HUD Lines

E-Briefs from the Richmond Office of the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development

LENDER U.
As the mortgage market shivers and shakes, increasingly homebuyers are turning to a safe, sound, smart alternative - FHA mortgage insurance. And, yes, the lenders are right behind them. If you're in the mortgage business and want to know more about How to Become an FHA Lender, join HUD Richmond for a free teletutorial on FHA lending, 11 a.m. to Noon, Thursday, November 8th. Register with leland.jones@hud.gov.

DOUBLING UP
Fourteen HUD-approved agencies have won a total of $771,077 in housing counseling grants, more than double last year's awards in Virginia. The grants "provide a service that is vital in today's mortgage market," said HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson. Winners included People Inc. of Southwest Virginia, the Accomack-Northampton PDC, Quin Rivers, Inc., Piedmont Housing Alliance, the Telamon Corporation, LynCAG, the Prince William County Office of Housing/Cooperative Extension, the Newport News Office of Human Affairs, S.T.O.P., Inc., New River Community Action, Total Action Against Poverty, Housing Opportunities Made Equal, Skyline Community Action and VHDA.

ROANOKE READY?
Don't forget! If you're in housing, community or economic development, Roanoke's the place you want to be from November 14th through 16th for the 2007 Governor's Housing Conference. For more, visit http://www.vagovernorshousingconference.com/

BRIEF BRIEFS
Charlottesville REALTOR Patricia Jensen elected President of Virginia Association of REALTORS...October 1st Federal Register publishes final rule prohibiting down payment assistance for FHA-insured mortgages from "the seller, or any other person or entity that financially benefits from the transaction; or any third part or entity that is reimbursed directly or indirectly by the seller or any other person or entity that financially benefits from the transaction"...National Council of State Housing Agencies confers two Program Excellence Awards on VHDA for its REACH NOVA financing and VHDA University training programs...Mid-Atlantic Affordable Housing Management Association meets at Koger Center in Chesterfield County November 13th and 14th...Mt. Rogers PDC and People, Inc., win USDA/Rural Development Housing Preservation Grants...Richmond Redevelopment & Housing names Rodney Forte deputy executive director for community revitalization...Telling Richmond Times Dispatch she "can swing a hammer" and "put up wallboard and siding," Leisha LaRiviera takes charge of Greater Richmond Habitat for Humanity as it nears 22nd anniversary, vowing to take it "in the direction of building communities"...October 22nd Federal Register publishes final rule permitting Housing Choice Homeownership Vouchers to be used for " purchase of units not yet under construction after the family contracts to purchase the home"...Urban League of Hampton Roads holds Empowerment Summit November 8th in Hampton...Ruth Hill appointed executive director of Samaritan House in Virginia Beach...Virginia Mortgage Lenders Association holds annual convention at Williamsburg Marriott November 4th and 5th...Housing Opportunities Made Equal, Inc., wins $100,000 HUD Fair Housing Initiatives grant...Former Blacksburg farmers market director Elizabeth Vogel joins staff of New River Valley HOME Consortium...Lenowisco PDC one of 19 groups to win USDA/Rural Development Community Connect grant to "cyber-link" town of St. Charles...Government National Mortgage Association - Ginnie Mae - creating security to back FHASecure loans to homeowners facing foreclosure due to re-setting ARMs.

SUPPORTING SUPPORTIVE HOUSING
HUD has competitively awarded almost $12 million for 102 new affordable housing units for low-income elderly and persons with disabilities in Virginia giving them, said HUD Secretary Jackson, "opportunities to find decent housing that they can afford." Using HUD Section 202 elderly housing grants, Metropolitan Housing & Community Development Corporation will build a 50-unit complex in Bedford, the Retirement Housing Foundation a 40-unit complex in Norfolk and Bay Aging a 12-unit complex in Urbanna while the Rapidan-Rappahannock Community Services Board will use Section 811 housing for persons with disabilities grants to build two, 6-unit group homes in Fredericksburg and Orange County.

CONGRATS
To Kit Hale of MKB REALTORS in Roanoke on his selection by the 39,000-member Virginia Association of REALTORS as its 2007 REALTOR of the Year. A member of the real estate industry for 15 years, Hale was cited by the Association for his "achievements in the real estate industry, activity in community and civic affairs, involvement with Realtor Association work, and business and educational experience." He serves as chair of both the National Association of REALTORS Housing Opportunity Advisory Board and Housing Virginia, Inc., a statewide non-profit formed to educate Virginians about the benefits of affordable housing and communities.

WORTH NOTING
Congratulations, too, to the Virginia Beach City Council for adopting, on August 27th, amendments to its comprehensive plan and zoning law to enact a workforce housing plan "incentivizing" affordable housing production. For more, search workforce housing at www.vbgov.com

DON'T FORGET
To register with dewayne_alford@crhava.org for the Virginia Association of Housing & Community Development Officials' annual Legal Seminar at the Richmond OMNI December 6th and 7th.

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