Housing Report: March 28, 2005
CDBG Saved With Across the Board Cuts
Jackson Testifies Before House Appropriations Subcommittee
HUD Assistant Secretary Weicher Expected to Resign
New HUD Management Update
HUD Releases the SuperNOFA for FY 2005 Funding
GAO to release a report
HUD to Release Fair Housing Report
AAHSA Establishes Affordable Senior Housing Financing Cabinet
Housing Events at Future of Aging Services Conference
Housing Report
Policy
Senator Norm Coleman (R-MN) sponsored an amendment to the Senate’s budget resolution that restores funding to the Community Development
Block Grant program (CDBG) and maintains the program within HUD by imposing an across the board cut on other domestic programs. The
President had proposed that CDBG be eliminated and moved to a Department of Commerce economic development program; and that funding
would be reduced by $1 billion. The amendment passed with 66 votes. CDBG is essential to the development
of affordable senior housing and the supportive services that residents rely on to age in place safely. Although we applaud passage
of the amendment, it does ignore the increasing funding needs and the cuts that programs serving low-income seniors have already sustained.
Senator Paul Sarbanes (D-MD) had offered an amendment which would have raised the budget caps for housing and community development programs;
however it lost on a 50-50 vote.
See how your senators voted on the two amendments go to Senate roll call voters 65 and 66;
take a moment to thank the senators who voted to save the CDBG program.
HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson is still making the rounds on the Hill detailing the Administration’s proposed budget and answering questions
about HUD’s priorities for FY2006. Jackson appeared before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Treasury, Judiciary and HUD
on March 17th and his testimony mirrored the testimony he gave before the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity.
Read the testimony. In response to his testimony, the
Committee on Financial Services provided their views and estimates to the House Budget Committee.
Read the majority and minority views through
two sources.
It is expected that Jackson will appear before the Senate appropriations subcommittee, which should be interesting now that
the Senate has adopted budget figures for housing that do not reflect the Administration’s numbers. Take a minute now to contact
your Senators and Representatives on the importance of protecting affordable senior housing funding at AAHSA’s
Contact Congress.
HUD Assistant Secretary Weicher is expected to announce that he will leave his position at the Department at the end of April 2005. While there is a lot of speculation about who will replace him, there has not been an announcement yet. Weicher was nominated by President Bush in May 2001 and had previously worked at HUD as Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research and Chief Economist.
Operations Managment
This edition of the HUD Management Update covers a time-specific alert about REAC systems shut-downs and the REAC offices new mailing address; details of a recent HUD notice revising retirement account policies for front-line staff; Section 515 rural housing funding availability; how to locate and submit grants information online; important TRACS and Secure Connections information; modifications to the Uniform Relocation Act; a few new publications of use concerning prevention/resolution of problems related to building moisture; updated accessible design code safeharbors; how to secure crucial bonus points in NOFA competitions, and info on property tax reform efforts.
See the March 21 Update.
Resources
On March 21, HUD published the FY 2005 SuperNOFA in the Federal Register. The Super NOFA includes announcements of the funds available and all the application requirements for the Section 202 program, the Assisted Living Conversion Program and Service Coordinators. Section 202 applications are due May 31; ALCP applications are due June 22, and Service Coordinator applications are due June 24.Please note that this year all applications are expected to be filed electronically unless you apply for and receive a waiver from HUD.
See more information and links to the program specific NOFAs.
New and Notable
The GAO has released a report on housing for the elderly titled, Federal Housing Programs that Offer Assistance for the Elderly. The report evaluates the effectiveness and policies of various housing programs that serve the elderly in rural and non-rural communities such as the HUD Section 202 and USDA Section 515 programs. The report also critiques OMB’s Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART) as a method for determining the value of housing programs. The low PART score of the Section 202 program is cited by the Administration as a reason for "reforming" the program in FY2007.
Download the report.
AAHSA has learned that the HUD Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity office will be releasing a report soon on discrimination in senior housing settings in Illinois. Stay tuned.
AAHSA News
The Future of Aging Services Conference will be the site of the first meeting of AAHSA’s newly established Affordable Senior Housing Financing Cabinet. As federal funds for affordable senior housing development dwindle or pay for fewer and fewer housing units, the need for fresh thinking about how to finance affordable service enriched housing is critical for AAHSA’s housing members. Comprised of AAHSA members and housing finance experts, the Cabinet will examine financing alternatives and products that are and should be available to both build new and to preserve affordable housing with services. Tom Slemmer, President of National Church Residences, and Brian Pollard of Lancaster Pollard Mortgage Company will serve as co-chairmen for the first year.
Everything is at your fingertips for FASC 2005. AAHSA has created a handy single page sheet for housing providers with information you will need for the conference. We are looking forward to seeing you all next week.
Click here for the cheat sheet.
Last Updated : 1/19/2006 11:38:27 AM
