HUD Press Releases

NEW YORK, NY July 28, 2010 - The Advertising Council, in partnership with the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), announced today the launch of a national public service advertising (PSA) campaign designed to encourage homeowners who are struggling with their monthly mortgage payments to learn about the Making Home Affordable Program. While over one million homeowners have already received assistance from the program, the national campaign encourages other struggling homeowners who may be eligible for assistance to reach out for the help they need through free resources made available by the Federal Government. The PSAs direct homeowners to visit MakingHomeAffordable.gov or call 1-888-995-HOPE 1-888-995-HOPE (4673) to see if they may be eligible for assistance to make their mortgage payments more affordable and to understand options they may have to avoid foreclosure.

WASHINGTON -Elderly Americans in Arizona, Maryland, New York and Ohio will soon find themselves living in upgraded apartments equipped to meet their physical needs because of $19.5 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. HUD today announced the grants to help convert existing multifamily projects into assisted living facility for the elderly. A detailed summary of each grant is attached to this release.

WASHINGTON - Today, the Obama Administration announced expanded opportunities for public engagement on the future of our nation's housing finance system, including Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. These events, which will include a major conference in Washington, D.C., will help provide critical public input as the Administration continues its work developing a comprehensive housing finance reform proposal for delivery to Congress by January 2011.

WASHINGTON - U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today announced HUD will speed federal disaster assistance to Pike County in Kentucky and provide support to homeowners and low-income renters forced from their homes following severe storms, flooding and mudslides.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today announced that it is charging a Chicago developer and architect with housing discrimination for designing and constructing apartments that fail to meet the accessibility requirements of the Fair Housing Act. HUD's charge contends that Hector Castillo, Hector Castillo Architects, Inc., and 914 W. Hubbard, Inc. is inaccessible to persons with disabilities in several ways, including having doorways that are too narrow, and kitchens and bathrooms that do not contain adequate maneuvering space.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced today that it will launch multiple investigations into the lending practices of certain mortgage lenders to determine if they illegally denied families mortgages because the mother is pregnant or a family member is experiencing a short-term disability. The action follows a report published this week in the New York Times outlining the lending practices of some lenders which might possibly violate the Fair Housing Act.

WASHINGTON - Families with children are now able to live without restrictions at a Pompano Beach, Florida housing development under a voluntary agreement between the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Cornerstone Residential Management, Inc., and the Oaks at Pompano, Ltd. The agreement will improve and increase the affordability of multifamily housing in their area and provide $30,000 in rental assistance to families with children. The firms will also make family-friendly improvements to their properties and donate $20,000 to a fair housing organization.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today announced that it has charged two Cleveland-area landlords with violating the Fair Housing Act for allegedly refusing to rent a house to a woman because she is Hispanic. Furthermore, HUD contends that Kathy Parker and Deryl Gibson, the African- American owners of the Warrensville, Ohio, house asked the woman, "Why do you want to live in a black neighborhood," and informed her that she might not feel comfortable there.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of the Treasury today released the second edition of the Administration's Housing Scorecard showing that, thanks in part to interest rates continuing at all-time lows, home affordability in the U.S. remains near the most attractive levels in 10 years. In addition, for the first time, the report now tracks the impact of HUD's Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP), which has spurred local investment and is beginning to make affordably-priced homes available to consumers. The Housing Scorecard is the Administration's comprehensive report on the nation's housing market.

WASHINGTON - U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today announced HUD will speed federal disaster assistance to 53 counties in Nebraska and provide support to homeowners and low-income renters forced from their homes following severe storms, flooding and tornadoes last month.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today announced that a HUD Administrative Law Judge has ordered an Iowa landlord to pay $52,150 in damages and civil penalties for retaliating against a single mother of three by threatening to evict her because she filed a housing discrimination complaint.

WASHINGTON - After conducting a competitive national search for a long-term administrator to lead the Housing Authority of New Orleans (HANO), the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced today that the current receivership team, Gilmore Kean, LLC will continue to lead the agency from recovery to revitalization over the next three years.

WASHINGTON - Federal Housing Administration (FHA) Commissioner David Stevens today unveiled three specific policy changes to strengthen the FHA's capital reserves while enabling the agency to continue to fulfill its mission to provide access to homeownership for underserved communities. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development today published a Notice, seeking public comment on three specific measures to reduce financial risk and preserve affordable mortgage financing for responsible consumers.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced today that it has charged a Denver condominium association with violating the Fair Housing Act by discriminating against families with children under the age of 18. According to HUD's charge, Windsor Gardens Association allegedly maintained discriminatory restrictions and published discriminatory statements and advertisements that limited or denied housing to families with children. One statement read: "Head of household must be 50 years of age; children under the age of 17 are not permitted."

WASHINGTON - Thousands of senior citizens and persons with disabilities will soon be able to find affordable housing, thanks to more than $550 million in housing assistance announced today by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The funding will provide interest-free capital advances to non-profit developers so they can produce accessible housing, offer rental assistance, and provide supportive services for the elderly and persons with disabilities.

WASHINGTON - U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today announced nearly $190 million in new grants to assist hundreds of local homeless assistance programs across the country. The funding will provide support to 550 local projects that will offer critically needed housing and support services to nearly 20,000 homeless individuals and families over the extended lifetime of these grants. For a complete listing of those local programs awarded funding, visit HUD's website.

WASHINGTON - As part of the Federal Housing Administration's (FHA) ongoing efforts to enhance risk management practices, Commissioner David H. Stevens today announced plans to implement a series of changes to the multifamily insurance programs that will update underwriting policies, increase lender and underwriter quality, and align loan application, submission and approval standards. FHA's Multifamily Program Office consulted with stakeholders to bring these changes to market.

WASHINGTON - U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today announced HUD will speed federal disaster assistance to counties in Minnesota and provide support to homeowners and low-income renters forced from their homes following severe storms, flooding and tornadoes last month.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development today announced an agreement with the Cuyahoga County Land Reutilization Corporation (CCLRC) to stabilize neighborhoods hard-hit by foreclosure in Cleveland and Cuyahoga County by selling foreclosed homes to the CCLRC for as little as $100. The agreement announced today follows a similar successful program launched in Cleveland in which HUD transferred 441 foreclosed properties to the City at deep discount in just over a year.

WASHINGTON - More than a thousand extremely low-income persons living with HIV/AIDS will continue to receive permanent housing as a result of $30.2 million in grants announced today by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).