Federal Register Notices

On March 22, 2004, as amended on April 21, 2004, the Department of Housing and Urban Development published a notices in the Federal Register announcing its intent to establish in the majority of its Fiscal Year 2004 notices of funding availability, a policy priority for increasing the supply of affordable housing through the removal of regulatory barriers to affordable housing.

Incentive Criteria on Barrier Removal in HUD Funding Allocations
HUD has made removing regulatory barriers to affordable housing a policy priority in its various NOFA funding programs including the FY 2004 SuperNOFA. HUD will provide incentives, in the form of additional points, to governmental and nongovernmental applicants that are able to demonstrate successful efforts in removing these regulatory barriers. Some of the programs that receive additional points in the scoring matrix include:

• Lead Hazard Control Program
• Youthbuild
• Rural Housing and Economic Development
• Continuum of Care
• Supportive Housing Program (SHP)
• Shelter Plus Care (S+C)
• Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS (HOPWA)
• Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly
• Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons With Disabilities
• ROSS
• Housing Counseling
• HOPE VI
• Brownfields Economic Development Initiative (BEDI)

The notices provide a detailed questionnaire to be asked of state and local governments and other applicants regarding their regulatory environments. Applicants may receive up to 2 additional points in ratings of their application where significant regulatory reform has taken place. A detailed discussion of the issue of regulatory barriers, the need for reform, and its importance as a Secretarial priority can be found in the March 22,2004, Federal Register Notice. The final questionnaire, as amended, can be found at the April 21 2004 Federal Register Notice.