Housing Affairs Letter

Arizona

City Wars With HUD Over Housing Law

In the face of vehement neighborhood opposition, Prescott officials enacted a new zoning law limiting the location of such group homes in single-family zoned neighborhoods. Velasquez’s complaint says the city’s law discriminates against the disabled because people recovering from alcohol or drug addictions are

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(IMMIGRANTS) Bill Would Ban Illegals In Public Housing

A measure wending its way through the Arizona legislature would cut off all public housing benefits for illegal immigrants even though HUD's policy already requires applicants to prove citizenship or legal residency.

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(FHA LOAN LOSS) IG Report Slams HUD Role In Bad Loan

A mortgage default on an upscale senior community is largely blamed on HUD's failure to detect problems among the owners before it signed off on a FHA-backed mortgage loan. The snafu amounted to a $20 million loss

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(FANNIE MAE) Foreclosures Prompt New FNMA Office

Fannie Mae opens a new mortgage help center in Phoenix, AZ to help struggling homeowners with loans owned by the mortgage giant. Arizona has the nation's third-highest foreclosure rate

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(AFFORDABLE HOUSING) Affordable Housing Money Rejected

Gilbert, AZ Town Council members vote to accept federal housing and meal subsidies, but they reject a request for $480,000 to build affordable housing. The refusal was based on the vice mayor's

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(COLONIAS) New Colonia For Federal Subsidies

Globe, AZ supervisors designate the Town of Miami as a colonia within Gila County, making it eligible for Community Development Block Grants. The money will be used for housing, water and sewer

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(FORECLOSURES) Foreclosure Consultants Targeted

Arizona lawmakers take aim at foreclosure consultants with legislation that would establish a set of rules governing how they operate, including providing contracts to homeowners at least 24

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(LAWSUIT) Loan Modification Firm Sued

Mortgage loan modification firm Asset Creation LLC and its owner, Marvin Williamson, are sued by Arizona Atty. Gen. Terry Goddard for engaging in allegedly deceptive practices. The lawsuit alleges that

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(LAWSUITS) Law Allows Post-Foreclosure Lawsuits

A new Arizona law set to take effect Sept. 30 would allow lenders to sue homeowners to recover the balance of what is owed a lender if a foreclosure sale fails to produce the full amount of a mortgage

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(HOUSING) Senator Feels Obama Retribution

Remarks by Sen. Jon Kyl about the failure of Obama administration efforts to stem the foreclosure tide has prompted the White House to stoke the retribution fires. The veteran lawmaker is beginning to

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