March 2018 Newsletter
April is National Financial Literacy Month
April is National Financial Literacy Month, and we’re taking this opportunity to promote two opportunities to support financial literacy here in Texas.

First, TSAHC is raising funds for Housing Connection , our training initiative for nonprofit housing organizations. Sponsoring Housing Connection provides TSAHC-approved loan officers, Texas REALTORS® and other housing professionals with an opportunity to support housing and financial education while also raising their visibility among housing counselors and the home buyers they serve. View this flyer for details and contact Katie Claflin at kclaflin@tsahc.org with any questions.

Second, check out and share our blog every Friday in April as we share some important financial education resources for Texas homeowners. You can subscribe to our blog here .

Thank you for supporting financial literacy and education in Texas!
April is Also National Fair Housing Month
This A pril marks the 50th anniversary of the passage of the Fair Housing Act, which was signed into law by President Johnson on April 11, 1968. In commemoration of its passage, April was designated as National Fair Housing Month. See below for information about events next month that will help people expand their fair housing knowledge.

2018 Fair Housing Summit

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Fair Housing Act, The City of Austin along with the University of Texas, Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs will host the 2018 Fair Housing Summit at the Austin Convention Center April 2-5, 2018. The Summit will celebrate the impact of the Fair Housing Act over the past 50 years, examine barriers to fair housing that still remain, and share best practices for furthering fair housing.

Click here to register.

Fair Housing Informational Webinars

The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, in coordination with the Texas Workforce Commission, will host two webinars to help participants understand fair housing requirements.

April 10, 2018, 2:00-3:30 p.m.
Fair Housing Overview ( Registration )

April 17, 2018, 2:00-3:30 p.m.
Reasonable Accommodations and Accessibility ( Registration )
Register for Rural Housing
Preservation Academy Session 3
TSAHC, the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas , Enterprise Community Partners , the Rural Rental Housing Association of Texas and Motivation, Education, & Training, Inc. are pleased to present the Rural Rental Housing Preservation Academy . The Academy is a series of no-cost training and peer learning sessions designed to help rural housing providers and nonprofits acquire and/or preserve USDA rental housing in their respective communities.

Two sessions of the academy have already concluded. Click here for the Session 1 recap, and click here for the Session 2 recap. Session 3 entitled, " Preservation Financing and Deal Structuring " will be held April 11-12 in San Antonio, Texas.

Click on the link below for more information on the academy and to register for Session 3 or any other session. 
Rural Rental Housing Preservation Academy
Brought to You By:
Financial Support Provided By:
Upcoming Events
April 2-5 in Austin - 2018 Fair Housing Summit hosted by the City of Austin and the University of Texas, Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs More Information and Registration

April 10 in Tomball - "Overcoming the Down Payment Hurdle" class hosted by Cardinal Financial. The free, interactive session provides one credit of mandatory continuing education (CE) for REALTORS®.  More Information and Registration

April 11-12 in San Antonio - Rural Housing Preservation Academy, Session 3: Preservation Financing and Deal Structuring Event Page and Registration

April 16 in Houston - "Overcoming the Down Payment Hurdle" class hosted by Legacy Mutual Mortgage. The free, interactive session provides one credit of mandatory continuing education (CE) for REALTORS®.  More Information and Registration

April 17 in The Woodlands - "Overcoming the Down Payment Hurdle" class hosted by Cardinal Financial. The free, interactive session provides one credit of mandatory continuing education (CE) for REALTORS®.  More Information and Registration

April 18 in Manor - "Overcoming the Down Payment Hurdle" hosted by DR Horton. The free, interactive session provides one credit of mandatory continuing education (CE) for REALTORS®.  More Information and Registration

April 23 in Kyle - "Overcoming the Down Payment Hurdle" hosted by David Weekley Homes. The free, interactive session provides one credit of mandatory continuing education (CE) for REALTORS®.  More Information and Registration

April 27 in Amarillo - "Overcoming the Down Payment Hurdle" hosted by Right Start Mortgage. The free, interactive session provides one credit of mandatory continuing education (CE) for REALTORS®.  More Information and Registration

April 30 - Statewide broadcast of "Overcoming the Down Payment Hurdle" hosted by the Texas Association of REALTORS®. The free, interactive session provides one credit of mandatory continuing education (CE) for REALTORS®.  Contact the Texas Association of REALTORS® at 800.873.9155 to register.
Below are March 2018 excerpts from On the House , a blog TSAHC launched in 2014 on affordable housing topics. We invite you to drop by On the House as we explore important issues, provide an inside look into our programs, and share other valuable resources.  
Has Homeownership Lost Its Appeal?
In January 2018, the national apartment search website RentCafé released a study on the make-up of homeowners and renters in major U.S. cities. Analyzing U.S. Census Bureau data, RentCafé found that renters now comprise the majority of households in 42 of the 100 largest U.S. cities. For comparison, ten years ago renters held the majority in only 20 of the top 100 cities. 
Rural Rental Housing Preservation Academy Session 2 Recap
Attendees participated in "Session 2: Overview of USDA Rural Development Transfer Process" last week in Temple. This is a recap of that session provided by Julie Gunter, Director, Community Development at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. Edd Hargett, recently appointed Texas State Director for USDA Rural Development (RD), opened the session remarking that USDA is proud of the staff in Temple and thanking everyone for what they do for rural Texas.
Measuring the Affordability of Living in the City
A recent article published by point2homes.com examines how quickly homeowners can pay off their mortgages in the 50 biggest cities in North America. The conclusion was troubling. Using the affordability ratio (also known as the median multiple)-- an indicator widely used to assess urban housing affordability--they found that only a small number of cities listed in the top 50 were deemed affordable, with 32 actually seen as seriously or severely unaffordable.
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