Serving Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington

HUD Region X News

CALDWELL, ID: Canyon County Nonprofit Works to Build its Own Affordable Housing
Advocates Against Family Violence recently broke ground on a 32-unit development located on their 10-acre campus. The apartments are income-based and also include transitional housing units. 17 of the 32 units use Low-Income Tax Credits and 11 have HOME funding.

POINT LAY, AK: Alaska Villages Will Build New Homes and Improve Water and Sewer Systems Using Federal COVID-19 Aid
18 Alaska communities received recent HUD Indian Community Development Block Grant – American Rescue Plan funding to help address severe housing shortages. Tribal communities are using the money to build new homes, clinics, and shelters, among other uses.

BOISE, ID: Our Path Home Brings the Housing First Model to Idaho
The City of Boise worked with several public and private partners to create Our Path Home, whose mission is to end homelessness in Ada County. Our Path Home was founded on the principle that permanent supportive housing is the best way to address homelessness.

PORTLAND, OR: New Homes Opening in Southeast Portland and Tigard
Home First Development and Do Good Multnomah are developing Findley Commons, a 35-unit new construction project in South Tabor for veterans and individuals experiencing homelessness. 20 units will use HUD-VASH vouchers.

OLYMPIA, WA: New Unity Commons Homeless Shelter Provides Some ‘Room in the Bottleneck’
Thurston County’s new homeless shelter is a five-story building that combines a 58-bed shelter with 65 units of permanent supportive housing. Unity Commons is run by Interfaith Works with a portion of funding from HUD’s HOME funds and project-based vouchers.

TIGARD, OR: New Affordable Housing Summary - The Viewfinder
The Viewfinder is the second project in Washington County funded through Metro’s affordable housing bond to break ground. The project will consist of 25 one-bedroom apartments and 66 larger units that will be
available to families and veterans, including 8 HUD-VASH vouchers.

SEQUIM, WA: Jamestown to Use $1 Million Federal Grant for Medical Staff Housing
Leaders with the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe plan to use a recent $1 million award from HUD’s Indian Community Block Grant-American Rescue Plan grant to purchase property in the Sequim area to create more housing options for its healthcare and non-medical employees.

KODIAK, AK: Housing Authority in the Process of Distributing $8.7M in Rent Relief
As the year comes to a close, almost $6.2 million in rent relief has been given to residents in the Kodiak area and about $2.5 million more is to come, according to the Kodiak Island Housing Authority and Brother Francis Shelter, which helped distribute the relief money.

SEATTLE, WA: Evaluating How Housing Helps Families in the Child Welfare System
Urban Institute research article on child welfare agencies and the vital services they provide to children and families in complex circumstances, including effective practices for the best possible outcomes for children and families

Region X Funding Awards

HUD Awards $2.25 Million to City of Seattle to Provide Housing to Low-Income Persons Living with HIV and Their Families (12/1/2021)
HUD’s Office of HIV/AIDS Housing awarded $41 million in Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS (HOPWA) competitive grants to 20 local governments and non-profit organizations through the HOPWA: Housing as an Intervention to Fight AIDS funding opportunity.

HUD Announces More Than $22 Million to Tribal Communities in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington (12/7/2021)
HUD announced the award of more than $52 million in Indian Community Block Grant-American Rescue Plan (ICDBG-ARP) grants to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, including over $22 million to 24 Tribal communities in Region X.

HUD Announces Additional Assistance to Keep Foster Youth Housed in Seattle (12/16/2021)
HUD announced the award of over $1 million to public housing agencies (PHAs) across the country to provide housing assistance to youth who are aging out of foster care and are homeless or at risk of homelessness, including over $250,000 to the Seattle Housing Authority.

HUD, VA Award Over $1.8 Million to Provide Housing Assistance for Veterans in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington (12/20/2021)
HUD awarded over $18 million in HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) vouchers to 103 Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) in 33 states across the country to support veterans experiencing homelessness, including $1.8 million in Region X.

HUD Announces Disaster Assistance for Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation Wildfires Survivors (12/22/2021)
HUD announced the implementation of federal disaster assistance for areas in the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation affected by wildfires from July 12 to August 8, 2021.

Funding Opportunities

Indian Housing Block Grant Competitive – CLOSING 1/4/2022
HUD’s Office of Native American Program offer eligible applicants grants to carry out a range of affordable housing activities.

Tribal HUD-VASH Expansion – CLOSING 1/24/2022
This NOFO announces the availability of approximately $2.2 million for competitive grants to eligible Indian tribes and tribally designated housing entities. Funding is to be used provide housing in addition to other support in collaboration with the Veterans Administration (VA).

FY 2021 Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grant Program – CLOSING 2/15/2022
Local leaders, residents, and stakeholders such as public housing authorities, cities, schools, police, business owners, nonprofits, and private developers, come together to create and implement a plan that revitalizes distressed HUD housing and the surrounding neighborhood.

Authority to Accept Unsolicited Proposals for Research Partnerships – CLOSING 6/30/2022
This Notice announces that HUD’s Office of Policy Development and Research has the authority to accept unsolicited research proposals that address current research priorities including Lead and Healthy Homes and other topics.

HUD Announcements

FHA Announces New Single Family Title II Forward and Home Equity Conversion Mortgage Loan Limits for 2022 12/1/2021)
The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) announced new loan limits for calendar year 2022 for its Single Family Title II forward and Home Equity Conversion (reverse) Mortgage (HECM) insurance programs. Loan limits for most of the country will increase in the coming year.

HUD Makes Additional $5.7 Million in American Rescue Plan Funds Available to Fight Housing Discrimination Related to the Coronavirus Pandemic (12/2/2021)
Funding will be available for HUD Fair Housing Initiatives Program (FHIP) agencies to conduct a range of fair housing enforcement and education and outreach activities, including addressing discriminatory practices in underserved communities.

HHS and HUD Announce Expanded Partnership, New Housing and Services Resource Center (12/8/2021)
The announcement expands a partnership established earlier this year to improve access to affordable, accessible housing and the critical services that make community living possible, and the launch of a national Housing and Services Resource Center (HSRC).

Non-Profit Bidders Successfully Purchase More Than 800 Mortgage Notes Through HUD-Held Vacant Loan Sale (12/13/2021)
HUD’s announced that 23 mission-driven non-profit organizations successfully participated in a competitive bid of HUD-held Vacant Loan Sales. Collectively, these organizations successfully won bids on 814 mortgage notes – the entire volume of notes eligible for priority bidding.

HUD Awards Nearly $13.2 Million to Protect Families from Lead and other Home Health and Safety Hazards (12/16/2021)
HUD awarded nearly $13.2 million to state and local government agencies located in 3 states to protect children and families from lead-based paint and home health hazards.

FACT SHEET: 2021 HUD Year in Review (12/22/2021)
HUD took bold action in pursuit of the agency’s mission to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes, including ensuring equity, removing barriers to homeownership, expanding the nation’s housing supply, and keeping Americans housed.

HUD and Census Bureau Report New Residential Sales in November 2021 (12/23/2021)
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Census Bureau jointly announced residential sales statistics for November 2021.

Upcoming Training and Events

RCAC Training: Core Competencies for HUD Certification Webinar Series
January 5-19, 2022 - This training prepares participants for the HUD Housing Counselor Certification Exam by covering all six core topics that housing counselors need to be competent.

COVID-19 Planning & Response for Homeless Assistance Providers Office Hours
January 7, 2022 | 2:30 PM - 4:00 PM EST - SNAPS Office Hours are for homeless assistance providers and their partners to discuss COVID-19 planning and response.

NeighborWorks Training: Rental Counseling & Eviction Preventions in Times of Crisis
January 11, 2022 - This training provides the most current information on government assistance programs, eviction moratorium, and rental relief options.

2021 Section 3 Final Rule Training Series - Office Hours: HCD & PHA
January 11, 2022 | 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM EST - This office hour gives HCDs and PHAs the opportunity to ask unanswered questions about and get clarity on the new Section 3 Final Rule.

NeighborWorks Training: What Makes Lease Purchase Programs Succeed or Fail?
January 12, 2022 - This training provides an overview of the basic elements for success and explores the resources that are readily available.

NeighborWorks Training: Navigating Credit Concerns Amidst an Eviction and Foreclosure
January 13, 2022 - This training provides tips and reinforces the tools and skills needed to help clients transition gracefully while equipping them for the journey to restore and rebuild.

Tribal and Native Community Opportunity Zone Webinar
January 20, 2022 | 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM EST – This third event of a three-part series will be interactive and highlight an upcoming resource, the “Developer’s Toolkit.”

RCAC Training: Core Study Group
January 25-27, 2022 - This online study group helps housing counselors prepare for the HUD Housing Counseling Certification Exam in a supportive, peer-learning environment.

ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey Standard Training Series: Why It Exists and Relates to Title Insurance
January 25, 2022 | 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM EST - This webinar will deliver a brief background and history of the ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey Standard.

FYI Initiative Webinar Series: Voucher Program Administration
January 25, 2022 | 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM EST - This webinar will discuss best practices for effective FYI voucher administration that best meets the needs of youth.

ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey Standard Training Series: Sections 6 & 7 – Preparation and Certification
January 26, 2022 | 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM EST - This webinar will cover topics such as measurements and dimensions, field located features, addressing boundary issues, identifying easements, scale and drafting requirements, and surveyor liability issues.

HUD Davis-Bacon Labor Standards and Section 3 Training
January 26, 2021 | 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM EST - This training is geared towards HUD grantees and business owners who are interested in becoming a Section 3 business.

HUD Davis-Bacon Labor Standards and Section 3 Training
January 27, 2022 | 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM EST - This training is geared towards HUD grantees and business owners who are interested in becoming a Section 3 business.

ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey Standard Training Series: Understanding the Optional Items of Table A
January 27, 2022 | 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM EST - This webinar will detail how surveyors can address optional items listed in Table A of the ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey Standard.

2021 Section 3 Final Rule Training Series - Office Hours: HCD
February 8, 2022 | 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM EST - This office hour gives HCDs the opportunity to ask unanswered questions about and get clarity on the new Section 3 Final Rule.

2021 Section 3 Final Rule Training Series - Office Hours: HCD & PHA
March 3, 2022 | 3:30 PM - 5:00 PM EST - This office hour gives HCDs and PHAs the opportunity to ask unanswered questions about and get clarity on the new Section 3 Final Rule.

2021 Section 3 Final Rule Training Series - Office Hours: PHA
April 12, 2022 | 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM EDT - This office hour gives PHAs the opportunity to ask unanswered questions about and get clarity on the new Section 3 Final Rule.

In Case You Missed It

New Youth Homelessness 100-Day Challenge Lessons Learned Infographics Now Available
Since 2017, 44 communities have accepted the 100-Day Challenge to prevent and end homelessness among youth and young adults (YYA). These are their emerging and best practices for ensuring YYA perspective is incorporated and valued.

New Lead Safe Housing Rule Toolkit is Available
HUD’s Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes is launching a Lead Safe Housing Rule Toolkit with sample forms, checklists, and flowcharts for HUD’s Lead Safe Housing Rule (24 CFR Part 35) to support healthy and lead safe homes.

Report to Congress on the Feasibility of Creating a National Evictions Database
The report provides background on the need for an eviction database, a discussion of lessons learned from efforts to collect data, and a set of potential approaches for how HUD could move forward to build a national dataset on evictions with action from Congress.

Listening and Learning to Better Serve Rural Communities
The Housing Assistance Council’s Fall edition of Rural Voices looks at some of the pandemic’s impacts on affordable rural housing efforts in the U.S.

Temperature Check on COVID-19 Preparedness: A Webinar for Homeless Assistance Providers and Partners
A panel representing the CDC, the NHCHC, and HUD hosted a webinar to highlight the steps that the partnership of homeless assistance providers, Continuums of Care (CoCs), public health agencies, and health care providers can take to minimize COVID-19 transmission.

HCV Landlord Strategy Guidebook
The purpose of the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Landlord Strategy Guidebook is to share strategies that public housing agencies (PHAs) can implement to improve landlord participation in the HCV program.

Using Healthcare Payors To Fill the Affordable Housing Gap
In October 2021, Enterprise Community Partners hosted an event titled "Filling the Capital Stack: How Health Care Payors Can Help Fill the Affordable Housing Gap." Panelists discussed the phenomena of healthcare payors financing affordable housing developments.

Enhanced Federal Funding Is Helping Cities Address Homelessness
In November 2021, the National League of Cities hosted a City Summit, during which it held a panel event to discuss the local use of federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 to address homelessness.

###