Congress

President Obama will release his administration’s FY-2013 budget proposal on Monday, February 13. In addition to proposing funding levels for critical affordable housing programs like Section 8 and HOME, the budget typically provides insight into administration policy proposals for the upcoming year.

The House Financial Services Committee has released an updated draft of voucher reform legislation, the Affordable Housing and Improved Self Sufficiency Act of 2011 (AHISSA) which is the new iteration of the Section Eight Savings Act (SESA) and the Section Eight Voucher Reform Act (SEVRA).

Representative Chris Gibson (R-NY) recently introduced the Irene and Lee Tax Relief Strom Recovery Act, H.R. 3769, which would increase the amount of Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTCs) to be allocated in states damaged by Hurricane Irene or Tropical Storm Lee in 2011.

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has released a report entitled “Better Buildings Through Executive Action” which is the second phase of a major effort by the organization and partners to encourage the Obama Administration to make full use of all available legal tools to improve the energy efficiency and sustainability of multifamily and commercial buildings.

U.S. Representatives Marcia L. Fudge, Marcy Kaptur, Dennis Kucinich, Tim Ryan, Betty Sutton, and Richard Neal recently highlighted the benefits of the New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) program and urged Congress to extend the program.

Congressmen Pat Tiberi (R-OH) and Richard Neal (D-MA) recently introduced H.R. 3661, a bill which would permanently extend the flat 9% credit rate and create a flat 4% credit rate for allocated LIHTCs.

Recently the Senate Banking Committee voted to approve President Obama’s nomination of Carol Galante as the next Federal Housing Administration (FHA) Commissioner and Maurice A. Jones as the next Deputy Secretary of HUD.

NH&RA is pleased to present the PowerPoint presentations from the recent 2011 Fall Developers Forum (November 14-15) in Boston, Mass.

The House Financial Services Subcommittee on Insurance, Housing and Community Opportunity met November 2, 2011 to discuss the Obama Administration’s proposed demonstration program, Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD). The RAD proposal evolved out of the Obama Administration’s Transformation of Rental Assistance proposal and would help preserve public housing and projects subsidized by the HUD “orphan” programs (RAP, Rent Supp and Section 8 Moderate Rehab) by allowing Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) and owners to apply to convert to long term project-based rental assistance (either project-based section 8 vouchers or MAHRA type-project-based rental assistance).

The US Senate Transportation-HUD Appropriations The US Senate Transportation-HUD Appropriations Subcommittee marked up and reported its FY 2012 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill on September 21. A summary released by the Committee reports the following funding decisions…

Committees from both the House and Senate have sent deficit reduction recommendations to the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction (Super Committee). Several recommendations made by both parties from the House Financial Services would have significant impacts on federal housing program funding.

Last week, the United States Senate considered multiple amendments to an appropriations minibus, H.R.2112, which includes the annual spending bills for Agriculture, Commerce-Justice-Science, Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development. Despite Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s (D-NV) hopes to approve the spending bill by the end of last week, the Senate instead made a deal to revisit the legislation and vote by November 1.