COVID-19 Resources & Policy Updates

Table of Contents

Biweekly Conversations

NCST is continuing our listening sessions for our community partners to hear about how COVID-19 and local conditions are affecting their work as well as showcasing guest panelists in the field to offer further support in our communities. NCST will also provide a policy update. Calls will be held twice a month on Wednesdays from 12:30 – 1:30 EST for the rest of the 2020 calendar year.

Although we are holding weekly and bi-weekly calls, NCST understands that the local situation may be changing daily. Please reach out to your Community Development Manager or Asset Manager for assistance on specific properties or to provide feedback you feel would be helpful as we continue our national conversations.

NCST Webinar Recordings & Notes

How is COVID-19 Affecting Your Organization?

Weekly COVID-19 Conversation: March 25, 2020

Weekly COVID-19 Conversation: April 1, 2020 | Notes from Webinar

Weekly COVID-19 Conversation: April 8, 2020 | Notes from Webinar

Weekly COVID-19 Conversation: April 15, 2020 | Notes from Webinar

Weekly COVID-19 Conversation: April 22, 2020 | Notes from Webinar

Weekly COVID-19 Conversation: April 29, 2020 | Notes from Webinar

Weekly COVID-19 Conversation: May 13, 2020 | Notes from Webinar

Bi-weekly COVID-19 Conversation: May 27, 2020 | Presentation by Mark Zandi of Moody’s Analytics

Bi-weekly COVID-19 Conversation: June 10, 2020 | Presentation by Eddie Tsibulevskiy of Capital Magnet Fund

Bi-weekly COVID-19 Conversation: June 24, 2020 | Download a pdf with links to Urban Institute’s latest coverage on Racial Disparities in Homeownership Outcomes

Bi-weekly COVID-19 Conversation: July 8, 2020 |Presentation by David Sanchez of NCST featuring Marcia Nedland and Lori Schwarz highlighting the Middle Neighborhoods Initiative

Bi-weekly Community Impact Briefing: July 22, 2020 | featuring guest panelist Tony Pickett of Grounded Solutions Network

Bi-weekly Community Impact Briefing: August 5th | featuring an in-depth look at policy updates with Julia Gordon

Bi-weekly Community Impact Briefing: September 2nd| Presentation by Daren Blomquist of Auction.com

Bi-weekly Community Impact Briefing: September 16th | Presentation on Habitat for Humanity’s Cost of Home campaign by Anne Myers & Robert Hickey

NCST COVID-19 Policy Agenda

For the duration of the pandemic, NCST’s highest priority will be to help support our Community Buyers and their neighborhoods and residents in whatever ways we can. So far, NCST has:

Advocated for Congress to include the following provisions in emergency legislation:
- A foreclosure and eviction moratorium, excluding vacant properties;
- Mortgage forbearances (temporarily suspending payments) of 6 months or more if needed, not only for owner-occupants, but also for investors who own single-family (1-4 unit) properties, with the provision that landlords receiving payment relief pass that relief along to their tenants;
- Assistance for non-profits; and
- The inclusion of construction loans in any provisions for payment relief on other credit products.
Requested that our nation’s regulators halt all non-COVID-19-related rulemaking until the current emergency is over.

NCST will continue to advocate for robust emergency measures to stem the impacts of COVID-19 on affordable housing and our communities. Moving forward, NCST will:

Ensure our partners can continue to engage in single-family rehabilitation;
Look for ways to help localities that are dealing with frozen real estate markets; and
Advocate for policies to ensure homeowners benefit from the eventual real estate recovery.

NCST COVID-19 Policy Advocacy Resources

Joint Letter: Comment to the Federal Housing Finance Agency on Enterprise Regulatory Capital Framework (8/31)

Joint Letter: Letter to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Re: Language Access Roundtable Discussion (8/24)

Joint Letter: FHA & FHFA Forbearance Letter (6/24)

NCST Letter to the Federal Reserve: Expanding the Federal Reserve Main Street Lending Program to Nonprofits (6/22)

Joint Letter: Emergency Rental Assistance and Rental Market Stabilization Act (5/6)

Joint Request: Single Consumer-facing Portal on COVID Housing Relief (5/4)

Joint Letter: Housing Industry Coalition Letter in Support of Rental Assistance (5/4)

Joint Letter: Letter to Housing Regulators on Tenant Protections in CARES Act (5/1)

Joint Letter: Renewed Call for Credit and Debt Protections in COVID-19 Relief (5/1)

Joint Letter: Civil Rights, Consumer, Housing, and Real Estate Groups Urge U.S Treasury and Federal Regulators to Help Mortgage Servicers Maintain Liquidity (4/17)

Joint Letter: HUD Must Do Much More to Protect Older Reverse Mortgage Borrowers in the Coronavirus Epidemic (3/24/20)

NCST Letter to the OCC, FDIC, and Federal Reserve on “Joint Statement on CRA Consideration for Activities in Response to COVID-19” CRA Activities and Need to Halt Rulemaking (3/23/20)

Joint Letter: 63 Organizations Call for Credit and Debt Protections to Address Financial Distress from COVID-19 (3/23/20)

Joint Letter to Regulatory Agencies Requesting Extension of Public Comment Periods (3/20/20)

COVID-19 Resources

The Wells Fargo/U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) CommunityWINSTM (Working/Investing in Neighborhood Stabilization) Grant Program is a collaborative effort between USCM, Wells Fargo Bank, and the Wells Fargo Foundation. The goal of the grant is to:

Assist cities with the opportunity to invest, strengthen, and address housing affordability issues.
Award $1,000,000 to support local nonprofit partners to cities of all sizes nationwide.