News from the National Community Land Trust Network 
February 2013
In This Issue
Upcoming Trainings
FHA Policy Update
HUD's Evidence Matters
Highlighted Funding Opportunities
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New Policy Report & Upcoming Webinar


With support from the Network, Marla Nelson and Beth Sorce from the University of New Orleans have published a brief policy report titled, "Supporting Permanently Affordable Housing in the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program: An analysis of state Qualified Allocation Plans."

Review the report to find out whether your state's LIHTC program is supporting permanently affordable housing.

 

In March, the Network will be hosting a webinar with the authors of the report and Thom Amdur, Executive Director of the National Housing & Rehabilitation Association, to discuss: (1) how your state's LIHTC program can support permanently affordable housing, (2) how you can effectively advocate for changes to your state's LIHTC program, and (3) how you can identify and form effective partnerships for LIHTC projects.  

Stay tuned for further details!  

Network Hires Executive Director

 

The Board of Directors of the National CLT Network hired Melora Hiller as the new Executive Director in January, 2013.  

 

Read the announcement here.    

Upcoming Trainings

 

Portland, Oregon steel bridge pdx

May 6 - 10, 2013

 

In collaboration with the Network, two courses will be offered at the NeighborWorks Training Institute: 

  1. Community Land Trusts: Post-purchase Stewardship of CLT Homes (Instructor: Dev Goetschius)
  2. The City-CLT Partnership: Municipal Support for Community Land Trusts (Instructor: Mike Brown)

 

Keeping it affordable:

  • NeighborWorks America is providing a discounted rate for anyone taking these two courses.  
  • In addition, scholarship funds have been made available by the National CLT Network, NeighborWorks America, and the Northwest CLT Coalition. Member organizations of either the National CLT Network or the Northwest CLT Coalition will be eligible to apply. 

 

More details to follow!  

 

FHA Policy Update

 

The Network, in partnership with Cornerstone Partnership, has been diligently advocating to obtain access to FHA-insured mortgages for shared equity homebuyers. While progress has been slow, staff at HUD's FHA continues to assure us that they are working through their internal processes and requirements in order to issue a temporary waiver for the FHA policy requirements that are creating obstacles for share equity homebuyers to obtain FHA-insured mortgages. This remains the #1 policy priority of the Network, and we will continue our advocacy for CLTs and other shared equity programs.

 

HUD's Evidence Matters article on Shared Equity Homeownership

 

HUD's esteemed periodical, Evidence Matters, published an article produced by Sage Computing titled, "Shared Equity Models Offer Sustainable Homeownership." The article highlights One Roof Community Land Trust and San Francisco's Below Market Rate Ownership Program to emphasize the benefits of shared equity homeownership. This article is an invaluable HUD resource to help recruit partners for your programs.  

 

Highlighted Funding Opportunities

 

Did you know about the following grant opportunities? Consider whether your organization should apply.

 

The Homeownership Grant Program provides financial resources to local nonprofit organizations focusing on homebuyer education, pre-and post-purchase counseling, first-time homebuyer counseling, and foreclosure counseling and prevention activities which create sustainable homeownership opportunities for low-to moderate income people. Grants tend to be small amounts ($5-10,000); however, a limit is not specified. Housing subsidies are an eligible use. Three submission periods annually.

 

The foundation has four program in Sustainable Environments (listed below) that may be relevant to CLTs. Previous grants amounts have ranged from $10,000s to $100,000s. No application deadline. Letter of inquiry required.

 

  • Sustainable Transportation Networks & Equitable Development Patterns. Support clean, affordable, equitable, high-quality and efficient transportation and land use development that better connects critical services, jobs, schools, housing and other regional destinations.
  • Energy Efficiency in the Built Environment supports efforts to help people make homes, businesses and other buildings more energy efficient.
  • Urban Water Management supports efforts to capture storm water and slowly release it into the existing network of drains, pipes and sewers, or reuse it where it falls to cultivate natural green spaces.
  • Regional Food Supply supports ways to make it easier to get local, sustainably produced food from our farms to the markets closest to where it's grown, and to better connect food producers and consumers.

 

Limits funding to programs that focus on health and wellness in the communities in which Rite Aid operates. The Rite Aid Foundation accepts proposals throughout the year; committee reviews them as soon as possible after July 1, October 1, January 1 and April 1. Grant amount not specified.