Rural Housing Service 2018 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Housing Service (RHS) invites comments on this information collection for Analyzing Credit Needs and Graduation of Borrowers, for which the Agency intends to request approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) will be requested.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD), comprised of the Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS), Rural Housing Service (RHS), and Rural Utilities Service (RUS), hereafter referred to as the Agency, is issuing a direct final rule to update the Agency's Environmental Policies and Procedures regulation (7 CFR 1970) to allow the Agency Administrators limited flexibility to obligate federal funds for infrastructure projects prior to completion of the environmental review while ensuring full compliance with National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) procedures prior to project construction and disbursement of any RD funding. This change will allow RD to more fully meet the Administration's goals to speed the initiation of infrastructure projects and encourage planned community economic development without additional cost to taxpayers or change to environmental review requirements.

This document corrects four items in the initial Notice that published in the Federal Register on September 5, 2017, entitled ``Notice of Solicitation of Applications for the Multifamily Preservation and Revitalization (MPR) Demonstration Program Under Section 514, Section 515, and Section 516.'' These items revise and clarify the application submission dates, transfer deferral only approval timelines and Agency processing actions.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD), comprised of the Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS), Rural Housing Service (RHS), and Rural Utilities Service (RUS) announces that it is hosting listening sessions for public input regarding development of a common platform to deliver four guaranteed loan programs. The Rural Development Innovation Center (IC) is holding these listening sessions specifically to provide an opportunity for stakeholders and other interested parties to offer their comments and input.

The Rural Housing Service (RHS or Agency) proposes to make several changes to the single-family housing guaranteed loan program (SFHGLP) regulations to streamline the loss claim process for lenders who have acquired title to property through voluntary liquidation or foreclosure; clarify that lenders must comply with applicable laws, including those within the purview of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau; and better align loss mitigation policies with those in the mortgage industry.

The Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development (Agency) is seeking applications to support regional economic development planning efforts in rural communities under the Rural Economic Development Innovation (REDI) initiative. This funding opportunity will be administered by the Rural Development Innovation Center, in partnership with the Rural Business-Cooperative Service. The Agency is announcing up to $750,000 in competitive cooperative agreement funds in fiscal year (FY) 2018. Rural Development Agency may select one, multiple, or no award recipients. The Agency reserves the right to withhold the awarding of any funds if no application receives a score of at least 60 points. This Notice lists the information needed to submit an application for these funds. This Notice announces that the Agency is accepting FY 2018 applications to support REDI.

The Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act of 2016 was signed into law on July 29, 2016. It created Section 502(i) in the Housing Act of 1949, later amended by Section 758 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018, which permits the Secretary to assess and collect a guarantee underwriting user fee (also known as a technology fee) from lenders for their use of the Rural Housing Service's (Agency's) automated guaranteed loan systems. The collection of the fee will enable the Agency to fund future information technology enhancements needed to improve program delivery and reduce burden to the public. The fee amount will be published in the Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program (SFHGLP) Handbook HB-1-3555, available at https://www.rd.usda.gov/publications/regulations-guidelines/ handbooks. The fee will not exceed $50 per loan, and constitutes a reasonable and customary cost that is an authorized loan purpose in accordance with the Guaranteed Rural Housing Program. The primary method of collecting the fee will be through the Agency's Lender Loan Closing (LLC) system when a loan goes to closing.

The Rural Housing Service (RHS), an Agency within Rural Development, announces that it is soliciting competitive applications under its Housing Preservation Grant (HPG) program. This action is taken to comply with Agency regulations which requires the Agency to announce the opening and closing dates for receipt of pre-applications for HPG funds from eligible applicants. The Agency has published the amount of funding received in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (Pub. L. 115-141, March 23, 2018) on its website at https://www.rd.usda.gov/newsroom/notices- solicitation-applications-nosas. Expenses incurred in developing applications will be at the applicant's risk.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Rural Housing Service's (RHS) intention to request a revision for a currently approved information collection in support of the program for Self-Help Technical Assistance Grants.

This Notice announces that the Rural Housing Service (Agency) is accepting Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 applications for the Community Facilities Technical Assistance and Training (TAT) Grant program. The Agency is publishing the amount of funding received in the appropriations act on its website at https://www.rd.usda.gov/newsroom/ notices-solicitation-applications-nosas. Grant funds not obligated by September 15 of this fiscal year can be used to fund Essential Community Facilities grant or loan guarantee programs.

This Notice announces a series of teleconference and/or web conference meetings regarding the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Section 538 Guaranteed Rural Rental Housing (GRRH) program, which are scheduled to occur during 2018 and 2019. This Notice also outlines suggested discussion topics for the meetings and is intended to notify the general public of their opportunity to participate in the teleconference and/or web conference meetings.

This Request for Proposal (RFP or Notice) announces an availability of funds and the timeframe to submit proposals for Multi- Family Housing (MFH) Transfer and Prepayment Technical Assistance (TA) grants. Section 771 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 appropriated $1,000,000 to provide grants to qualified non-profit organizations and public housing authorities (PHA). Selected grantees will use the funds to provide financial and legal TA to the Rural Housing Service (RHS) MFH loan applicants to facilitate the acquisition of RHS Section 515 properties with maturing Rural Development (RD) mortgages, in areas at risk of losing affordable housing. Consistent with Section 771 and the pilot program initiated by RHS on March 1, 2017 (available at: www.rd.usda.gov/files/RDUL-Nonprofit.pdf), this RFP is soliciting proposals from qualified non-profit organizations and PHA to provide TA to MFH loan applicants who are qualified non-profit organizations and PHA with their acquisitions of Section 515 properties with maturing mortgages. Work performed under these grants is expected to result in an increased submission of quality applications for transfers of Section 515 properties to eligible non-profit and PHA loan applicants as defined in RD regulations. Furthermore, it will result in the preservation and continued availability of decent, safe, and sanitary housing for eligible Rural Rental Housing (RRH) tenants and maximize the Government's ongoing return on the public's investment in rural areas. The grant funds must be used to assist eligible loan applicants with specific transactions to acquire Section 515 projects with maturing mortgages under the pilot program. Grant funds are available for obligation through September 30, 2018.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the intention of the above-named Agency to request a revision of a currently approved information collection in support of the Community Facilities Grant Program.