CLPHA Advocacy

CLPHA supports the nation’s largest and most innovative housing authorities by advocating for the resources and policies they need to solve local housing challenges and create communities of opportunity. We frequently champion our members' issues, needs, and successes on the Hill, at HUD, and in the media. In these arenas CLPHA also advocates for legislation and policies that help our members, and the public and affordable housing industry as a whole, strengthen neighborhoods and improve lives.

Click below for links to congressional testimonies, statements for the record, action alerts, comments to HUD and other federal agencies, and the latest information about CLPHA's multi-pronged housing advocacy.

Action Alerts

7.31.24

ACTION ALERT: TAX BILL EXPANDING HOUSING CREDIT HEADED TO SENATE FLOOR

4.15.24

ACTION ALERT: Urge the Senate to Pass the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024

In February, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 7024, The Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024, which received overwhelming bipartisan support. The bill includes two Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) provisions that would restore the 12.5% allocation increase for 2023 to 2025 and lower the 50% bond financing threshold to 30% for Private Activity Bond allocations made in 2024 to 2025. The bill also includes a $33 billion expansion of the Child Tax Credit (CTC) for the next three years. While the CTC in this bill is not as generous as the 2021 provision included in the American Rescue Plan, this expansion and continuation of the program acknowledges that the benefits provided by the CTC should be continued.

The legislation faced various roadblocks in the Senate, including opposition from Senate Finance Committee Chair Mike Crapo (R-ID) due to the CTC provisions included in the bill. However, ongoing discussions are still happening to possibly move the bill forward for a floor vote. We strongly ask that CLPHA members continue to reach out to your Senators and urge them to pass H.R. 7024, the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024.

ACTION:

When asking your Senator to support the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024, mention the importance of, and share your support for, the two LIHTC and CTC related provisions in the bill and ask that the housing provisions are retained in the Senate:

LIHTC provisions:

Restore the 12.5% allocation increase for 2023 – 2025. This allocation increase was initially enacted in 2018 but expired in 2021.
Lower the 50% bond financing threshold to 30% for Private Activity Bond (PAB) allocations made in 2024 – 2025.

CTC provisions:

“Lookback rule” allowing families to use their earnings from the prior year to calculate their credit if they exceed the family’s earnings in the current year.
Increases the maximum refundable amount per child to $1,800 in tax year 2023, $1,900 in tax year 2024, and $2,000 in tax year 2025, along with the inflation adjustment described below.
Adjust the $2,000 value of the child tax credit for inflation in tax years 2024 and 2025, rounded down to the nearest $100.

The ACTION Campaign, where CLPHA is a Steering Committee member, has prepared background and advocacy materials about the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024.

2.2.24

ACTION ALERT: Contact the Senate to Pass the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024

On February 1, 2024, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 7024, The Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024 which includes two Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) provisions that were also included in the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act (H.R. 3238/S. 1557). According to Novogradac, the provisions which would restore the 12.5 percent allocation for 2023-2025 and lower the 50 percent bond financial threshold to 30 percent for 2024-2025, would finance more than 200,000 additional affordable homes.

The bill still needs to be considered by the Senate, which faces several challenges, including a busy legislative agenda for February. Members of the Senate have also floated the idea of scheduling a potential markup of the bill which could potentially amend the legislation and further delay any vote to bring the bill on the Senate floor. The Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act may also be the last opportunity for Congress to pass any tax related provisions until 2025.

The ACTION Campaign, where CLPHA is a Steering Committee member, has prepared background and advocacy materials about the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024.

ACTION:

We strongly ask that CLPHA members reach out to your Senators and urge them to pass H.R. 7024, the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024.
When asking your Member of Congress to support H.R. 7024, mention the importance and share your support for the two LIHTC related provisions in the bill and ask that the housing provisions are retained in the Senate:
- Restore the 12.5 percent allocation increase for 2023 – 2025. This allocation increase was initially enacted in 2018 but expired in 2021.
- Lower the 50 percent bond financing threshold to 30 percent for Private Activity Bond (PAB) allocations made in 2024 – 2025.

For questions or additional information, contact Gerard Holder, CLPHA Legislative Director at gholder@clpha.org. or Cynthia Cuestas, CLPHA Legislative Assistant, at ccuestas@clpha.org.

11.28.22

ACTION ALERT: Ask Congress to Pass a FY23 THUD Funding Bill Before the December 16 Deadline

Congress Needs To Increase Public And Affordable Housing Funding

Background:

The federal government is currently funded under a continuing resolution (CR) that expires December 16 this year. If the government does not take additional action it runs out of money and has to shut down. Given the uncertainty of what will happen in the appropriations process during the next Congress beginning in January, it is critical that the current Congress finish the work already begun and pass a full year FY23 appropriations bill. CLPHA is particularly concerned with the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD) proposed legislation currently in final negotiations between the House and Senate.

CLPHA and industry partners recently sent a letter and revised joint appropriations request to the leadership of the House and Senate appropriations committees asking for specific funding levels and authorizing language be included in the final THUD appropriations bill. Among our requests, we ask Congress to increase funding for the HUD defined shortfalls in the public housing operating fund program to $345 million to accommodate all eligible housing authorities. We ask the committees to accept the Senate-proposed level of $364 million in set-aside funding for tenant protection vouchers (TPVs) since HUD recently indicated that the current demand for TPVs has exceeded its initial projections for FY23 and they again anticipate not being able to fund replacement TPVs for vacant units in calendar year 2023 without additional funding. We also ask that HUD be directed to determine the impact of recent changes to the calculation of FY23 Fair Market Rents (FMRs), because of the recent extension of regulatory waivers increasing payment standards up to 120 percent of the FMR in local housing markets affecting the need for additional housing assistance payments (HAP) set-aside funding.

ACTION:

CLPHA is calling on members to:

1) Ask your Members of Congress to support the recommendations included in the public housing industry joint funding request and joint industry letter.

2) Ask your Members of Congress to support the THUD funding bill.

3) Ask your Members of Congress to support final passage of a full-year FY23 appropriations bill.

For questions or additional information, contact Gerard Holder, CLPHA Legislative Director at gholder@clpha.org.

7.12.22

ACTION ALERT: Urge Congress to Reinsert Annual Contributions Contract (ACC) Language in the FY 2023 HUD Appropriations Bill

BACKGROUND:

CLPHA and our industry partners today sent a letter (and attachments Exhibit 1 and Exhibit 2) to House and Senate Appropriations Committee members asking to include legislative language that prevents HUD from implementing unilateral changes to the ACC in the forthcoming FY23 appropriations bill. This joint industry request was made by CLPHA, the MTW Collaborative, the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO) and the Public Housing Authorities Directors Association (PHADA).

CLPHA and our industry partners remain concerned that HUD’s continued attempts to revise the ACC will circumvent the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), unilaterally change the contractual relationship between HUD and public housing agencies (PHAs), and strip PHAs of their ability to challenge HUD’s breach of contract actions, which PHAs have recently successfully litigated. Without the inclusion of the legislative language mentioned in our letter, we are concerned that HUD’s ability to make problematic changes to the ACC has been renewed.

This week the full House passed six appropriations bills including its version of the FY23 HUD bill. Since the Senate has not yet taken action on their bill version, we hope to have the ACC language included in the Senate bill, and we are seeking eventual conference committee action between the House and Senate to include the ACC language and committee report language.

ACTION:

We are asking housing authorities to sign and send a similar letter asking their representatives in both the House and Senate to reinstate the legislative language regarding the ACC in the General Provisions section of the FY23 HUD appropriations legislation.

We’ve drafted a sample letter as a guide for you.

Download the Letter Template

Once you’ve downloaded the sample letter, fill out the highlighted fields and personalize the letter as appropriate.
We recommend that you email the letter(s) to your representatives.

If you have any questions, contact Gerard Holder, CLPHA Legislative Director, at gholder@clpha.org.

1.26.22

CLPHA, Industry Groups Urge PHAs to Sign Congressional Letter Advocating for Housing Funding Levels to Be Kept in Build Back Better Act

10.6.21

ACTION ALERT: KEEP HOUSING FUNDING IN BUILD BACK BETTER ACT

CLPHA has been made aware that funding for housing is at serious risk of being removed from the Build Back Better Act under consideration in the budget reconciliation negotiations currently underway in Congress and the White House. The House Financial Services Committee on September 14 provided $327 billion in funding for affordable housing and community development programs to be included in the President’s Build Back Better Act. The housing investments in this economic recovery package is expected to help make transformational improvements in the lives of low-income and vulnerable Americans and in our communities. The negotiations are on a fast track and taking place at the highest levels between the House and Senate leadership, key members of Congress, and the White House. We understand Congress and the White House have not heard from housing stakeholders on the importance of keeping housing in the legislation. We have been told that the next 48 hours are critical to keeping housing in the legislation. Since housing is very much on the chopping block, we encourage CLPHA members to: Reach out to your representatives in the House and Senate and ask them to contact their leadership and express support for retaining the housing provisions in the Build Back Better Act. We cannot overstate how important it is for you to contact your Congresspersons and Senators and have them communicate with their Leadership and the White House that HOUSING MUST BE INCLUDED IN THE BUILD BACK BETTER ACT!


Important Talking Points Include: In January 2020, HUD) reported at least 580,466 people were homeless, which represents a 2.2 percent increase from 2019. Despite these growing needs, only 1 in 5 eligible families currently receive assistance. Public housing and Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers play a critical role in our nation's infrastructure and social safety net, providing families with a stable home and assisting them in opportunities for upward mobility. Across the United States, public housing provides almost 1 million units of housing to over 1.8 million people, including 800,000 children, and more than half the population in public housing is elderly and disabled. The 2.3 million Section 8 housing choice vouchers house an additional 5.2 million people including 2.2 million children. In many cities and towns across the nation, seniors, veterans, persons with disabilities and families with children rely on public housing, now perhaps more than ever before. In some instances, no other source of housing could take its place more readily or affordably. An investment in public housing capital needs will spur local economic growth, as occurred with funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). The Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that 99.9% of all public housing ARRA capital funds were obligated and expended under accelerated time frames. With $4 billion in capital funds, researchers found that agencies invested in over 245,000 affordable units, created 26 jobs for every $1 million spent on capital projects, and generated nearly $12.5 billion in national economic activity.¹


	¹Public Housing Stimulus Funding: A Report on the Economic Impact of Recovery Act Capital Improvements, Commissioned by PHADA, CLPHA and NAHRO with funding from the Housing Authority Insurance (HAI) Group, 2011.

4.28.21

ACTION ALERT: Ask Your Member of Congress to Support the SAVE Act

3.25.21

ACTION ALERT: Ask Your Member of Congress to Support Broadband Access

CLPHA Recent Comments

6.17.24

CLPHA Submits Final Comments on Reducing Barriers to HUD-Assisted Housing Proposed Rule

CLPHA, along with Reno & Cavanaugh PLLC,

6.7.24

CLPHA Prepares Comments on Reducing Barriers to HUD-Assisted Housing Proposed Rule

“Criminal Activity” Clarification and Sliding Scale Time Frame Top CLPHA’s Concerns

4.16.24

CLPHA Expresses Concerns about Domestic Materials Sourcing, Timing, Project Cost Impacts in Comments about BABA

1.30.24

CLPHA Calls for Holistic Approach to HUD’s Proposed 30-Day Eviction Notification Requirement

10.23.23

CLPHA, Reno & Cavanaugh Comment on Accessibility of Web Information

9.14.23

CLPHA, MTW Collaborative Submit Comments on Improving Access to HUD Programs

Letter Asserts Data Sharing Is Crucial to Streamlining Program Access and Administration

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View All CLPHA Comments

Latest News

8.19.24

CLPHA Applauds Harris-Walz Housing Provisions

(Washington, D.C.) August 19, 2024 – Sunia Zaterman, executive director of the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities, released the following statement upon the release of Vice President Kamala Harris' and Governor Tim Walz's housing plan at a rallty in North Carolina on Friday:

"The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities applauds the Harris-Walz campaign for its historic call for more affordable housing measures in its economic plan released on Friday in North Carolina. By every measure, low-income Americans are experiencing crisis levels of housing instability and homelessness. CLPHA strongly supports the Harris Walz campaign’s call for an expansion of tax incentives for affordable rental housing, an innovation fund for low-income housing, and expansion of the child tax credit, which would contribute to decreasing housing instability and homelessness among American’s most vulnerable families.

'We are hopeful that the tax incentives for affordable rental housing are at a scale that would generate as much affordable housing production or more as the low-income housing tax credit provisions in the bipartisan tax bill. The child tax credit improves a low-income parent’s ability to afford housing, which increases housing stability and improves children’s health outcomes.

'CLPHA will continue to advocate for policies that prioritize the affordability and sustainability of public and affordable housing throughout this campaign which includes fully funding the public housing capital and operating funds, expanding the Housing Choice Voucher program, and prioritizing cross-sector approaches for housing, health and education."

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About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities
The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities is a national non-profit organization that works to preserve and improve public and affordable housing through advocacy, research, policy analysis and public education. CLPHA’s 75 members represent virtually every major metropolitan area in the country. Together they manage 40 percent of the nation’s public housing program; administer more than a quarter of the Housing Choice Voucher program; and operate a wide array of other housing programs. Learn more at clpha.org and on Twitter @CLPHA.

8.16.24

HUD Seeks Feedback on Choice Neighborhoods Program; Take CLPHA’s Survey to Inform Our Comments

7.8.24

Housing Information Portal (HIP) Notice Rescinded

HUD Welcomed IT Working Group Feedback

HUD has rescinded Notice PIH 2024-12 and will issue guidance once it has revised the HIP implementation schedule. The implementation schedule of the new Housing Information Portal (HIP), the replacement for IMS/PIC, will be revised and critical dates will be extended. A new schedule is necessary to ensure that programs do not experience interruptions in service or potential delays. Additionally, HUD is resolving technical issues encountered in the initial testing phase of HIP. To ensure HIP's implementation success, HUD is consulting with PHA software vendors on the new schedule. HUD first shared this news with the IT Working Group, and it will share the revised schedule and updated guidance with us soon.

HUD acknowledges it has heard CLPHA's feedback, particularly through the IT Working Group. HUD is working to revise the HIP implementation schedule and will provide more information on the transition to HIP. Software vendors will be consulted on the new schedule to ensure successful implementation.

Actions PHAs Should Continue

In the meantime, PHAs should continue preparing for the transition to HIP by carrying out the actions listed below:

PHAs should continue to clean up data and ensure data accuracy.
PHAs should continue submitting HUD-50058 forms and maintaining their physical inventory as they normally would.
The Special Applications Center will accept and process inventory removal applications as usual. PHAs should continue to follow submission instructions as provided in Notice PIH 2021-07 and 24 CFR 970.

Applicable Guidance

Though Notice PIH 2024-12 is rescinded, the following HUD guidance remains applicable:

HUD will adjust the rollout of the Enterprise Management Voucher System (eVMS) based on the revised HIP schedule. There are no changes to Notice PIH 2024-16. For more information on the eVMS implementation and schedule, visit HUD’s eVMS web page.
HUD will rely on IMS/PIC data as of the reporting date of February 29, 2024, to support the calculation of FY 2025 Capital Fund grants as outlined in HUD’s Office of Capital Improvements web page.
CY 2025 Operating Fund grants will be determined based on data from IMS/PIC during the normal Operating Fund reporting period of July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024. See Notice PIH 2023-25.

HOTMA Sections 102 and 104

As stated in Notice PIH 2023-27 entitled “Implementation Guidance: Sections 102 and 104 of the Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act of 2016 (HOTMA),” PHAs must be able to submit transactions to HIP in order to comply with sections 102 and 104 of HOTMA. HUD will provide future guidance regarding a timeline for compliance with sections 102 and 104 of HOTMA.

Because HOTMA-compliant reexaminations cannot be successfully submitted to IMS/PIC, HUD advises PHAs not to begin conducting reexaminations under HOTMA rules without further information on when the HOTMA-compliant HUD-50058 in HIP will be available.

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Archived CLPHA Congressional Testimony & Comments

DHA CEO Testifies on Behalf of CLPHA Before House Appropriations THUD Subcommittee

Testimony of Paul Graziano before House Financial Services Committee on Hearing: “The Administration’s Proposal to Preserve and Transform Public and Assisted Housing: The Transforming Rental Assistance Initiative” (5.25.10)

5-25-10 Testimony - Transforming Rental Assistance Initiative

Testimony of Keith Kinard before Senate Financial Services Committee on Hearing: "Public Housing One-for-One Replacement and Tenant Protection Act of 2010" (4.27.10)

4-27-10 Testimony - Public Housing Preservation and One-For-One Replacement

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We are asking housing authorities and housing organizations to sign on to a similar letter to Congressional leaders urging them to retain funding for the Public Housing Capital Fund and Housing Choice Vouchers in the Build Back Better legislation. Sign-ons are Due by February 4! SIGN THE LETTER

Deadline: 5:00 PM ET Tomorrow, March 26 Urge your members of Congress to cosponsor H.R. 1904: The Broadband Justice Act of 2021. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the growing digital divide and the deepening disparities among access to essential technology. These inequities especially impact lower income households and those living in federally assisted housing. By updating the definitions used by HUD, the Department of Treasury, and USDA for utility allowance, The Broadband Justice Act of 2021 would bring affordable broadband to 8 million households residing in federally assisted housing throughout the nation. Bolstered through the creation of a new grant program to develop the required infrastructure and additional operating funds to mitigate increased costs, access to broadband as an allowed utility would be federally subsidized, in a similar way that gas, electricity, and water currently are. Congressman Bowman (D-NY), the bill sponsor, is organizing support for the letter and has set a Friday, March 26, 5:00 pm ET deadline for House members to sign on.

ACTION: 1) CLPHA is asking you to strongly encourage your Members of Congress to cosponsor H.R. 1904: The Broadband Justice Act of 2021. 2) Your Member of Congress should fill out this form to cosponsor the bill. For additional information, please email Josh Shokoor, CLPHA Research & Policy Analyst, at jshokoor@clpha.org.