Here’s one for your next cocktail party: “Did you hear about the latest Texas Supreme Court News?” “No? Well, they denied Petitions for Review in CAMERON VILLAGE and PRIMROSE.” That really should get your party started. Here’s a summary from a professional but the nub seems to be the action confirms that the CHDO tax [...]
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Archive | February, 2010
Only a houser would care about the exciting world of low income housing property tax law
February 26, 2010
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TCAP: Let the Spending Begin
February 25, 2010
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February 18 was HUD’s deadline for 75% commitment of funds in the Tax Credit Assistance Program (TCAP). TDHCA hit that benchmark, with HUD reporting a 78.53% commitment rate for Texas. The next major deadline is a year from now, when 75% of the funds must be spent by developers. The HUD report indicates that as [...]
Read moreSlow start to weatherization programs: Not just Texas
February 23, 2010
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On Tuesday the Department of Energy’s Office of Inspector General added to the recent parade of commentary regarding the slow start of the Weatherization Assistance Program, pointing out that as of December, nationally only about 5% of the total housing units scheduled to be eventually weatherized had been completed. As previously commented on Texas Housers, [...]
Read moreBo McCarver’s weekly news compilation – 2/23/2010
February 23, 2010
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Tuesday Report, February 23, 2010 As the ranks of the unemployed rise, foreclosures closely follow. The federal program to stave-off defaults slowly takes effect while a jobs bill crawls through Congress at a snail’s pace. Galveston conservatives have mounted a relentless campaign against rebuilding public housing on the island and now propose to spread it [...]
Read moreYou have to know someone to live here – disguised discrimination
February 22, 2010
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This NYT article exposes an interesting method of discrimination which allegedly occurred in the Edgewater Park or Silver Beach Garden neighborhoods of the Bronx. A lawsuit against Amelia Lewis, Realtor for the Edgewater and Silver co-ops, claims that she enforced rules which required African American prospective residents to obtain letters of recommendation from current residents, [...]
Read moreBo McCarver’s Weekly News Compilation – 2/16/2010
February 22, 2010
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Tuesday Report, Feb. 16, 2010 Baited by the “American Dream,” thousands of struggling families were suckered by back-loaded mortgages and bloated appraisals. Now that the balloon has burst, the mortgage holders shun reasonable loan terms for refinancing while sharks feed on the desperate who fault on their payments. Wall Street bonuses flow like champagne at [...]
Read moreBo McCarver’s Weekley Housing News Compilation – 2/9/2010
February 20, 2010
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Tuesday Report, February 9, 2010 Special to the Texas Low Income Housing Information Service Southeast Fort Worth is once again the target of developers who tout they will convert the deteriorating sector into a thriving community. The relatively cheap land has attracted various builders through the years but all have succumbed to inadequate financing, a [...]
Read moreDallas Tax Credit Corruption Case Continues
February 20, 2010
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The Dallas Morning News reports State Rep. Terri Hodge plead guilty to not paying taxes on payments which were allegedly bribes for support of Low-Income Housing Tax credit deals in her district. As part of her deal plea deal, finalized late Tuesday, Hodge did not admit the bribery conspiracy, which alleges that she wrote letters [...]
Read moreBo McCarver’s Weekly News Compilation – 2/2/2010
February 9, 2010
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Tuesday Report, Feb. 2, 2010 Special to the Texas Low Income Housing Information Service News about housing policies took a back seat last week to political and environmental events as the Obama Administration seems challenged on all fronts. In Texas, Galveston continues to be the focus of cumbersome housing policies. The Galveston County Daily News [...]
Read moreUpdate: HUD’s Public Inspection Scores
February 9, 2010
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Last week we pointed to HUD’s release of 2009 Physical Inspection Scores for subsidized properties. Eric Dexheimer at the Austin American Statesman followed up on the story this morning, adding some insight about American Housing Foundation, the owner of one of the lowest scoring properties in the state. If you haven’t followed the stories, be [...]
Read moreHUD 2011 Budget: Shifts in Emphasis
February 3, 2010
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The 2011 Budget Request for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Affairs was released on February 1. According to an article in the Washington Post, the department will receive $41.5 billion for fiscal year 2011. This represents a 2 percent cut in funding from 2010. This “cut” may be somewhat misleading as some outlays [...]
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