HUD Releases Physical Inspections Data

As part of the Obama administration's effort to promote transparency and openness, HUD recently added the overall Physical Inspection Scores to the HUD USER website. Available results are for inspections conducted from 2001 through September 2009....

I haven't looked at this closely, but this should be an interesting project for someone. It's been years since I've worked with data sets like this, so I'm hoping to find someone willing to tackle this before I try to fiddle with it. Be aware the entire United States and terrorities are included in the data sets so you'll have to hunt for information if you're interested in finding something.

Unfortunately, this doesn't seem to give many details other than the score; they don't seem to say why the site received the score they did.

Smart Growth Interview

An interesting interview with Andres Duany, a founder of Congress for the New Urbanism, on the Smart Growth in Builder Online.

One of the points he makes is that while New Urbanism is "market-focused and private sector focused", and Smart Growth is more of a government & policy focus, they are surpringly similiar.

I especially liked the question on zoning and smart growth issues. I don't think most people realize that in many communities, much of their current buildings and neighborhoods would be illegal under current local zoning standards.

BUILDER: In that case, how do you level the playing field, considering the zoning necessary for smart growth is illegal in some places?
DUANY: This is so important. Most places have smart growth guidelines in place, but they don’t have specific codes and standards in place. The comprehensive plan may call for smart growth, but when it comes down to it, the schools are still huge (which presumes that a bunch of parents will be driving their kids to get there), and the neighborhoods are still mapped out according to a system of privileges where all of the houses in a given area are similar in size and price. There is a lack of mixed use, and everything has parking lots out front. You can say what you want in a comprehensive plan and a statement of intent, but if the technical documents are not there for implementing smart growth, the ball is dropped.

Congress passes Omnibus Appropriations Bill

Congress has passed an Omnibus appropriations bill (which does NOT include the Dept. of Defense appropriations I referred to in my previous post).

According to Enterprise,

The bill provides about $46 billion in discretionary funding for HUD, including $18.2 billion for Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers and $8.6 billion for the Section 8 project-based rental assistance program. The bill funds both HOPE VI ($200 million) and the new Choice Neighborhoods Initiative (as a $65 million set-aside within the HOPE VI account). Finally, for the CDFI Fund, $107 million is appropriated for CDFI Program Financial Awards and Technical Assistance, and $80 million for the newly established Capital Magnet Fund.

Ask your Senators to support the National Housing Trust Fund!

According to the National Low-Income Housing Coalition's Outreach Association, Elisha Harig-Blaine, the House should be moving to fund the National Housing Trust Fund in the Defense Appropriations bill, HR 3326. However, there is uncertainity on what the Senate will do, so your assistance in contacting the Senators are needed.

Please contact Senator Feingold and Senator Kohl to ask them to support the inclusion of $1 billion for the National Housing Trust Fund, and $65 million for project-based vouchers in the Defense Appropriations Bill. If the Senators are supportive, please ask them to contact Senator Durbin to express their support of the inclusion of those funds.

NLIHC estimates that Wisconsin will receive $15.5 million, creating 234 construction jobs and 59 ongoing jobs.

You can call the Congressional switchboard at 877-210-5351 and ask for either Senator Feingold or Senator Kohl's offices. Then do it again for the other Senator.

This is one of the last steps in the long campaign over the many years to create & fund the National Housing Trust Fund. Let's work together to make sure it happens.

Pabst Farms in the News

The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel has a generally optimistic business article on the Pabst Farms development. I'm not going to get into the whole issue of how Pabst Farms was an abuse of Tax Incremental Funding, and how it doesn't include affordable housing for the workers for the retail developments or the hospital.

However, this part jumped out at me:

Rights-of-way for an interchange at I-94 and Highway P/Sawyer Road on the eastern edge of the Pabst Farms Development have been acquired.

I've drove by Pabst Farm a few times, and there is no way there is a need for a new intersection for a long time. This is a "build and they will come" mentality.

This development has been heavily subsidized already, to the tune of $24 million as Mr. Rowen notes.

By comparison, The Waukesha County Affordable Housing Taskforce, is asking for $2.5 million a year, even though the need is much greater in the County. Imagine what could be done with $24 million (not including the proposed new interchange!).

Quick Assortment of News

A quick assortment of housing-related news as we head into the weekend:

• The National Low-Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) has released a preliminary estimate of how much each state would receive from a National Housing Trust fund funded at $1 billion. Wisconsin would receive 1.5% of the total funds, or $15.5 million. If you have not already contacted your Senators and your Representative to request that the Trust Fund (which has already passed, but is unfunded) be capitalized with at least $1 billion. It's not too late to contact them. More details here.
• The latest newsletter for Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA) is out with an announcement from Executive Director Anthonio Riley that more than $100 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the "stimulus funding," will be used to jump-start 36 developments around the state, creating over 2,000 jobs. The newsletter also has a nice description of the Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program (HPRP). It doesn't, however, answer the most pressing question I have: Why is it HPRP not HPRRP as is logical?
• Speaking of WHEDA, they are being criticized by Senator Grothman (R-West Bend) for spending $1,400 on "floral decorations for holiday reception." The Senator suggests that WHEDA donate the money to the Madison Salvation Army shelter. I wonder, though, why didn't he suggest instead that the money be given to a homeless organization in his district, Hebron House?
• IndependenceFirst's newsletter, Breaking Away is available online with four housing-related items.