Green Building: Trending and Lending In June, the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston (the Bank) and Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association (CHAPA) sponsored Green Building: Trending and Lending, a forum on the use of green building and smart-growth strategies in the construction of affordable housing. Attended by lenders, representatives of state housing-finance agencies, and developers, the daylong session included an overview of global warming, the economic impacts
of climate change, and reports on the effectiveness of green-building techniques in housing construction. See the next issue of Tools for an in-depth article on the session.

New Markets Tax Credits Webinar On August 2, the Bank presented a training webinar on New Market Tax Credits (NMTC). Designed in collaboration with the National Development Council, the online session provided an overview of the program, sample projects, eligibility guidelines, and strategies to obtain NMTC allocations. The webinar was a follow up to the Bank’s 2005 NMTC forum. Visit the Events section of the Bank’s web site at www.fhlbboston.com/events for information on upcoming events, webinars, and forums.

Expanding Lending and Investment Opportunities with LIHTC Expirations In the fall,
the Bank will offer a webinar on how the conclusion of the 15-year compliance period for developments funded through the Low Income Housing Tax Credits Program (LIHTC) will impact developers and funders. The expiration of the tax credits requires developments to build new resources to maintain affordability. These expirations present potential business opportunities for members. Visit
the Bank’s Events web page in the coming weeks at www.fhlbboston.com/events for more information.
Using Land-Use Tools to Develop Affordable Housing In November, the Bank and CHAPA will sponsor a forum on the production of affordable housing using land-use tools such as inclusionary zoning, density bonuses, overlay districts, and waivers of local zon- ing requirements. Visit the Events section of the Bank’s web site at www.fhlbboston.com/events for additional information on the forum.

Round Two of the 2006 Affordable Housing Program The online application for round two of the Bank’s 2006 Affordable Housing Program (AHP) may be accessed by members and sponsors through September 29 at 5:00 p.m. Instructions, detailed scoring criteria and guidelines, subsidy limits, and a preview of the online application are available at www.fhlbboston.com/community- development/fundingprograms/ahp. All applications must be submitted electronically to the Bank. For more information, contact the Housing and Community Investment Department at 1-888-424-3863. T