CLPHA Press Room

FY20 Funding Bill from the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies Includes Robust Funding Increases and Legislative Language to Prevent HUD from Evicting Mixed-Status Immigrant Families

WASHINGTON (May 22, 2019) - In preparation for a subcommittee markup on the morning of May 23, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies (THUD) today released their FY20 funding bill. According to the subcommittee proposal, the discretionary funding level for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) totals $50.1 billion, an increase of $5.9 billion above the FY19 enacted level, and $13.4 billion above President Trump’s request.

The Executive Director of the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities, Sunia Zaterman, issued the following statement in support of the bill:

“In a familiar pattern and reprise of repudiating Trump Administration budget proposals, the House THUD budget reflects Congress’ continuing commitment to fund critically important housing and community development programs the Administration proposed rescinding, cutting, or eliminating in its budget request.

“CLPHA is pleased that under the leadership of THUD Subcommittee Chairman David Price (D-NC) and Ranking Member Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL), the THUD proposal increases – in several instances substantially increases – or level funds programs critical to communities served by public housing authorities.

“In addition to robust funding increases, such as the doubling of Choice Neighborhoods to $300 million and fully funding the Section 8 account, the proposal includes legislative language to prevent HUD from evicting mixed-status immigrant families from public housing, and to prohibit HUD from unilaterally changing the public housing annual contributions contract without public input and following the administrative procedures act process. Importantly, mandatory rent increases and work requirements were not included in the subcommittee’s bill.

“We applaud the subcommittee for its ongoing commitment to public and affordable housing and look forward to working with the Chair and Ranking Member in support of this bill.”

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 70 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 and follow @housing_is for news on CLPHA’s Housing Is Initiative to better intersect the housing field and other areas of critical importance such as health and education.

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WASHINGTON (May 9, 2019) – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will formally propose a new rule tomorrow that would disallow undocumented immigrants from living in federally subsidized housing. The proposed rule, which will be published in the Federal Register for a 60-day comment period, would impact tens of thousands of immigrant families that include U.S. citizen children and other family members who are eligible for assistance. 

The Executive Director of the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities, Sunia Zaterman, issued the following statement in response to the proposed rule:

“CLPHA is strongly opposed to HUD’s punitive proposal that would make it harder for public housing authorities (PHAs) to serve their communities.

“The consequences are significant. Well over 10,000 mixed-immigration status family members currently served by one PHA, plus tens of thousands more around the country, would be impacted by the rule, making them more vulnerable to housing instability. HUD’s proposal would create more challenges for an already underfunded homeless services and prevention system.

“This policy is antithetical to the mission of the federal public housing program – to provide housing that is safe, decent and affordable to low- and very low-income families, children, seniors, and people with disabilities, and administer the housing choice voucher program.

“We are housers, not ICE agents, but that is exactly what HUD’s proposed rule is asking public housing authorities (PHAs) to become by requiring PHA staff to determine the immigration status of every household member and report it into a federal database.

“CLPHA will be submitting public comments in opposition to the proposed rule during the comment period.”

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 70 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 and follow @housing_is for news on CLPHA’s work to better insect the housing field and other areas of critical importance such as health and education.

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Public Housing is as much a part of the national infrastructure as Route 66, the Lincoln Tunnel, and the Hoover Dam.

WASHINGTON (April 30, 2019) - Today the House Committee on Financial Services held a hearing entitled “Housing in America: Assessing the Infrastructure Needs of America’s Housing Stock” to examine the need for investment in affordable housing infrastructure--including public housing—and investigate additional barriers to developing affordable housing.

Sunia Zaterman, the executive director of the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities, issued the following statement after watching the hearing and reviewing draft legislation circulated by Chairwoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) that would authorize funding for several housing infrastructure projects, including $70 billion for the Public Housing Capital Fund:

“Public housing is as a much a part of the national infrastructure as Route 66, the Lincoln Tunnel, and the Hoover Dam. Public housing helps communities and families thrive by providing more than one million low- and very-low income families, children, elderly and persons with disabilities with a stable place to live, connecting low-income workers to economic opportunities, and spurring regional job creation and economic growth.

“But, years of chronic underfunding have led to the deterioration of the public housing stock and since 1990, at least 300,000 units have been lost because of the lack of adequate resources to maintain them. The federal disinvestment in public housing has contributed to an untenable shortage of stable housing for low-income households.

“A reinvestment in public housing should include adequate funding to preserve and improve the public housing stock. Equally important is thoughtful consideration about additional tools that public housing authorities can use to modernize and develop affordable housing to meet the needs of residents and local communities. Expanding the Rental Assistance Demonstration program and increasing the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit allocations, for example, would support public housing authorities’ recapitalization and redevelopment efforts.

“Housing is infrastructure and we thank the Chairwoman and the Committee for underscoring the importance of public housing during today’s hearing and in the Housing is Infrastructure Act of 2019.”

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 70 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 and follow @housing_is for news on CLPHA’s work to better insect the housing field and other areas of critical importance such as health and education.

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