CLPHA Member Update
June 7, 2012
On June 7, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on
Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD)
passed its fiscal year 2013 funding bill.
Subcommittee Chairman Tom Latham (R-IA) opened the
markup by commending the committee’s “commitment to reduce government spending”
and stated that this year’s THUD funding bill is nearly $4 billion below FY12
enacted and almost $2 billion below the Administration’s request. Chairman
Latham explained that the committee tried to be balanced in their approach to
the bill and refrained from bringing any new authorization legislation to the
bill.
Subcommittee Ranking Member John Olver (D-MA) stated
that “this is a respectable bill with a number of bright spots,” but explained
that the Ryan budget poses a problem in terms of the levels of funding available
for appropriations. Full Committee Ranking Member Norm Dicks (D-WA) was
disappointed to see no funding for the HOPE VI program included in the bill,
which has been “very effective” in his district and across the country. Rep.
Dicks did commend the committee for its inclusion of funding for VASH vouchers,
and asserted that the “Housing First” model is doing a tremendous job of helping
to solve the problem of veterans homelessness and that VASH is now “a much
better and more effective program.”
Full Committee Chairman Harold Rogers (R-KY) indicated
THUD represents the 9th out of 12 subcommittee markups, and they are
“moving rapidly’ on all the subcommittee bills through regular order to bring
them to the floor for House action. Chairman Latham asked that amendments to
the THUD bill be held until full committee markup, currently scheduled for June
20.
Although the Committee Report for the House FY13 THUD
appropriations bill is not expected to be available until three days before the
full committee markup, highlights from the funding bill reveal the
following:
Public Housing Operating
Fund - $4.524
billion, $67 million less than the Senate bill, $562 million more
than the FY12 enacted level (the increase is primarily because last year’s
operating reserve offset is not being considered for FY13), equal to the HUD
request, but $532 million less than the CLPHA request.
Public Housing Capital
Fund - $1.985
billion, equal to the Senate bill, $110 million more than the FY12
enacted level, $85 million less than HUD requested, but $3.036 billion less than
the CLPHA request. Included in the amount is:
- $50 million for ROSS
supportive services, service coordinators and congregate services;
- $20 million for emergency
capital needs, including safety and security measures to address crime and
drug-related activity, as well as needs resulting from unforeseen or
unpreventable emergencies and natural disasters;
- $15.345 million to support
the Real Estate Assessment Center (REAC);
- $5 million for the costs of
administrative and judicial receiverships;
- bonus awards for high
performing PHAs; and
- no funding for a new
Jobs-Plus Pilot Initiative funding (the Senate bill includes $15 million, and
the Administration’s request was $50 million).
Tenant-Based Voucher
Renewals - $17.238
billion, $257 less than the Senate bill, $4 million less than the
FY12 enacted level, equal to the HUD request, but $822 million less than the
CLPHA request.
Housing Choice Voucher Administrative
Fees - $1.575
billion, equal to the Senate bill, $225 million more than the FY12
enacted level, equal to the HUD request, but $232 million less than the CLPHA
request.
Tenant Protection
Vouchers - $75 million,
$5 million less than the Senate bill, equal to the FY12 enacted level
and the HUD request, and lower than the CLPHA request.
HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive
Housing (VASH) - $75
million for incremental vouchers, equal to the Senate bill, the FY12
enacted level, and the HUD and CLPHA requests.
Family Self-Sufficiency
Coordinators - $60
million, equal to the Senate bill, the FY12 enacted level, and the
CLPHA request. The Administration proposed $60 million for a consolidated
public housing (ROSS) and Section 8 voucher Family Self-Sufficiency Program.
HOPE VI –
no funds provided, equal to the
Senate bill and the HUD request, and $300 million less than the CLPHA request.
Choice Neighborhoods
Initiative – no funds
provided, $120 million less than the Senate bill and the FY12 enacted
level, $150 million less than the HUD request, and equal to the CLPHA request.
General
Provisions
SEC. 221. allows public housing authorities with less
than 400 units to be exempt from management requirements in the operating fund
rule.
SEC. 222. restricts the
Secretary from imposing any requirement or guideline relating to asset
management that restricts or limits the use of capital funds for central office
costs, up to the limit established in QWHRA.
SEC. 228. restricts the
amount of section 8 and section 9 funding that public housing agencies can use
to pay employees above the annual rate of basic pay for a position at level IV
of the Executive Schedule ($155,500) in fiscal year 2013.
SEC. 232. allows current HOPE VI and Choice
Neighborhoods Initiative grantees to continue to be provided assistance pursuant
to Section 24.
View the Comparative Funding Chart for FY
2013.
