yes there is tons of hope. First of all, straightforward US applications are processed in OTTAWA, NOT LA or NY. a) NY doesn't process family sponsorship files, and b) ONLY the complicated files requiring an interview get sent to LA. Complicated generally means: criminal issues, non-accompanying dependant issue, and the applicant is not a us citizen, rather on a work visa in the us. The turnaround time for "complicated" applications in LA needing interviews is 15-16 months.
Second of all, the posted processing times posted on the CIC website are misleading. They do not reflect a true average and basically show "worst case scenarios". Ottawa is currently listed at 16 months, though that doesn't mean that's how long it will take to process straightforward, US citizen applications. Ottawa also processes applications from other countries, so the statistic is a blend of all of the applications.
Thirdly, I am happy to report that US OUTLAND applications being processed in OTTAWA are being approved in 3-7 months. So that is 3-7 months that a US citizen needs to wait to get through the Outland process and land as a PR. There is a thread specific to the ottawa visa office, and you will find a link to our spreadsheet that tracks progress in my signature below. you will notice a majority of applicants from 2014 have already LANDED and started their life together.
Lastly, your husband can come to canada as a visitor and stay IN canada as a visitor until his OUTLAND application is approved. He is not eligible to work, he can only be a visitor during that time.
So don't fret, you can start your life MUCH sooner than you think.