As the federal government shutdown continues into its third week, many in the affordable housing community have expressed concern about what it might mean for their programs. Vermont Housing Finance Agency will remain open throughout the shutdown. However, some of the federal program funding that VHFA and its partners administer may be affected if the shutdown persists.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), has released a contingency plan outlining the status of its programs during the shutdown. Much of HUD funding for multifamily affordable housing is disbursed through local public housing agencies (PHAs), which are not part of the federal government and therefore continue to operate. However, these organizations receive significant federal funding, and may not be able to carry out normal activities in the event that the shutdown lasts for an extended period of time.
Under HUD’s plan, HUD staff who process funding for the Office of Housing will work on a limited basis to process payments and contract renewals. However, any new funding actions that require HUD staff involvement cannot be processed during the shutdown. Payments for Tenant-Based Rental Assistance will continue to be disbursed, and Homeless Assistance Grants will continue to be fully funded. HUD will continue to disburse block grant funds (CDBG, HOME) that have already been allocated in prior year budgets. HUD will continue payments for Project-Based Rental Assistance (Section 8, rent supplement, Section 236, and project rental assistance contracts), contingent on the availability of existing funds. According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, funding for project-based assistance is currently in place for January, but may become uncertain if the shutdown continues into next month.
USDA Rural Development
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) 502 homeownership program is the primary source of government guarantee loans for home purchases in the state of Vermont. During the shutdown, RD will not process new loan requests under the 502 Direct or Guarantee programs. Under USDA’s contingency plan, RD offices at the state level are shut down completely.
Vermont also receives funding for multifamily affordable housing through USDA Rural Development programs. The Section 521 Rental Assistance, Section 542 Rural Housing Vouchers will continue until funding is exhausted, however, USDA suggests that a shutdown of more than two weeks is likely to have a “significant impact” on its programs.
VHFA Home Loans
Despite the substantial wide-reaching challenges the shutdown creates, most VHFA mortgage programs are not affected at this point, and VHFA continues to accept loan reservations. Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Veterans Administration (VA) continue to process home loans. Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans will continue to be processed, though due to HUD’s reduced staffing, processing of FHA loans may occur more slowly than usual. Although RD will not process new loan requests during the shutdown, VHFA is still receiving reservations for RD guaranteed loans. Vermonters preparing to buy a home with VHFA financing should continue to work with their participating lender, who can best advise them on navigating the approval process during the shutdown.