In striving to promote the development of housing that all Virginians can afford, the Virginia Housing Coalition also serves as a resource for information about housing issues facing Virginia and the nation. As this Information Center will be updated periodically, please check back frequently for the latest information.

Select Recent Articles:

• HUD, Groups Debut Site to Fight Foreclosure Rescue Scams, eCreditDaily.com, March 1
  (RECAP: Scams that prey on desperate homeowners seeking mortgage modifications are soaring and U.S. housing officials have partnered with a national coalition to launch PreventLoanScams.org.)
• Fannie Mae Hints at New Mission, Portfolio.com, March 1
  (RECAP: Its new mission statement focuses on providing liquidity for lenders, according to some mission statement changes noted by blog Housing Doom.)
• HUD Secretary Announces Disaster Assistance for Virginia Storm Victims, Media-Newswire.com, February 27
  (RECAP: U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today announced HUD will speed federal disaster assistance to 31 counties and nine cities in Virginia and provide support to homeowners and low-income renters forced from their homes following a severe winter storm and snowstorm.)
• $25 Million Set Aside for Appalachian Housing, ABC News, February 26
  (RECAP: A Kentucky-based nonprofit group will help low-income home buyers tap into $25 million in federal funding set aside for four central Appalachian states, including Virginia .)
• Additional Tools For Reaching Hard to Count Populations for 2010 Census, NLIHC's Memo to Members, February 26
  (RECAP: New online tools are available to help nonprofits encourage their clients to participate in the 2010 census, which will get underway in March when census forms are mailed to every household. All forms must be returned by April 1.)
• HUD Plans Listening Sessions on Sustainable Communities Planning Grant Program, NLIHC's Memo to Members, February 26
  (RECAP: COMMENTS DUE MARCH 12th. HUD's Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities (OSHC) has announced the dates and locations of listening sessions the agency will hold to receive input regarding the structure of the new Sustainable Communities Planning Grant Program.)
• Benchmarks for Evaluating Public Policy in Virginia, Connect Richmond , February 19
  (RECAP: In the course of its activities, the Virginia Board for People with Disabilities determined that a far-reaching "blueprint" was needed that could measure the progress of the state's disability services system toward full community integration, as well as the overall progress toward achieving a Commonwealth with equal rights and opportunities for all Virginians.)

Click here for the complete current issue of News Clips, a summary of recent articles regarding affordable housing in the Virginia and national media with links to the full text of each article, as well as links to previous issues.

NEW Job Postings:

• Job Openings in the Affordable Housing Industry (click here for recently posted job openings in the affordable housing industry in the Virginia region)

Research:

• Summary of State Housing Program Administrative Issues (Fall 2009)
• VHC White Paper on New Directions for Federal Housing Policy (Fall 2009)
• Challenges Facing Virginians, November 2006 Research Survey
  (This study of Virginians’ opinions about the rising cost of living and other issues facing the state was conducted by Brooks Adams Research, an independent research company, on behalf of the Virginia Housing Coalition.)

Current Issues:

• VHDA's 2009 Low Income Tax Credit Housing Program Final Rankings (VHDA's final rankings of applications for low income housing tac redits, released Wednesday, August 5, 2009)
• Paycheck to Paycheck: Wages and the Cost of Housing in America (The Center for Housing Policy, a research affiliate of the National Housing Conference, recently released a new study called "Paycheck to Paycheck: Wages and the Cost of Housing in America ." The study, funded by Freddie Mac, looks at fundamental changes in the homeownership and rental markets from 2007 to 2008.)
• Out of Reach 2009 (The NLIHC's annual Out of Reach report provides data for every state, every metropolitan area and county in the country showing how much a household must earn to afford a modest market-rate rental home. The report also provides local wage and income data for comparison purposes.)
• 2009 Legislative Report Card (view the results of the Coalition's legislative efforts before the 2009 General Assembly session)

Links:

• The Online Virginia Housing Directory (The Virginia Housing Development Authority has compiled the most comprehensive affordable housing resource directory available in Virginia.)
• United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development (a federal housing agency)
• United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (a federal housing agency)
• National Coalition for the Homeless (a national coalition)
• National Low Income Housing Coalition (a national coalition)
• Department of Housing and Community Development (a state housing agency)
• Virginia Housing Development Authority (a state housing agency)
• Virginia General Assembly

Fact Sheets:

• Virginia Housing Trust Fund Fact Sheet (a comprehensive guide to the proposed Virginia Housing Trust Fund)