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80 New Jersey Lisa G Lopez Broker of Record Home Alliance Realty 142 E. Bay Ave Manahawkin, NJ 08050 609-978-9009 (o) 609-384-5109 (c) lglopez@verizon.net www.HomeAllianceRealty.com www.LisaLopezProperties.com Connecticut Planet Realty, LLC Sales@CTREOTEAM.com 203-982-4985 cell www.CTREOTEAM.com Security • Preservation • Disposition Steve Rivkin CONNECTICUT Which Three States Have Ended Veteran Homelessness? Homelessness among veterans is declining, according to the latest data released by the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Develop- ment (HUD) in its annual Homeless Assess- ment Report. e total number of veterans reporting homelessness in 2018 decreased by 5.4 percent since last year, the report indicated, falling to nearly half of the number of home- less veterans reported in 2010. According to the report, 64 communities and three states have ended veteran homeless- ness, including Connecticut, Delaware, and Virginia. e point-in-time estimates data reported by HUD indicates that of the number of per- sons experiencing homelessness in emergency shelters, transitional housing programs, and unsheltered locations, 37,878 veterans experi- enced homelessness in January 2018, compared to 40,020 during the same period last year. ese numbers were announced by HUD Secretary Ben Carson and U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) Secretary Robert Wilkie. "We owe it to our veterans to make certain they have a place to call home," Carson said. "We've made great strides in our efforts to end veteran homelessness, but we still have a lot of work to do to ensure those who wore our na- tion's uniform have access to stable housing." Of the total number of reported veterans experiencing homelessness in 2018, HUD revealed that 23,312 veterans were found in sheltered settings, while volunteers counted 14,566 veterans living in places not meant for human habitation. e report also indicated a 10 percent decline among female veterans experiencing homelessness. At the beginning of the year, local communities had reported 3,219 homeless female veterans compared to 3,571 vets in this category last year. "e reduction in homelessness among veterans shows that the strategies we are using to help the most vulnerable veterans become stably housed are working," Wilkie said. "is is good news for all Veterans." HUD and VA, together, have recently taken steps to help more veterans become homeowners, through Home Together, a new federal strategic plan to prevent and end homelessness. Speaking about these initiatives, Matthew Doherty, Executive Director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness said that working together at the federal, state, and local level, "we can and will continue to make progress until all Americans have a stable home from which they can pursue op- portunity." Apart from the federal program, the hous- ing agency's HUD-VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) Program has also been work- ing towards decreasing veteran homelessness. e program combines permanent HUD rental assistance with case management and clinical services provided by the VA and is complemented by a continuum of VA pro- grams that use modern tools and technology to identify the most vulnerable Veterans and rapidly connect them to the appropriate inter- ventions to become and remain stably housed. According to HUD, more than 4,000 veterans, many experiencing chronic forms of homelessness, found permanent housing and critically needed support services through the HUD-VASH program last year. An additional 50,000 veterans found permanent housing and supportive services through the VA's continuum of homeless programs. NEW HAMPSHIRE Risk Reduction Mortgage Launches New Solution Risk Reduction Mortgage Corp. (RRMC), a New Hampshire-based mortgage product fintech startup, has announced the launch of its signature solution Risk Reduction Mortgages. e company has said that its new product will be made available to homeowners and creditors starting in 2019. RRMC has said that its product has been proven to substantially reduce the risk for all stakeholders and provides much-needed stability to the housing finance system. Under- pinned by Home Diversification Agreements, Risk Reduction Mortgages will deliver key benefits such as eliminating the need for PMI, HFA, or piggyback second mortgages for those unable to afford the standard 20-percent down payment, providing savings of thousands of dollars each year for the tens of millions of homeowners in this category. is product will also provide a diver- sification benefit enabling homeowners to substantially reduce their home-equity value risk, obtain a similar reduction in foreclosure risk, and enjoy a lower interest rate due to their reduced-risk profile. It will also provide credi- tors (e.g., GSEs) up to a 70-percent reduction in systemic credit losses. was the percentage decrease in housing permit activity in Connecticut over the past year. Source: Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development STAT INSIGHT 40.5%

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