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MortgagePoint » Your Trusted Source for Mortgage Banking and Servicing News 70 January 2024 J O U R N A L HUD TO PROVIDE AID TO AT-RISK RENTERS T he U.S. Department of Hous- ing and Urban Development (HUD) has published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in the Federal Register. If finalized, the rule would require public housing agencies (PHA) with tenants in public housing and owners of properties participating in HUD multifamily project-based rental assis- tance programs to provide their tenants with written notification at least 30 days before filing for eviction due to nonpay- ment of rent in court. HUD's proposed rule would affect an estimated 3.9 million people in 2.2 million households–1.7 million people in 840,000 households in public housing, and 2.2 million people in 1.4 million households in Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA) programs. "HUD-assisted rental housing allows millions of people to achieve stability for themselves and their families," said Solomon Greene, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy Develop- ment and Research. "This proposed rule would give many HUD-assisted renters an opportunity to catch up if they fall behind on rent and avoid the harmful consequences of evictions, while also preventing landlords and PHAs from encountering costly unit vacancies." The proposed rule would also require that the 30-day notice include instructions on how tenants can cure lease violations for nonpayment of rent and information on how to recertify their income and request a minimum rent hardship exemption if applicable to avoid eviction. "Preventing unnecessary evictions benefits properties and residents alike, in part because the eviction process itself can be costly and time-consuming for all concerned," said Richard J. Monocchio, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing. "We are very proud of this proposed rule, and we welcome feedback from all interested stakeholders to make it even more practi- cal and effective." This action also fulfills a commit- ment HUD made in the Biden admin- istration's Blueprint for a Renters Bill of Rights. In July 2023, HUD also joined the White House to announce three new actions to increase fairness in the rental market and further renter protections in housing: a preview of this notice of pro- posed rulemaking, an effort to remind public housing agencies and property owners of their obligations and to share best practices for informing rejected applicants about why they were turned down for housing, and $10 million made available for tenant education and outreach in properties supported by the Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assis- tance program. Stakeholders can access the proposed rule here and have 60 days following publication in the Federal Register on December 1 to provide comment on the proposed rule. HUD ANNOUNCES GRANTS FOR LOW- INCOME HOUSING PROJECTS A s part of the Biden-Harris administration's Investing in America agenda, the Depart- ment of Housing and Urban Develop- ment (HUD) has awarded $179.9 million in grants to support the Green and Resil- ient Retrofit Program's (GRRP) Compre- hensive and Elements metrics. The awards will support energy effi- ciency, electrification, clean energy, low embodied carbon materials, and climate resilience improvements in 30 HUD-as- sisted multifamily properties that in- clude 3,070 rental homes for low-income individuals and families. These investments will help tackle the climate crisis and support equitable economic development in American communities as part of President Biden's Investing in America agenda and historic environmental justice agenda. GRRP grant and loan funding announced today will improve the quality of life for residents by expanding energy efficiency, reducing climate pollution, generating renewable energy, promoting the use of green building materials, improving indoor air quality, and enhancing climate resilience. "Thanks to President Biden's Invest- ing in America agenda, we are boosting energy efficiency and combatting climate change in communities across the coun- try," HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge said. "I am deeply proud of our HUD team for getting hundreds of millions of dollars from the President's Inflation Reduction Act on the street through the Green and Resilient Retrofit Program. Together, we are directing these funds to the people we serve, and ensuring thousands of American families can live in more resilient, efficient, and affordable communities." The announcement includes the first set of awards made under the GRRP's Comprehensive category, which provides funding to properties with the highest need for climate resilience and energy efficiency upgrades. Prior energy-saving retrofit and green building experience are not needed with scopes of work de- veloped in partnership with a HUD-pro- vided contractor, ensuring access to all owners of eligible HUD properties. Among the 19 properties receiving Com- prehensive Awards, five have fewer than 50 units, seven have between 50 and 100 units, and all serve low-income residents and roughly half serve seniors. Sixteen of the properties face notable risks from climate and natural hazards such as flooding, heat waves, earthquakes, tornados, lightning, hail, severe winter weather, and ice storms. "Far too many Americans struggle to stay warm in the winter and cool in the summer," said John Podesta, Senior Advisor to the President for Clean Energy Innovation and Implementation. "Today's awards from the Department of Housing and Urban Development will boost the quality of life for thousands of moderate- and low-income American families by making their homes safer and more comfortable." The announcement also includes 11 awards under the GRRP's Elements cate-