WASHINGTON (AP) — A coronavirus pandemic-fueled mortgage boom is prompting states to receive nearly $700 million in federal grants from a special program for low-income housing, more than double the amount distributed last year. It’s a boost that the Department of Housing and Urban Development says should produce a tangible leap forward in government low-income housing plans across the country. The grants from the Housing Trust Fund are to be used for the construction, maintenance and restoration of low-income housing. The program is funded by a sliver of the proceeds from the federal mortgage programs Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
