April-May Housing Law Bulletin Summaries

Philanthropy Must Turn More Attention to Housing Issues
This is a reprint of a February, 2009, article in the Chronicle of Philanthropy that was written by Jonathan F. Fanton, the President of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. The article focuses on what foundations should do to help stabilize the housing market which is a vital component of the American economy.

MacArthur Foundation Launches Preservation Initiatives in Twelve Selected Cities and States
To further its affordable housing preservation goals, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation announced, as part of its Window of Opportunity Initiative, the twelve cities and states that will receive grants to implement creative and comprehensive preservation programs. This article profiles these cities and states, which face a unique set of obstacles for affordable housing preservation and will thus use different tools to address them.

Federal District Court Strikes Down Independent Living and Invasive Medical Records Requirements
The United States District Court of Connecticut recently issued an important ruling analyzing the Fair Housing Act’s prohibition on discrimination against people with disabilities. In Laflamme v. New Horizons, Inc., the court analyzed three substantive questions about whether housing providers can impose independent living requirements on, or request extensive medical records from, people with severe disabilities. The court held, for each question, that the housing provider cannot. This article provides an overview of this important case.

Doubling of Capital Fund Appropriations Offers Opportunities for Housing Authorities and Residents
After years of volitional neglect, Congress is providing public housing authorities (PHAs) with substantial and new funds for capital improvements to public housing. By combining FY 2009, American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, and other applicable recovery funds, many PHAs will have more than twice the amount that was available in prior years to obligate for public housing capital improvements. This article provides an overview of this crucial funding.

HUD Implements Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 allocated $1.5 billion for the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program (HPRP). Almost all of the funding will be allocated in grants, and it must be committed and spent on a very tight schedule. HUD recently published a Notice regarding the application process and expenditure requirements for these funds. This article outlines the key provisions of that Notice.

HUD-VASH Notice Guides PHAs in Project-Basing Vouchers*
In the 2008 Consolidated Appropriations Act, Congress appropriated $75 million to assist approximately 10,000 homeless veteran families. On March 16, 2009, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issued a Federal Register notice further implementing the program by providing guidance on project-basing HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing Vouchers. This article provides a brief overview of the Notice.