Articles Archives

Housing USA: A Connection Between SALT Caps & Home Affordability?

6 min read

In 2017, Congress passed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), the signature tax reform of former President Donald Trump. The law lowered income tax rates, reduced households subject to the estate tax, and generally decreased the burden that various interest groups must pay, using different tweaks and carveouts. 

New Developments: Shovel Ready in 2021

5 min read

2020 was a year of superlatives. The worst, the longest, the most dysfunctional, the most frustrating, the most divisive, etc.…the entire world is more than ready to put the year in the rear-view mirror. Since dashing out my last column, we even got a little bit of good news, a hint that 2021 may be going in the right direction. Two Coronavirus vaccines were approved and distribution has begun. A desperately needed emergency relief package and year-end spending and tax package was enacted after months of congressional stalemate.

Housing USA: Reaching Carbon Neutrality in Salt Lake City

5 min read

You don’t often hear “affordable” and “zero-carbon” in the same sentence, because for housing development these goals are seen as being in tension. But in Salt Lake City, one progressive project is addressing both goals simultaneously, in a city that could use such outcomes.

From Software to Success

4 min read

I have good news for affordable housing developers modernizing their properties through a RAD conversion: Software can eliminate many of the complexities involved in managing the recapitalized assets. But—and this is a big but—only if these developers have taken some fundamental preparations. Based on our experiences working with developers on RAD conversions, my colleagues and I recommend the following:

FHA’s New MAP Guide

7 min read

The Federal Housing Administration’s Multifamily Housing Accelerated Processing Guide is updated periodically every few years. The 2020 MAP Guide update, set to go into effect on March 18, weighs in at 903 pages and is full of new guidance—some positive, some not so positive—for borrowers and lenders wanting to use FHA’s multifamily programs.

One Year of the Pandemic Economy and Counting

11 min read

After a year living through the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve heard all the platitudes. This is the new normal. We’re all in the same storm, but not necessarily in the same boat. We’ve developed new vocabulary words, like “quarantini” and “doomscrolling.” We’ve become at-home information technology specialists, setting up mesh wi-fi networks to support parents working from home and kids learning from home.

Attainable Housing

5 min read

Affordable housing advocacy and policy often prioritizes people who are most in need of housing, and understandably so—nearly one-third of Americans are housing cost burdened. But, the aid for housing often cuts off those who aren’t low-income enough to qualify, yet aren’t wealthy enough to afford market-rate housing.

Three Ways Around NIMBYism

7 min read

Overcoming Nimbyism is hard—maybe the most significant barrier—for developers looking to get projects approved. This is particularly the case for affordable housing projects, which must overcome additional biases. Propose one in a city neighborhood, and the developer could have residents, activists and politicians reject the rendering for any number of reasons.

New Developments: Time to Update Location, Location, Location?

4 min read

Mark Twain famously recommended, “Buy land, they’re not making any more of it.”  Forget that he lived contemporaneously with the filling of Back Bay in Boston (and not that far away in Hartford, CT) where they did in fact make more of it, the observation is generally true but not especially good investment advice. Not all land is built the same – to quote another old real estate proverb, “There are three things that matter in property: location, location, location.” Whether you are developing apartments or a shopping center – knowing your market area and where you sit in it is essential for success.

The COVID Housing Economy

7 min read

The long arm of the COVID pandemic is not only disrupting 2020 performance in the tax credit industry, but it may have a further impact even after the virus is brought under control.

What Makes the Right Location for Development?

6 min read

It’s rare that a site for a housing development is perfect. Besides the constraints of working with existing lots that are often less than ideal, there are many other factors in play: zoning, soil conditions, solar orientation, ease of entry and access to transportation and amenities, just to name a few. In general, though, there are a few handy tips that can help developers and architects seek out a good site for affordable housing.

Life After the 2020 Elections

3 min read

When the 117th Congress convenes January 3, bipartisan support will be required to pass any legislation as neither party will have a strong majority in the Senate, panelists at an NH&RA town hall said December 3.

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