May 2020 Newsletter
A Big Thank You to Our Supporters
TSAHC would like to thank and recognize the following for their generous contributions as part of #GivingTuesday on May 5th. The donations will support Housing Connection , a TSAHC initiative that provides training opportunities to nonprofit housing counselors and affordable housing developers. 
$1,000

Alterra Home Loans

Supreme Lending

$500

Cornerstone Home Lending

ReMax Innovations

$200
John Wren
AmCap Home Loans

Ana Arriola
SecurityNational Mortgage Company

Lucy Knox
Flora Vista Realty
Kim Lewis
Guild Mortgage

Juan Manuel Acosta
WNC Residential LLC
$25

Ellie Ahumada
LeaderOne Financial Corporation
TSAHC Hosts Webinar on Mortgage Relief Options
Provided by CARES Act
On May 19th, TSAHC hosted a webinar entitled, "The CARES Act and Mortgage Relief: Understanding Your Options as a Homeowner" featuring Bertie Flores-Samilpa with Austin Habitat for Humanity and Sharon Robinson with Lakeview Loan Servicing .

The panelists reviewed the mortgage relief options that are available to homeowners who have been impacted by COVID-19 including forbearance requests, loan modifications, and payment assistance options. The webinar also covered what loan servicing companies typically require from homeowners seeking mortgage relief options and helpful resources for who to contact if a homeowner is in need of assistance.

We've included the presentation from the webinar and answers to Frequently Asked Questions about mortgage relief options on our COVID-19 Information and Resources web page.
2020 Texas Foundations Fund
Application Now Open
The 2020 Texas Foundations Fund application is now open. Through this program, TSAHC partners with nonprofit organizations to support housing services that meet critical housing needs of very low-income Texans with a disability/or located in a rural community. To date, TSAHC has invested more than $3.7 million to support the following activities:

  • Home repairs and accessibility modifications in owner-occupied homes and

  • Supportive housing services, such as case management, mental health counseling and adult education, for households at risk of homelessness.
 
In 2020, the Texas Foundations Fund will provide matching grants to selected partners during a two-year period to support one of the above activities.
 
To qualify as a partner and be eligible for matching grants, nonprofit organizations must take an eligibility quiz and fill out a partner application located here . These are due by Friday, June 19th at 5:00 p.m.

Visit the Texas Foundations Fund web page for more information about the program, including a link to the guidelines , and a recording of a webinar we hosted to explain the eligibility requirements and application process.
Below are May 2020 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.  
The Future of Millennial Homeownership
Millennials make up an increasingly small percentage of homeowners, and members of every generation should be concerned. That’s the conclusion drawn by the Federal Reserve and the Economist in a special report summarized earlier this year by the Philadelphia Inquirer.

In 2019, millennials (with a median age of 31), owned just 4% of homes. By comparison, Baby Boomers, whose median age was 35 at the time, owned nearly 33% of homes in 1990.  
Introducing the 2020 Texas Foundations Fund Application
This week, TSAHC’s Board of Directors officially approved the Texas Foundations Fund (TFF) Guidelines for 2020. And yesterday, we launched the 2020 Texas Foundations Fund Application.   

To date, we’ve awarded more than $3.7 million in grant funding to support 46 organizations across Texas. Learn more about the families and individuals impacted by our TFF program here.  
Latest Report Documents Continued Shortage of Affordable Rental Homes
In March, the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) released a report highlighting the continued struggles of extremely-low income renters (households earning 30 percent or below the area median income). 

First, there is a nationwide shortage of seven million affordable rental homes for extremely low-income renters. An affordable rent is considered no more than 30 percent of household income going towards housing.
Staff Spotlight: An Interview with Cassandra Ramirez
Every quarter TSAHC spotlights a staff member or partner to help our readers get to know our mission and industry a little better. This week, we are spotlighting TSAHC's Development Finance Specialist, Cassandra Ramirez. 

Originally from Donna, TX, Cassandra works on our Development Finance team, managing TSAHC's Affordable Communities of Texas (ACT) land bank and land trusts and Texas Housing Impact Fund (THIF).
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