(RECAP: J. Ron Terwilliger, chairman of Terwilliger – Pappas Multifamily Properties and the ULI Terwilliger Center for Housing, was the moderator for the panel “A New National Housing Policy,” at the at the 2016 Urban Land Institute Spring Meeting. During the meeting, politicians and real estate leaders discussed one of the conference’s hot topics of conversation: the affordable housing crisis. Terwilliger noted the affordable housing problem is evident through the stats: the U.S. is losing 125,000 affordable rental units every year and one in six Americans families spend more than half their income on housing. With the number of low-income families struggling to find affordable housing only growing, several panelists expressed the need for a new national housing policy that promotes homeownership and makes rental housing more affordable.)

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(RECAP: Arlington County is faced with the unenviable scenario of a rising population coinciding with a shrinking number of jobs, which it’s taking steps to address. The Arlington County Board has unanimously approved a new budget for fiscal year 2017 that will see the county increase spending in some key areas, including an additional $1.5M for Arlington Economic Development, with a “focus on lowering the commercial vacancy rate.” Additional highlights include $13.6M for the Affordable Housing Investment Fund, which is $1.1M more than what was proposed by county manager Mark Schwartz, ARLnow reports. The budget coincides with the county’s release of its 2016 profile, which shows a rising population—but a declining number of jobs.)

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(RECAP: The Senate passed an amendment yesterday that would allow lenders to account for a home’s energy efficiency and expected monthly utility bill savings when determining borrowers’ eligibility for FHA insured single-family loans. The amendment, sponsored by Senators Isakson (R-GA) and Bennet (D-CO), would require FHA to make new guidelines that enable lenders issuing FHA-insured loans to take into account expected energy savings from monthly utility bills when calculating borrowers’ debt-to-income and loan-to-value ratios. The bill also directs FHA to establish an advisory group consisting of representatives from the housing and energy efficiency sectors to help it develop and administer the new energy efficiency guidelines.)

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