August 20, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan announced today a major Recovery Act milestone: 100 affordable housing developments, including 8,112 homes, around the country have been awarded more than $100 million to complete energy efficient renovations with Recovery Act funds. These renovations will not only generate many necessary upgrades to thousands of affordable apartments, but they will also create jobs and save money for thousands of residents. A complete list of Recovery Act Green Retrofit Program awards being issued today can be viewed in full here.

WASHINGTON, DC - August 20, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan announced today a major Recovery Act milestone: 100 affordable housing developments, including 8,112 homes, around the country have been awarded more than $100 million to complete energy efficient renovations with Recovery Act funds. These renovations will not only generate many necessary upgrades to thousands of affordable apartments, but they will also create jobs and save money for thousands of residents. A complete list of Recovery Act Green Retrofit Program awards being issued today can be viewed in full here.

WASHINGTON, DC - August 20, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan announced today a major Recovery Act milestone: 100 affordable housing developments, including 8,112 homes, around the country have been awarded more than $100 million to complete energy efficient renovations with Recovery Act funds. These renovations will not only generate many necessary upgrades to thousands of affordable apartments, but they will also create jobs and save money for thousands of residents. A complete list of Recovery Act Green Retrofit Program awards being issued today can be viewed in full here.

WASHINGTON, DC - August 20, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan announced today a major Recovery Act milestone: 100 affordable housing developments, including 8,112 homes, around the country have been awarded more than $100 million to complete energy efficient renovations with Recovery Act funds. These renovations will not only generate many necessary upgrades to thousands of affordable apartments, but they will also create jobs and save money for thousands of residents. A complete list of Recovery Act Green Retrofit Program awards being issued today can be viewed in full here.

WASHINGTON, DC - August 20, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan announced today a major Recovery Act milestone: 100 affordable housing developments, including 8,112 homes, around the country have been awarded more than $100 million to complete energy efficient renovations with Recovery Act funds. These renovations will not only generate many necessary upgrades to thousands of affordable apartments, but they will also create jobs and save money for thousands of residents. A complete list of Recovery Act Green Retrofit Program awards being issued today can be viewed in full here.

WASHINGTON, DC - August 20, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan announced today a major Recovery Act milestone: 100 affordable housing developments, including 8,112 homes, around the country have been awarded more than $100 million to complete energy efficient renovations with Recovery Act funds. These renovations will not only generate many necessary upgrades to thousands of affordable apartments, but they will also create jobs and save money for thousands of residents. A complete list of Recovery Act Green Retrofit Program awards being issued today can be viewed in full here.

WASHINGTON, DC - August 20, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan announced today a major Recovery Act milestone: 100 affordable housing developments, including 8,112 homes, around the country have been awarded more than $100 million to complete energy efficient renovations with Recovery Act funds. These renovations will not only generate many necessary upgrades to thousands of affordable apartments, but they will also create jobs and save money for thousands of residents. A complete list of Recovery Act Green Retrofit Program awards being issued today can be viewed in full here.

WASHINGTON, DC - August 20, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today agreed with the Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA) to settle a HUD-initiated complaint brought against CMHA for discrimination and retaliation. Also today, Arnold Barnett, formerly the Chairman of the CMHA Board of Commissioners, announced his resignation.

WASHINGTON, DC - August 20, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of the Treasury today released the August edition of the Obama Administration’s Housing Scorecard (www.hud.gov/scorecard), a comprehensive report on the nation’s housing market. In July, housing prices remained level after 30 straight months of decline, while some price predictions have improved. In addition, historic low interest rates continued to promote home affordability and refinancing options for the nation’s families. However, the market remains fragile with foreclosure starts showing a slight increase and serious delinquencies continuing to work through the pipeline.

WASHINGTON, DC - August 19, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today announced HUD will speed federal disaster assistance to 29 counties in Missouri and provide support to homeowners and low-income renters forced from their homes following severe storms, flooding and tornadoes last month.

WASHINGTON, DC - August 19, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today announced HUD will speed federal disaster assistance to 29 counties in Missouri and provide support to homeowners and low-income renters forced from their homes following severe storms, flooding and tornadoes last month.

WASHINGTON, DC - August 19, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today announced HUD will speed federal disaster assistance to 29 counties in Missouri and provide support to homeowners and low-income renters forced from their homes following severe storms, flooding and tornadoes last month.

WASHINGTON, DC - August 19, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today announced HUD will speed federal disaster assistance to 29 counties in Missouri and provide support to homeowners and low-income renters forced from their homes following severe storms, flooding and tornadoes last month.

WASHINGTON, DC - August 10, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today announced that it is charging a Chicago couple, their real estate agent, and a real estate broker with refusing to sell a home listed for $1.799 million to a black couple because of their race, in violation of the Fair Housing Act. The charge alleges that owners Daniel and Adrienne Sabbia and real estate agent Jeffrey Lowe stalled negotiations and took the property off the market after receiving a $1.7 million offer from radio personality and comedian George Willborn and his wife, businesswoman Peytyn Willborn.

WASHINGTON, DC - August 6, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Across the U.S., thousands of children live in foster care or are at risk of being placed with other families simply because their parents cannot afford a home. Today, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced $20 million in funding to local housing authorities to help more than 2,500 families stay together. It’s estimated that the rental vouchers awarded today will reunite nearly 5,000 children with their parents or prevent them from entering foster care in the first place.

WASHINGTON, DC - August 6, 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 provided details on the adjustment to its refinance program which was announced earlier this year that will enable lenders to provide additional refinancing options to homeowners who owe more than their home is worth. Starting September 7, 2010, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) will offer certain 'underwater' non-FHA borrowers who are current on their existing mortgage and whose lenders 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.

ANCHORAGE, AK - August 4, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Housing and Urban Development Assistant Secretary Sandra B. Henriquez joined Anchorage Mayor Dan Sullivan today to celebrate the grand opening of Eklutna Estates, the newest senior housing development of the Cook Inlet Housing Authority (CIHA). The housing authority used $3.2 million of the $5.7 million it received from the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to construct the new housing.

WASHINGTON, Dc - August 3, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced today Neighborhood Networks Week 2010 will be held August 2–7 with the theme, "A Successful Past, A Promising Future." The week-long observance is intended to raise public awareness about Neighborhood Networks, an education and technology-based initiative designed to improve the lives of residents living in HUD-assisted housing.

WASHINGTON, DC - July 28, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- Elderly Americans in Arizona, Maryland, New York and Ohio will soon find themselves living in upgraded apartments equipped to meet their physical needs because of $19.5 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. HUD today announced the grants to help convert existing multifamily projects into assisted living facility for the elderly. A detailed summary of each grant is attached to this release.

WASHINGTON, DC - July 27, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today announced HUD will speed federal disaster assistance to Pike County in Kentucky and provide support to homeowners and low-income renters forced from their homes following severe storms, flooding and mudslides

WASHINGTON, DC - July 26, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Federal Housing Administration's Mortgagee Review Board (MRB) today published a notice in the Federal Register to announce dozens of administrative actions against FHA-approved lenders who failed to meet its requirements. This year alone, the MRB took nearly 1,500 administrative sanctions against lenders, including reprimands, probations, suspensions, withdrawals of approval, and civil money penalties.

WASHINGTON, DC - July 26, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today announced that it is charging a Chicago developer and architect with housing discrimination for designing and constructing apartments that fail to meet the accessibility requirements of the Fair Housing Act. HUD’s charge contends that Hector Castillo, Hector Castillo Architects, Inc., and 914 W. Hubbard, Inc. is inaccessible to persons with disabilities in several ways, including having doorways that are too narrow, and kitchens and bathrooms that do not contain adequate maneuvering space.

WASHINGTON, DC - July 26, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The Department of Housing and Urban Development today released the Obama Administration's first annual report on the state of fair housing in America. HUD's Fiscal Year 2009 annual State of Fair Housing Report highlights the agency's progress in enforcing the Fair Housing Act, identifies challenges that remain, and demonstrates its commitment to acting now to end housing discrimination

WASHINGTON, DC - July 22, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced today that it will launch multiple investigations into the lending practices of certain mortgage lenders to determine if they illegally denied families mortgages because the mother is pregnant or a family member is experiencing a short-term disability. The action follows a report published this week in the New York Times outlining the lending practices of some lenders which might possibly violate the Fair Housing Act.

WASHINGTON, DC - July 22, 2010 - (RealEstateRama) -- In an effort to prevent homelessness among veterans, primarily those returning from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) today announced that both agencies will invest a combined $15 million in five selected communities near military installations. The HUD and VA grant funding is intended to provide housing assistance and supportive services to veterans who might otherwise be living in homeless shelters or on the streets.