File: 
MPR Letter_06.23.10.pdf

Summary

  • June 23, 2010

    Sen. Daniel K. Inouye, Chairman
    Committee on Appropriations
    U. S. Senate
    Washington, DC 20510

    Sen. Thad Cochran, Ranking Member
    Committee on Appropriations
    U. S. Senate
    Washington, DC 20510

    Sen. Herb Kohl, Chairman
    Subcommittee on Agriculture
    Committee on Appropriations
    U. S. Senate
    Washington, DC 20510

    Sen. Sam Brownback, Ranking Member
    Subcommittee on Agriculture
    Committee on Appropriations
    U. S. Senate
    Washington, DC 20510

    Rep. David Obey, Chairman
    Committee on Appropriations
    U. S. House of Representatives
    Washington, DC 20515

    Rep. Jerry Lewis, Ranking Member
    Committee on Appropriations
    U. S. House of Representatives
    Washington, DC 20515

    Rep. Rosa DeLauro, Chairwoman
    Subcommittee on Agriculture
    Committee on Appropriations
    U. S. House of Representatives
    Washington, DC 20515

    Rep. Jack Kingston, Ranking Member
    Subcommittee on Agriculture
    Committee on Appropriations
    U. S. House of Representatives
    Washington, DC 20515

    Dear Senators and Representatives:

    The undersigned organizations and individuals are very concerned about a portion of the US Department of Agriculture’s proposed rural housing budget for FY 2011. Specifically we hope that the Congress can continue to fund -- at least at the 2010 level -- USDA’s Multifamily Preservation and Revitalization (MPR) program and the Preservation Revolving Loan Fund (PRLF). Both are not in the President’s request. Those very small but innovative programs are vital to the preservation of USDA’s rural rental housing stock, which serves a largely elderly and disabled population with an average household income of less than $11,000.

    We are very encouraged that the President’s budget includes funding for the USDA Section 515 rural rental program. But the MPR and PRLF programs, supplementing Section 515 and totaling only $27 million in FY 2010, are also key components of an overall approach to housing the poorest and most vulnerable people. Congress created both of these programs in the FY 2006 appropriations bill for USDA and has funded them every year since.

    These are also very successful programs. From 2006 through 2009 USDA financed a total of $100 million in multi-family restructurings. This funding allowed the Department to provide assistance to preserve and renovate existing section 515 developments and vouchers for families who might be displaced in the event of prepayment. Requests for restructuring regularly total over $2 billion per year. Since the beginning of the demonstration, USDA has financed some 300 transactions that will help preserve the homes of close to 10,000 tenants.

    We work with a wide network of local nonprofits that use USDA, HUD and other programs to build and preserve affordable housing. Overall we feel the 2011 budget has strong proposals for affordable housing. But to preserve the homes of some of the lowest-income rural Americans, we would urge you to keep the MPR and PRLF programs as well.

    Sincerely,
    Adams & Brown Counties Economic Opportunities, Inc., Georgetown, Ohio
    American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging, Washington, DC
    Big Cypress Housing Corporation, Immokalee, Florida
    Cabrillo Economic Development Corp., Ventura, California
    California Coalition for Rural Housing, Sacramento, California
    California Housing Partnership, San Francisco, California
    CASA of Oregon, Newberg, Oregon
    Champlain Housing Trust, Burlington, Vermont
    City of Casa Grande, Casa Grande, Arizona
    CDC of Brownsville, Brownsville, Texas
    Coachella Valley Housing Coalition, Indio, California
    Coalition for Economic Survival, Los Angeles, California
    Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio, Columbus, Ohio
    Community Action Partnership of Northwest Montana, Kalispell, MT
    Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation, Boston, Massachusetts
    Community Frameworks, Spokane, Washington
    Community Housing Improvement Program (CHIP), Chico, California
    Community Housing Initiatives, Inc., Spencer, Iowa
    Council for Affordable and Rural Housing, Alexandria, Virginia
    Will Cooper, Sr., Irvine, California
    Delta Housing Development Corporation, Indianola, Mississippi
    Devine & Gong, Inc., San Francisco, California
    Enterprise Community Partners, Santa Fe, New Mexico
    Everglades Housing Trust, Homestead, Florida
    Federation of Appalachian Housing Enterprises, Berea, Kentucky
    Raymond P. Finney, Realtor, Pagosa Springs, Colorado
    Florida Home Partnership, Ruskin, Florida
    Florida Non-Profit Housing, Inc., Sebring, Florida
    Highland Community Builders, Inc., Elkins, West Virginia
    Homes In Partnership, Apopka, Florida
    Housing Assistance Council, Washington, DC
    Housing Development Corp. Midatlantic, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
    Housing Preservation Project, St. Paul, Minnesota
    Laconia Area Community Land Trust, Laconia, New Hampshire
    Little Dixie Community Action Agency, Hugo, Oklahoma
    Little Manatee Housing Corporation, Ruskin, Florida
    Local Initiatives Support Corporation, New York, New York
    Mercy Housing, West Sacramento, California
    Midwest Minnesota CDC, Detroit Lakes, Minnesota
    Minnesota Housing Partnership, St. Paul, Minnesota
    Mississippi Action for Community Education, Greenville, Mississippi
    Moloka'i Community Service Council, Kaunakakai, Hawai'i
    Motivation Education & Training, Inc., New Caney, Texas
    National Affordable Housing Trust, Columbus, Ohio
    National Council of State Housing Agencies, Washington, DC
    National Housing Conference, Washington, DC
    National Housing Law Project, Oakland, California
    National Housing Trust, Washington, DC
    National Low Income Housing Coalition, Washington, DC
    NCALL, Dover, Delaware
    Network for Oregon Affordable Housing, Portland, Oregon
    New York State Rural Advocates, Blue Mt. Lake, New York
    Northeast South Dakota Community Action Program (NESDCAP), Sisseton, South Dakota
    Northern Initiatives, Marquette, Michigan
    Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing, Columbus, Ohio
    Oregon Opportunity Network, Portland, Oregon
    Pathfinder Services, Huntington, Indiana
    PathStone, Rochester, New York
    People’s Self-Help Housing Corporation, San Luis Obispo, California
    Public Counsel, Los Angeles, California
    Rural Community Assistance Corporation, West Sacramento, California
    Rural Housing Development Corporation, Provo, Utah
    Rural Neighborhoods, Inc., Florida City, Florida
    Self Help Enterprises, Visalia, California
    Self-Help Housing Corporation of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii
    South East Alabama Self-Help Association, Inc., Tuskegee, Alabama
    Southern Mutual Help Association, Inc., New Iberia, Louisiana
    Southwest Minnesota Housing Partnership, Slayton, Minnesota
    Stewards of Affordable Housing for the Future, Washington, DC
    Stop Abusive Family Environments (SAFE), Welch, West Virginia
    Tamaqua Area Community Partnership, Tamaqua, Pennsylvania
    Tierra del Sol Housing Corporation, Anthony, New Mexico
    Universal Housing Development Corporation, Russellville, Arkansas
    Umpqua CDC, Roseburg, Oregon
    Washington State Housing Finance Commission, Seattle, Washington