Senator Feinstein and Boxer Urge IRS Flexibility With Low Income Housing Tax Credits

In support of national nonprofit housing advocates, Senator Dianne Feinstein and Senator Barbara Boxer have co-signed a letter with several other Senate leaders. The letter is directed to the Senate Finance Committee regarding the IRS' very narrow interpretation of new tax credit rules. These changes have caused immense problems for nonprofit housing developers trying to access Section 42 Low Income Housing Tax Credits - credits needed to continue affordable housing developments for targeted populations including homeless and disabled veterans, farm workers, first responders.

House Considers the Need to Preserve Affordable Housing and Protect Tenants

As reported by the National Low Income Housing Coalition's Memo to Members

The House Committee on Financial Services held a hearing on June 19 on the preservation of affordable housing. Two panels of witnesses discussed the need to preserve affordable housing and policy options for strengthening federal preservation. The committee had circulated a draft bill before the hearing, and much of the testimony was directed at that draft.

California Voices Help Tax Credit and Section 8 Voucher Reforms Move Forward, Could Become Law by July

Editor's Note: The Federal Policy Project was born in early 2007 in response to suggestions from Congressional staff that California housing advocates would be more effective if we organized statewide and developed common positions.

Pulling Apart 2008: Report Demonstrates Widening Gap Between Richest and Poorest Families

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INCOME INEQUALITY GREW IN MOST STATES OVER PAST TWO DECADES

Congresswoman Waters Announces New Foreclosure Legislation

Congresswoman Waters Announces New Foreclosure Legislation

(from the National Alliance of Community Economic Development Associations) The Chairwoman of the House Housing & Opportunity Subcommittee announced two targeted and pragmatic pieces of legislation today at a National Policy and Capacity Building Conference on Capitol Hill before members of the National Alliance of Community Economic Development Associations (NACEDA), whose members are integral facilitators in solving the country's foreclosure crisis.

Federal and State Budget Deficits Will Impact Our Communities

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Part 1: What Will The Upcoming Federal and State Budget Cuts Mean To Our Communities?

The California Budget Project has taken a look at the federal and state budget deficits and forecast what the impacts of the proposed budgets would mean to California's communities.

The Impact of Federal Cuts

CHIEF CREDIT OFFICER

CHIEF CREDIT OFFICER

ENTERPRISE COMMUNITY LOAN FUND

Summary:

Breaking News! Senator Boxer Co-Sponsors National Housing Trust Fund

FROM THE NATIONAL HOUSING TRUST FUND CAMPAIGN

Senator Boxer

Senator Boxer Cosponsors National Housing Trust Fund Bill

Senator Makes Call For National Housing Trust Fund Hearings

(as reported by the National Low Income Housing Coalition in Memo to Members)

Senator Specter Calls for Hearing on the National Housing Trust Fund

In a letter dated March 4, Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) asked Senators Christopher Dodd (D-CT) and Richard Shelby (R-AL), Chair and Ranking Member, respectively, of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, to hold a hearing on S. 2523, the National Affordable Housing Trust Fund Act of 2007 (NAHFT).

Numbers of Disabled Non-Elderly Renter Households With Worst Case Needs Double Previous Estimates

(as reported by the National Low Income Housing Coalition in their Memo to Members)

Studies: Perhaps Half of Non-elderly Households with Worst Case Needs Disabled

NCH Survey on Foreclosures and Homelessness

The National Coalition for the Homeless is conducting a national survey of homeless service providers, advocates and coalitions related to the current credit/foreclosure crisis. The purpose of the survey is to better understand and document the interdependence between the crisis and the changing face of homelessness in our nation. The survey can be found here: www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=F1su0zeL6wF_2bBYthx_2fUlDg_3d_3d

Advocates’ Guide on Housing and Community Development Policy 2008 Now Available

NLIHC has published the 2008 edition of the Advocates' Guide on Housing and Community Development Policy. This compendium of all federal housing and community development programs and related issues includes over 60 chapters from "Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice" to "Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities," enhanced by numerous appendices with key information.

Advocates See Full Federal Housing Agenda for 2008 But Wonder What Can Be Achieved In An Election Year

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Advocates See Full Federal Housing Agenda for 2008 But Wonder What Can Be Achieved In An Election Year

(This update is provided by the California Housing Partnership Corporation http://www.chpc.net/)

Federal Housing Subsidies Disproportionately Benefited Upper Income Homeowners

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A research brief released in December by the Urban Institute finds that more than three-quarters of the $199.5 billion in 2006 federal housing subsidies targeted homeowners, while less than one-quarter benefited renters.

Tax breaks, primarily in the form of the mortgage interest deduction, constituted nearly all of the $157.5 billion in subsidies going to homeowners, while 87% of the $42.0 billion in renter subsidies took the form of direct outlays.

Advocates Gear Up to Protect Project-Based Homes

(from January 11, 2008, Memo to Members, newsletter of the National Low Income Housing Coalition)

Advocates are gearing up to prevent the loss of as many as 500,000 project-based Section 8 apartments nationwide in FY08, the current fiscal year. The FY08 HUD spending bill provided only $6.14 billion in funding for project-based renewals. HUD estimates that $8.1 billion will be needed during the current fiscal year to provide a full 12 months of funding to renew these contracts.

Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

MLK

We welcome your favorite quotes from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on housing and community development to be included on this page. Please send your most memorable quote or clip.


(from Wikipedia)

Congress Passes HUD Budget

(reprinted from Enterprise's Capitol Express)

Clears Way for President's Signature

On Dec. 19, Congress passed a fiscal year 2008 omnibus appropriations bill that included 12 of the 13 federal spending bills, including Transportation-HUD. The President is expected to sign the bill following a congressional compromise that largely met the Administration's budget request and included war funding.

Housing Advocates Respond to Administration's Threatened Veto of National Affordable Housing Trust Act

President Bush

The National Housing Trust Fund (NHTF) Campaign has issued a response to the Statement of Administration Policy (SAP) issued on October 9 by the Executive Office of the President. The SAP opposed enactment of H.R. 2895, the National Affordable Housing Trust Fund Act of 2007.

House Passes HUD Budget Under The Threat Of A Presidential Veto

Congress 

Despite threats of a veto by the Administration, the House of Representatives went forward and passed the FY2008 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies conference report, including the 2008 budget for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The House voted with bipartisan support 270-147, a strong majority but just a few votes short of the 2/3rd's necessary to override the veto threat.

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) Analysis on Housing Vouchers

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Congress will soon be finalizing HUD appropriations legislation for 2008, and it must resolve two key issues with respect to Section 8 vouchers: how much money to provide to renew existing vouchers; and how to distribute those funds among the 2,400 state and local housing agencies that administer the program.

NonProfit Developers Urged to Apply for the 2008 Energy Star Awards

Each year, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the US Department of Energy (DOE) honor organizations that have made outstanding contributions to protecting the environment through energy efficiency. Award winners will be recognized at the ENERGY STAR Awards Ceremony on April 1, 2008 in Washington, DC.

All organizations participating in the ENERGY STAR program are encouraged to apply for a 2008 ENERGY STAR Award.

US Senate Approves 2008 Transportation and HUD Appropriations Bill (S.1789)

Legislative update provided by Enterprise Community Partners.

On Wednesday, Sept. 12, the Senate approved its fiscal year 2008 Transportation and Housing and Urban Development Appropriations bill (S. 1789) by a vote of 88-7. The bill did not include major changes from the Committee-passed version. The bill must now go to conference with the House, which passed its bill in July. The President has threatened to veto funding bills that exceed his proposals. If this happens, it would take a two-thirds vote in each body to reject a presidential veto.

AIDS Housing Toolkit Released

The National Aids Housing Coalition has released a “Policy Tool Kit”, resulting from two recent research summits. The Tool Kit was developed to help advocates demonstrate the link between housing and health for persons at risk of or living with HIV/AIDS using the findings of the summits and participants’ research.

New Federal Guide On Homelessness Available

LA Homelessness

The National Alliance to End Homelessness has published a Policy Guide to help policymakers and advocates understand federal programs and policies regarding housing and homelessness.

National Affordable Housing Trust Fund Update

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Congressional co-sponsors for the National Affordable Housing Trust Fund Bill must sign on by September 4. The National Housing Trust Fund Campaign is seeking additional co-sponsors for H.R. 2895, the National Affordable Housing Trust Fund Act of 2007, which would establish a trust fund with dedicated sources of revenue for the production, preservation and rehabilitation of 1.5 million affordable homes for low income people.

Significant Affordable Housing Legislation Introduced

House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank (D-MA) introduced legislation that would establish a new program to create affordable housing for extremely low-income persons. H.R. 2895 would create the National Housing Trust Fund - a dedicated funding source for the production, preservation and rehabilitation affordable housing. It is estimated the Fund would create approximately of 1.5 million new homes in 10 years. At least 75% of the funds would be used to create housing for households that are extremely low-income, earning less than 30% of an area's median income.
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