U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan has announced an agreement with the nation’s top mortgage lenders to offer selected state and local governments, and non-profit organizations a “first look” or right of first refusal to purchase foreclosed homes before making these properties available to private investors. The National First Look Program is a first-ever public-private partnership agreement between HUD and the National Community Stabilization Trust (Stabilization Trust).Read more

The Obama Administration has announced additional details about its Aug. 17 Conference on the Future of Housing Finance, including a list of panelists and the conference agenda. This event will provide a forum for public input as the Administration continues its work developing a comprehensive housing finance reform proposal for delivery to Congress by January 2011. The event will take place from 9:00 a.m.–1:30 p.m.  at the Cash Room of the U.S. Treasury Department, located at 1500 Pennsylvania Ave., NW in Washington, D.C. Read more

The Advertising Council, in partnership with the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD), has announced 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.Read more

The Obama Administration has 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.Read more

In an effort to prevent homelessness among United States veterans, primarily those returning from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) have announced that both agencies will invest a combined $15 million in five selected communities near military installations. The HUD and VA grant funding is intended to provide housing assistance and supportive services to veterans who might otherwise be living in homeless shelters or on the streets.Read more

The U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) has announced 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.Read more

The U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) has announced a new initiative that gives state and local governments, and non-profit organizations participating in HUD's Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) preference to acquire homes from the Department's inventory of foreclosed properties, commonly known as "HUD homes." The initiative was announced by HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan at the National Council of La Raza Annual Conference in San Antonio, Texas.Read more

The U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of the Treasury have introduced a monthly scorecard on the nation's housing market. Each month, the scorecard will incorporate key housing market indicators and highlight the impact of the Administration's unprecedented housing recovery efforts, including assistance to homeowners through the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP). This scorecard contains key data on the health of the housing market including:Read more

U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan has awarded more than $2.3 billion to 3,131 public housing authorities across the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.Read more

The U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) has announced it is awarding contracts to 23 companies to serve as Asset Managers (AM) and 32 other firms to serve as Field Service Managers (FSM) under the third generation of its Management and Marketing (M&M) program, known as M&M III. The new contracts announced are intended to reduce risk, increase sale prices and accelerate the pace of reselling HUD's inventory of foreclosed Federal Housing Administration (FHA) homes.Read more