Legal Notices: National Housing Trust Fund: Opening of Comment Period and Public Hearing Dates
Under the guidelines established by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), notice is hereby given that the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) will hold a series of public hearings on the development and administration of the Housing Trust Fund program, a portion of the Consolidated Plan.
The Consolidated Plan is a five-year planning document required by HUD that sets out overall Statewide goals and priorities for housing, community development, and economic development activities. Special emphasis is given under the Plan to provide assistance for extremely low-, low, and moderate-income persons. In addition to being a planning document, the Consolidated Plan also serves as the State’s application to HUD for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME), Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG), Housing Opportunity for Persons With AIDS (HOPWA) and the Housing Trust Fund (HTF).
The HTF is a new affordable housing production program that will complement existing Federal, State and local efforts to increase and preserve the supply of decent, safe and sanitary affordable housing for extremely low-income (ELI) and very low-income households (VLI). The HTF was established under Title I of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008, Section 1131 (Public law 110-289). Section 1131 of HERA amended the Federal Housing Enterprises Financial Safety and Soundness Act of 1992 (12 U.S.C. 4501 et seq.)(Act) to add a new section 1337, entitled “Affordable Housing Allocation” and a new section 1338, entitled “Housing Trust Fund.
HTF is a formula grant program, which is to be administered by States. On January 30, 2015, HUD published an Interim Program Rule (FR-5246-I-03). The interim rule provided the guidelines for States to implement HTF. The Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) is the entity that will administer the HTF for Maryland. Each year, HUD will allocate the amount made available for the HTF based on the formula established in the interim rule. On May 6, 2016 HUD announced that Maryland’s allocation for 2016 is $3,000,000 based on HUD’s formula allocation procedures. Grantees are required to use at least eighty (80) percent of each annual grant for rental housing; up to ten (10) percent for homeownership housing; and up to ten (10) percent for administrative and planning costs. HTF funds may be used for the production of affordable permanent housing through the acquisition, new construction, reconstruction and/or rehabilitation of housing. All HTF-assisted rental housing must meet a minimum affordability period of 30 years. All HTF-assisted homeownership housing must meet the minimum affordability period of 10, 20, or 30 years based on the amount of HTF investment in the unit.
DHCD has written the draft for the National Housing Trust program and has opened a 30 day public comment period beginning June 27, 2016. It should be noted DHCD has written the Annual Plan, using the new online system using the data that HUD has provided and will submit the HTF as an amendment to the Annual Plan. A second set of hearings will be held during the second week in July. Written comments (by both email and standard mail) will also be accepted at the hearings, or may be submitted in writing through COB Tuesday, July 26, 2016 (at the address listed below). The final version of the HTF Allocation Plan will be submitted to HUD on or around August 8, 2016.
The draft HTF Allocation Plan is available on-line on DHCD’s website. Comments regarding the HTF Allocation Plan should be submitted to nht.dhcd@maryland.gov. In addition, copies of the draft National Housing Trust Fund plan are available at the following libraries: the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore, the Blackwell Library in Salisbury, the Washington County Free Library in Hagerstown, the Lewis J. Ort Library in Frostburg, the Frederick Douglass Library in Princess Anne, and the Southern Maryland Regional Library in Charlotte Hall. A large print version is available at the Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped in Baltimore. Free copies of the draft HTF Allocation Plan are also available by calling, writing, or e-mailing the address and phone numbers listed below.
The second set of hearings on the draft HTF Allocation Plan will be held at the following dates, times, and places:
Tuesday, July 12, 2016
7:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Maryland Department of Housing and
Community Development
7800 Harkins Road, Room 201
Lanham, MD 20706
Thursday, July 14, 2016
1:00 pm to 2:00 pm
Pleasant View Gardens Apartments
201 North Aisquith Street
Baltimore, MD 21202
Wednesday, July 13, 2016
10:30 am to 11:30 am
Town of Denton
4 North Second Street
2nd Floor
Denton, MD 21629
Friday, July 15, 2016, 2016
2:00pm to 3:00 pm
Elgin Station Community Center
40 Elgin Boulevard
Hagerstown, MD 21740
All of the hearing rooms are accessible to persons with disabilities. Persons requiring a translator should request one at least three days prior to the hearing they plan to attend. Any questions or comments should be directed to me at the address, phone numbers, or e-mail listed below:
Mrs. Elaine Cornick, Director
Multifamily Housing
Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development
7800 Harkins Road
Lanham, Maryland 20706
(301) 429-7777 or Maryland Relay for the Deaf at 1 (800) 735-2258.