(Courtesy of Housing Matters): Fifty-five percent of homeowners feel safe in their neighborhoods, while only 30% of renters say the same, according to the Atlantic Media/Siemens State of the City poll. Among other findings: 46% of owners say their community is excellent, while 27% of renters feel that way.  MORE

(Courtesy of Housing Matters): Some former homeowners who lost their homes in the housing bust are seeing their bank accounts frozen, wages garnished and assets seized as lenders pursue deficiency judgments, or the amount owed that was not recovered through the sale of the house. Fannie Mae is among the most aggressive debt pursuers; a spokesman says Fannie Mae is focused on "strategic defaulters."  MORE

(Courtesy of NHC, Rebekah King): Recently, HUD announced some program changes which aim to improve the Distressed Asset Sales Program (DASP). The changes include expanding the Direct Sale program for local governments, enhancing loss mitigation quality control processes and more outreach and support to nonprofits that want to participate. Also, HUD will expand the number of loan pools in the neighborhood stabilization outcome (NSO) sale to 13 pools and create micro-pools that are small to mid-sized, putting more loans into the NSO pool and giving nonprofits a better chance to participate.  MORE

(Courtesy of Community Investments, Summer/Fall 2014, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco): In the first quarter of 2014, cash buyers, who are often likely to be investors, made up about 43 percent of all home purchases, according to Sarah Edelman with the Center for American Progress.  Instead of reselling the homes, they are largely choosing to convert them into single-family rental homes.  Edelman examines the opportunities and risks.  MORE  

(Courtesy of Enterprise Community Partners Capitol Express Newsletter):

A new tool developed by the Urban Institute maps 12 years of data on more than 100 million mortgage originations throughout the U.S. by race and ethnicity, illustrating how the housing boom and bust affected borrowers of different backgrounds by metropolitan area.According to the data, not only were African-American and Hispanic communities particularly damaged by the housing bust, but they have also been the least likely to recover since the recession. The map also shows how geographically uneven the housing recovery has been. MORE

(Courtesy of NeigborWorks America Blog): A growing number of millennials are carrying student loan debt, and the burden can hamper their ability to find affordable homes. NeighborWorks America blog post provides insights into the extent of the problem and how early intervention with financial education can help.  MORE

(Courtesy of NHC): When full-time wages are not sufficient to afford housing, the health and vitality of America's communities suffer. Unfortunately, renting or buying typical housing in many U.S. metro areas requires higher than median earnings for police officers, nurses, teachers, janitors, and other key roles that make our communities safe, healthy, and vibrant places to live.  MORE

(Courtesy of Enterprise Community Partners, Capitol Express Newsletter): On August 29, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) issued a draft rule that proposes new affordable housing goals for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac for 2015 through 2017. Among other provisions, the rule proposes steady increases of Freddie Mac's low-income and very low-income multifamily production goals (while keeping Fannie Mae's steady), as well as new goals for affordable small multifamily lending. The FHFA is also seeking comments on three alternative approaches to measuring and tracking these goals.  MORE

Are you involved with an educational or community gardening project? The Atlanta Community Food Bank is conducting a survey on Metro Atlanta's gardening needs, and we would value your feedback. If you have already participated in a phone survey or visit in the last two months from us, then thank you again and there is no need to respond.  The purpose of this survey is to learn about your success stories, and understand the principle barriers starting and maintaining a community, school, or educational garden. We are interested in your opinions and experiences. The survey should not take more than 30 minutes of your time. TAKE THE SURVEY.  The survey can also be done in person or by phone, if you would prefer. Contact ACFB.