Comment

The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans (NCHV) supports the NPRM that colonia census tracts offer several advantages over "colonias." This will make it easier to achieve accurate information and data on veterans and the racial equity disparities in these areas.  Additional frequency of data updates can improve our understanding of the population as we collectively work to address inequitable housing conditions and access for veterans across the country. NCHV also agrees with the Housing Assistance Council (HAC) and with FHFA’s proposal to update the list of colonia census tracts periodically. We agree with HAC that it may not be sufficient to conduct an update so sparsely, every ten years when census tract boundaries are updated. Federal, state, tribal, or local governments may not update their definitions of colonias on any regular basis, as HAC’s submitted report notes. Therefore NCHV echoes HAC's recommendation for interim modifications if a significant development or change occurs (e.g., a new database is developed by a public entity, a major study is issued, or decennial Census results are released), or if updated information is needed for a specific activity such as a new investment initiative or subsequent program modifications.