Legislative & Policy

On Friday, September 28, the President signed HR 6157, an appropriations conference report which funds the Departments of Defense; Labor; and Health and Human Services for FY19, and includes a continuing resolution (CR) to extend funding for HUD and all other departments and agencies at FY18 levels until December 7.

Last week, members of the House and Senate were named to an appropriations conference committee on HR 6157, the third package of FY19 appropriations bills. This third “minibus” includes funding for Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies; Financial Services and General Government; Agriculture; Rural Development; Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies; and Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies. The committee conferees will hold their first formal meeting on Thursday, September 13.

The Disaster Housing Recovery Coalition is circulating a sign on letter for current and former federal, state, and local government officials in support of HUD’s Disaster Housing Assistance Program (DHAP), which FEMA continues to refuse to activate.

U.S. Representatives Steve Stivers (R-OH) and Emanuel Cleaver II (D-MO), Co-Chairs of the Bi-Partisan Congressional Public Housing Caucus, recently sent a Dear Colleague letter to fellow members of the House of Representatives inviting them to join the Caucus.

The proposed elimination of the tax exemption for private activity bonds (PABs) in the House tax reform bill, along with elimination of the Historic Tax Credit and the New Markets Tax Credit, will be devastating to the production and preservation of affordable housing (see CLPHA Report 11/13/17). Housing bonds are responsible for approximately half of Low Income Housing Tax Credit (housing credit) production annually.