NAHMA Grassroots Alert: Action Needed to Enact Funding for Affordable Housing Programs; Please reach out to Lawmakers during August Recess

August 9, 2017

Congress needs to hear from you. Take the time to advocate for affordable housing programs.

 

Ask Lawmakers to Help Enact Vital Funding for Affordable Housing

Advocate for full funding of affordable housing programs

Lawmakers are currently in their home districts for a district work period, also called the August Recess. The current Fiscal Year ends on September 30, 2017, and Congress will need to pass another spending bill when they return from Recess to keep the government operating. Now is a great time to contact your legislators to advocate for renewing vital rental assistance programs at appropriate funding levels for the Fiscal Year 2018.  

TELL CONGRESS: Enact Fiscal Year 2018 funding bills for HUD Affordable Housing Programs

The following funding levels are needed to renew key housing programs:

  • Project-Based Rental Assistance: Fund the PBRA program at $11.5 billion
  • Housing Choice Vouchers: Fund the HCV program at $21.3 billion
  • HOME Program: Fund HOME at $950 million
  • Elderly Housing: Fund Section 202 at $573 million
  • Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities: Fund Section 811 at $147 million
  • Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) – Fund RAD at $4 million and include proposals to facilitate additional conversions of HUD-assisted properties:
    • Lift the current unit cap on Public Housing conversions;
    • Eliminate the current sunset date for submission of RAD applications;
    • Enable Section 202 PRAC properties to convert to Section 8 contracts; and
    • Promote the preservation of multifamily properties in high-cost areas.

TELL CONGRESS: Enact Fiscal Year 2018 funding bills for USDA Rural Housing Programs 

The following are funding levels needed to renew key housing programs:

  • Section 521: Renew Rural Rental Assistance contracts at $1.4 billion
  • Section 515: Fund the Multifamily Mortgage Program at $35 million
  • Section 538: Fund the 538 Guaranteed Multifamily Housing Loans at $230 million
  • Multifamily Housing Preservation and Revitalization(MPR): Fund the Multifamily Preservation Demonstration and Section 542 Rural Housing Vouchers at $41.4 million

Save and Expand the Low Income Housing Tax Credit

Tax reform is underway in Congress, and while NAHMA supports LIHTC expansion, this is the time to advocate for LIHTC preservation. Help keep the LIHTC off the chopping block by calling or writing to your legislators about its value for our industry and for our communities.

TELL CONGRESS: Preserve the LIHTC during tax reform

  • The LIHTC (Housing Credit) is our nation’s most successful tool for encouraging private investment in the production and preservation of affordable rental housing.
  • Nearly all affordable rental homes developed each year in the United States rely on the Housing Credit. It has financed nearly 3 million apartments since 1986, providing roughly 6.5 million low-income households with homes they can afford.
  • For 30 years, the Housing Credit has been a model public-private partnership program, bringing to bear more than $100 billion in private sector resources, market forces, and state-level administration.
  • For Legislators: Please contact your legislators to let them know that the LIHTC is critical for both industry and the communities they represent. Ask legislators to support the LIHTC by joining sign-on letters and cosponsoring the  Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act (H.R. 1661 and S. 548).

Strengthen your Relationship with Congress

To show Members of Congress the value of quality, affordable housing in their States and Districts, invite them for a property site visit.

INVITE CONGRESS: Host a site visit

  • Property Visit: A site visit at one of your properties provides your legislator with a real-world look at how affordable housing benefits low-income families and communities.
  • Resident Involvement: Give your legislator the opportunity to meet the individuals (and voters) served by housing assistance.

MEET WITH CONGRESS: Schedule a visit with your legislator

  • Constituent Meeting: Schedule a brief in-district constituent sit-down with legislators or staff to discuss housing issues.

NAHMA is here to help.

Need help contacting Congress?

Members can access the NAHMA Grassroots Action Toolkit to learn how to contact their lawmakers. If you have questions about policy issues or the legislative process, please don’t hesitate to reach out to NAHMA’s Government Relations team.

 Julian Bilowich Government Affairs Coordinator - NAHMA

 [email protected]

 

Want to look up your Legislator?

We encourage you to use the NAHMA Maps program to help educate your representatives about affordable housing in their Districts and States. 

 
 NAHMA Maps

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