Housing Report: May 20, 2005
AAHSA Meets with Jackson
Capitol Hill Update: Section 8 Hearings
Section 515 Funding Bill Marked Up
S.705 Interagency Council Meetings
Confused about NOFA Submissions via Grants.gov?
Rural Housing Preservation Funds Available
HUD Neighborhood Networks National Training
HOPE VI Awards Announced
Housing Report
Policy
Larry Minnix led a delegation of AAHSA members to talk with HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson last week about a range of issues related to affordable senior housing and services. Joining Larry were Tom Slemmer of National Church Residences, Dena Smith of Pacific Retirement Services, Alan Green of New Samaritan Housing Corporation, Brian Pollard of Lancaster Pollard, and Nancy Libson, AAHSA's Director of Housing Policy.
In addition to thanking the Secretary for the Administration's strong support of the Section 202 program, we raised a number of issues that are critical to AAHSA members including problems that plague operations like late HAP and PRAC payments and delays in rent increases, delays in development approvals, inconsistencies among field offices, and preservation tools already available to HUD that are hard to access.
AAHSA raised the fact that the recommendations that came out of the Section 202 summit for streamlining the programs have never been implemented. Some of the recommendations are necessary to address the problems that OMB has cited in its assessment rating of the Section 202 program. According to OMB the program is not effective and AAHSA expects the office to recommend the elimination of the program in FY2006 based on its rating.
The Secretary committed to working with AAHSA and providers to address the nagging day to day problems as well as the broader future of affordable senior housing with services, including production, preservation, and the Interagency Council on Seniors. For more information contact
Nancy Libson.
Even though the Senate was bracing for a fight about judicial nominees, Congress found time to work on several housing related issues over the last couple of weeks.
Secretary Jackson made another appearance on the Hill, this time to testify before the House Financial Services Committee on the Administration’s Section 8 voucher bill. The State and Local Housing Flexibility Act (SLHFA) would make a number of changes to the current tenant based voucher program that would be detrimental to the neediest families. A second hearing was held last week with panelists that included a Section 8 voucher recipient, staff from various housing authorities and various advocacy groups to highlight the impact of the proposed changes.
The House Financial Services Committee and the Senate Banking Committee have been hard at work crafting GSE legislation to tighten oversight of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. A series of hearings have been held before both committees and the chances of including a provision for a dedicated source of financing for affordable housing production from the entities’ profits seem to be good. Though not precisely the same, the legislation may have many of the characteristics of the National Housing Trust Fund legislation, which AAHSA has supported in prior Congress’s. The House is scheduled to mark up their legislation prior to the Memorial Day Recess, although the timing may slip.
The House Appropriations Committee has released the 302(b) allocations for the various subcommittees including Transportation, Treasury and HUD (TTHUD). The allocations let the subcommittee Chairs know exactly how much money they will have to spend in the FY2006 appropriations bills. Approximately $66.0 billion was allocated for TTHUD, which is less than last year, although it is unclear how HUD will be impacted given the realignment of the subcommittees. The House has an ambitious timetable for moving appropriations bills to the House floor by the July 4 recess although no date has been set for mark up of the HUD funding bill. For more information contact
Alayna Waldrum.
The USDA’s Section 515 program, which provides funding for affordable, multifamily rural housing development, was marked up the Housing appropriations committee week at a funding level well below FY2005. While the level was above what the President requested, the Committee’s $73 million was not close to the $100 million appropriated last year. Section 515 often is used to develop senior housing communities for low-income elderly in rural areas.
The Interagency Council on the Housing and Services Needs of Seniors, S. 705, was introduced by Senator Paul Sarbanes (D-MD) last month and in the last week the Senator’s office has convened meetings with members of the faith-based community and the Elderly Housing Coalition (EHC). Supporters of the legislation are urged to contact the Republican members of the Senate Banking committee to ask them to support the bill. AAHSA, EHC and various organizations have submitted letters of support to key Senators and are asking members to do the same. To view members of the Senate Banking Committee, go to
http://banking.senate.gov.
New and Notable
HUD has informed AAHSA (and substantiating clarification is expected to be issued by Grants.gov) that all versions of the
application package are acceptable. The application instructions, however, did change and
do need to be re-downloaded. Several sources, including AAHSA, helped to circulate recent emails generated by Grants.gov regarding HUD Application packages. Confusion ensued when the second such email indicated that certain re-downloaded application packages would be rejected upon submission. There was, in fact, no substantive difference in either version of the application.
AAHSA has further learned that the Section 202 application due date - currently May 31, 2005 - is likely to be extended. We will pass along any updates via the AAHSA Housing Management listserv as soon as the announcement is made. To register for this listserv,
click here or send an email to
cbloom@aahsa.org.
The Rural Housing Service has announced funding for preservation revolving loan demonstration programs. The funds are available private non-profit organizations and State housing finance agencies to create a revolving loan fund for preservation and revitalization of Section 515 financed properties. The deadline for applications is August 8, 2005.
Download the notice.
The newly formed Neighborhood Networks National Consortium (NNNC) has scheduled a 10th Anniversary National Training Conference,
Delivering Technology Access to America’s Communities, June 29-July 1, 2005 at Lake Buena Vista, Florida. The Consortium was created to build the capacity and ensure the sustainability of Neighborhood Networks centers. After the educational sessions, as part of the conference, NNNC will hold a golf event at Disney’s Eagle Pines Golf Course and is looking for golfers, volunteers and sponsors. The event will take place immediately following the Conference on Saturday, July 2, 2005 at 8:00 am. Tournament proceeds will help deliver technology access to low-income communities. For more information, contact
golfevent@nationalnnc.org or event organizers at (404) 433-7632.
Despite the Administration’s move to try to eliminate the HOPE VI program, HUD announced almost $127 million in HOPE VI awards last week to address the needs of severely distressed public housing. Out of thirty –three applicants, seven housing authorities were selected, including Allentown (PA), El Paso (Tex.), Greenville (S.C.), Philadelphia (Pa.), Springfield (Ohio), Tucson (Ariz.), and Tuscaloosa (Ala.). The grants are awarded on a competitive basis and scored based on the housing authority’s capacity, need and ability to leverage additional funding from state or private sources. To date HUD has awarded 224 grants totaling $5.6 billion to 121 cities. For more information visit the
www.hud.gov Press Release page.
Last Updated : 1/19/2006 11:38:27 AM
