Legislative & Policy

 

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.

According to the letter, “the Caucus will serve as a forum to connect Members of Congress and their staff with public housing professionals, affordable housing policy experts, residents, and other key stakeholders with an interest in improving outcomes for Americans struggling to afford a suitable home and the communities they live in,” and “our nation's federal housing policies are at the forefront of efforts to prevent homelessness, address the affordable housing crisis, and overcome structural poverty.  The goal of the Congressional Public Housing Caucus is to educate Members of Congress and their staff of the latest policy developments affecting these efforts.”

 

ACTION: 

 

CLPHA was a prime mover in helping to establish the Caucus and we want to ensure the Caucus succeeds both in attracting members and in fulfilling its purpose.

We need CLPHA members to reach out to their Members of Congress and encourage them to join the Congressional Public Housing Caucus.

To join the Congressional Public Housing Caucus, Members of Congress should contact Mark Gilbride of Representative Steve Stivers' staff (225-2015; mark.gilbride@mail.house.gov) or Jennifer Shapiro of Representative Emanuel Cleavers' staff (225-4535 and jennifer.shapiro@mail.house.gov)

 

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. Together, the housing credit and housing bonds finance approximately 50,000 affordable housing units each year.

While Congress is home for recess, it is critical that Members hear from you about the impacts PAB elimination will have on affordable housing.

We urge you to reach out to your Congressional representatives with the following messages:

• Preserve the tax exemption of Private Activity Bonds to support the production and preservation of affordable housing
• Make changes to the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit to strengthen the program and offset the impact of a lower corporate rate on the value of the tax credit by including S. 548, the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act, in the tax reform bill
• Maintain the Historic Tax Credit and the New Markets Tax Credit

CLPHA and stakeholders such as the ACTION Campaign (CLPHA sits on the Steering Committee) have continued to educate and press Congress to preserve these important housing production instruments. CLPHA has sent letters to the Senate Finance Committee and the House Ways and Means Committee, the respective tax-writing committees in Congress, whose chairmen and ranking members will probably serve as floor managers for their respective bills and conference committee leaders for any eventual, final legislation.

Additionally, we encourage you to engage with your local media and news outlets to spread the message that the tax reform bill negatively impacts affordable housing. The Seattle Times recently published an op-ed from CLPHA Board Members Stephen Norman (King County Housing Authority) and Andrew Lofton (Seattle Housing Authority) about the elimination of private activity bonds. You can read the full op-ed here.  

Recent measures were taken in the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate to create a Housing Choice Voucher Mobility Demonstration (HCV Mobility Demo) to encourage families receiving housing voucher assistance to move to lower-poverty areas and to expand access to opportunity areas.

In the House, the full House Financial Services Committee unanimously approved H.R. 5793, the “Housing Choice Voucher Mobility Demonstration Act of 2018, that would authorize the demonstration. Also, the full House Appropriations Committee approved its FY19 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies (THUD) funding bill, that would fund the demonstration at $50 million.

In the Senate, S. 2945, a companion bill to H.R. 5793 was introduced by Senators Todd Young (R-IN) and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD). The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee and full Committee are expected to take action on their version of the FY19 THUD funding bill during the week of June 4. At present, it is unclear if the HCV Mobility Demo will be included in the Senate funding bill.

CLPHA is part of an ad hoc coalition urging both houses of Congress to pass the legislation required to authorize and fund the HCV Mobility Demo. To that end, the coalition groups have prepared a fact sheet and sample letters (below) to the House and Senate urging passage of the HCV Mobility Demo. 

 

ACTION:

In the House:

We encourage CLPHA members to reach out to your Representatives and urge them to support: 

• H.R. 6793, the "Housing Choice Voucher Mobility Demonstration Act of 2018," when it reaches the House floor.

• The FY19 Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development and Related Agencies (THUD) funding bill, when it reaches the House floor.

 

In the Senate:

We encourage CLPHA members to reach out to your Senators and urge them to support:

• S.2945, the "Housing Choice Voucher Mobility Demonstration Act of 2018," both in the Senate Banking Committee, and when it reaches the Senate floor.

• Including the HCV Mobility Demo in the FY19 THUD funding bill, both in the Appropriations Committee and when it moves to the Senate floor.

 

SAMPLE LETTERS

 

Below are sample form letters to assist in your advocacy. 

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Senate Sample Letter

Dear Senator [XXXXXX],

I am writing to urge you to cosponsor S.2945, the Housing Choice Voucher Mobility Demonstration Act of 2018, recently introduced by Senator Todd Young (R-IN) and Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD). I also ask that you indicate your support for including funding for the demonstration in the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) appropriations bill that likely will be considered by the Senate Appropriations Committee next week.

This demonstration would take an important step in helping families break out of poverty and move to areas of greater opportunity. Through this initiative, housing agencies will provide targeted assistance to help families who receive housing vouchers live in safe neighborhoods with strong schools, access to jobs, and low poverty. The Demonstration will include research about which strategies are most cost-effective.

There is a growing body of evidence that low-income families with children who move to low poverty areas do better in the long term. This research also identifies housing voucher mobility as a key strategy to overcoming intergenerational poverty.

As someone who works with [housing authority], I have seen firsthand how important improving access to high opportunity areas is to reducing poverty. To help voucher families access stronger communities, housing agencies need additional incentives and flexibilities to support regional collaborations. [Feel free to add a sentence about potential local/state impact]

The Housing Choice Voucher Mobility Demonstration would be an important intervention to help break the cycle of poverty for families with vouchers. Recognizing the importance of this intervention, the House Appropriations Committee included funding in their THUD appropriations bill. I urge the Senate to take similar action as it considers its THUD bill by including at least $30 million to fund housing mobility services, along with $20 million for 2,000 vouchers, to assist families in moving to higher opportunity neighborhoods.

[If your Senator is a Democrat:

I ask that you contact Senator Jack Reed to communicate your support for funding this demonstration. ]

[If your Senator is a Republican:

I ask that you contact Senator Susan Collins to communicate your support for funding this demonstration.]

Thank you for your help in working to break the cycle of poverty and assisting families access strong communities.

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House Sample Letter

Dear Representative [XXXXXX],

I am writing to urge you to cosponsor HR 5793, the Housing Choice Voucher Mobility Demonstration Act of 2018, recently introduced by Rep. Sean Duffy (R-WI) and Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO) and unanimously approved by the House Financial Services Committee on May 22. I also ask that you support funding for the demonstration in any final Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) appropriations bill.

This demonstration would take an important step in helping families break out of poverty and move to areas of greater opportunity. Through this initiative, housing agencies will provide targeted assistance to help families who receive housing vouchers live in safe neighborhoods with strong schools, access to jobs, and low poverty. The Demonstration will include research about which strategies are most cost-effective.

There is a growing body of evidence that low-income families with children who move to low poverty areas do better in the long term. This research also identifies housing voucher mobility as a key strategy to overcoming intergenerational poverty.

As someone who works with [housing authority], I have seen firsthand how important improving access to high opportunity areas is to reducing poverty. To help voucher families access stronger communities, housing agencies need additional incentives and flexibilities to support regional collaborations. [Feel free to add a sentence about potential local/state impact]

Thank you for your help in working to break the cycle of poverty and assisting families access strong communities.