Congress

House Appropriations Transportation-HUD subcommittee approved a fiscal 2016 appropriations bill that would provide $55.27 in discretionary spending for infrastructure and housing programs. The measure would put FY-2016 funding above 2015 enacted levels, but still fall short of the Obama Administration’s budget request.

Congress passed a bill that will implement new measures to encourage building owners and tenants to use more cost-effective energy efficiency and water efficiency measures. The bill is a more modest version of a larger efficiency bill sponsored by Senators Portman and Shaheen.

The House Financial Services Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance held a hearing on private sector involvement in affordable housing. The hearing focused on opportunities to leverage large private sector investments, including the HUD Rental Assistance Demonstration program and the low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC).

The National Trust for Historic Preservation, Preservation Action, the National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers and the Historic Tax Credit Coalition are again sponsoring a national sign on letter to demonstrate support for the federal Historic Tax Credit (HTC) and influence discussions now underway in the Senate to revise the US Tax Code.

U.S. Senators Rob Portman (R-OH) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) introduced a bill to encourage energy efficiency in housing that is subsidized by the federal government. The Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act of 2015 (S. 720) authorizes the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s pay-for-success (PFS) demonstration to improve the energy efficiency of government-supported multifamily properties.

U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO) introduced legislation to make the New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) program permanent, provide an annual allocation of credits indexed to inflation, and exempt NMTC investments from the Alternative Minimum Tax.

U.S. Representatives Pat Tiberi (R-OH) and Richard Neal (D-MA) introduced legislation to make permanent the temporary minimum credit rate for the low-income housing tax credit program (LIHTC). The bill proposes to set the minimum LITHC rate for new construction at 9% and set it at 4% for existing properties.

Representatives from more than 100 of the nation’s top affordable housing organizations gathered at the Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo, FL, last week for the 2015 NH&RA Annual Meeting. The event’s panel sessions created dialogues on what’s challenging – and exciting – affordable housing developers, illuminated the products and people who will shape the tax credit transactions in upcoming year, offered options to properties approaching year 15, and surveyed key changes to tax credit programs and legislation.

Representatives Pat Tiberi (R-OH), Richard Neal (D-MA) and Tom Reed (R-NY) introduced a bill to permanently extend the New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) program.

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-OR) recently announced the launch of five separate bipartisan Finance Committee Tax Working Groups to spur congressional comprehensive tax reform efforts in the 114th Congress.

NH&RA signed-on to support the National Low Income Housing Coalition’s campaign to urge lawmakers to to act quickly to stop budget caps and sequestration from taking effect in the upcoming fiscal year.

U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday, December 9 introduced the so-called “Cromnibus” spending legislation, a $1 trillion bill that will fund most of the government through September 30, 2015. The measure combines a three-month continuing resolution (CR) for the Department of Homeland Security and 11 full spending bills for the remaining government agencies through the end of fiscal year (FY) 2015.