FHFA Directs Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac to Fund Housing Trust Fund

December 23, 2014
		ISSUES  |  POLICY  |  SOLUTIONS  |  NEWS & EVENTS Forward Editor: Emanuel Cavallaro
		Spotlight On... FHFA Directs Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac to Fund Housing Trust Fund Earlier this month, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) directed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to begin allocating funds to the Housing Trust Fund and the Capital Magnet Fund, affordable housing programs meant to increase and preserve the nation's stock of affordable housing for low-income households. The contributions by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to these programs, which were originally established in 2008 with the Housing and Economic Recovery Act and signed into law by President George W. Bush, had been temporarily suspended on the basis that allocating funds to the programs would contribute to their financial instability. The FHFA notified Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac on Thursday, Dec. 11, of its decision to end the suspension. FHFA Statement

Hill Update President Signs $1.1 Trillion Spending Bill into Law On Tuesday, Dec. 16, President Obama signed the 'cromnibus' spending bill for fiscal year 2015 into law. The bill provides $2.135 billion for the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Grants program, a $30 million increase over FY 2014 funding, but $271 million less than the Obama Administration's requested funding level. Of the $2.135 billion, at least $250 million is set aside for Emergency Solutions Grants with the remainder set aside for Continuum of Care grants.

The cromnibus bill funds the Department of Homeland Security through the end of February 2015 and funds all other federal operations, including homeless assistance and affordable housing programs, through the remainder of the federal fiscal year to Sept. 30, 2015.
Senate Committee Assignments Announced
Last week, Senate leaders announced committee assignments for the 114th Congress, although committee chairs and ranking members are not yet official. House committee assignments have not yet been announced.

Senate Republican committee assignments

Senate Democratic committee assignments

Congress Departs for Recess
The House and the Senate have departed for the holiday recess thus concluding the 113th Congress. The 114th Congress is expected to convene Tuesday, Jan. 6.

Web Briefing: Early Impacts of the Medicaid Expansion for the Homeless Population

The Kaiser Family Foundation has published a recording of a web briefing that examines the early impacts of the Medicaid Expansion under the Affordable Care Act. The web briefing, "Early Impacts of the Medicaid Expansion for the Homeless Population," which originally streamed on Monday, Dec. 15, drew on findings from a recent Kaiser paper of the same title and the perspectives of panel of speakers who serve the homeless population, including a site administrator, a medical director, and an outreach worker.

Watch the recording

Alliance Online News Goes on Hiatus

In observance of the federal holiday, Alliance Online News will suspend publication until Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2015.

Last Week on Ending Homelessness Today

What Does the $1.1 Trillion Spending Bill Mean for Homeless Assistance in 2015?
By Steve Berg

Last week, both chambers of Congress passed a $1.1 trillion spending bill for federal programs for fiscal year 2015, and President Obama signed the bill into law. In this post, we discuss what this bill means for funding for homeless assistance programs.
5 Reasons Why Housing Providers Should Be Using Medicaid for Supportive Services
By Jayme Day
With the federal goal to end chronic homelessness by the end of 2016 fast approaching, communities need to pull together funding for housing and supportive services quickly and with sustainability in mind. In this post, we look at how communities can take advantage of Medicaid to cover the cost of supportive services.
The Year in Review: Youth Homelessness
By Mindy Mitchell and Emanuel Cavallaro
In this post, we take a look back at the major developments of 2014 in the fight to end youth homelessness.