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Althea Arnold

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Senior Vice President, Policy

Althea Arnold leads the policy efforts at Stewards of Affordable Housing for the Future (SAHF)-- a national collaborative of 12 nonprofit affordable housing developers who own, operate and manage 149,000 affordable rental homes in 49 across the country. SAHF's mission-driven alliance advances resident-centered policy changes and sustainable solutions within the affordable housing sector. As part of this, Althea works with key policymakers in Congress, HUD, and other federal and state agencies to build support and remove barriers to the preservation and production of high-quality affordable rental housing. Althea joined SAHF as Senior Vice President, Policy in 2020. Prior to SAHF, she served as a Senior Legislative & Policy Associate at the National Council of State Housing Agencies, focusing on federal appropriations, HUD multifamily programs, and supportive housing issues. Earlier in her career Althea worked at the National Low Income Housing Coalition researching affordable housing needs to inform housing policy. Althea holds a Masterā€™s degree in Public Policy from Georgetown University, with a concentration in nonprofit leadership, and a Bachelor of Artā€™s degree from Connecticut College. HFAi24 Sessions: Housing Credit Development Forum Industry Outlook AC23 Sessions: Managing Rising Multifamily Operating Costs Preservation of Housing for People with Special Needs HCC23 Sessions: HUD-Assisted Housing Forum, Part 1 HUD-Assisted Housing Forum, Part 2 HFAi23 Session: Industry Outlook AC22 Session: The Future of Senior Housing

Trump Administrationā€™s FY 2021 Budget Proposes Significant Cuts to Federal Housing and Community Development Programs

On February 10, the Trump Administration sent Congress its Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 Budget request, ā€œA Budget for Americaā€™s Future.ā€ The $4.8 trillion budget outlines the Trump Administrationā€™s fiscal priorities for the coming year, including eliminating several key federal affordable housing and community development programs and arguing that states and local governments are ā€œbetter positioned to comprehensively address the array of unique market challenges, local policies, and impediments that lead to housing affordability problems.ā€

U.S. Faces Growing Rental Affordability Challenges According to New Harvard Report

On January 31, Harvard Universityā€™s Joint Center for Housing Studies (JCHS) released its 2020 edition of ā€œAmericaā€™s Rental Housingā€ report. Ā The new report shows that, despite slowing demand and continued strength of new construction, rental markets in the United States remain extremely tight. According to JCHS, vacancy rates are the lowest in decades, the number and share of cost-burdened renters are again on the rise, and the number of people experiencing homelessness is also increasing. These conditions mark significant market changes since the Great Recession, including an influx of higher-income households, constraints on new supply, and substantial losses of low-cost rental units.

Congress Reaches FY 2020 Spending Deal with Increased Funding for Affordable Housing

House and Senate leaders have agreed to a deal to provide full-year Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 appropriations for all federal agencies, including HUD and USDA, split into two ā€œminibusā€ spending packages. The spending deal will fund HUD and USDA housing programs at or above levels proposed by the Senate earlier this year, though not as high as levels proposed by the House prior to the adoption of the bipartisan budget agreement this summer. The HOME Investment Partnerships program (HOME) is funded at $1.35 billion ā€• less than the $1.75 billion provided in the House version but more than the Senate version which would have flat-funded the program at $1.25 billion. The House this afternoon approved both minibuses and will now send them to the Senate. President Trump is expected to sign both spending packages before the current continuing resolution expires on Friday. Affordable housing program highlights from the spending packages are listed in the blog.

Senate Appropriations Committee Advances FY 2020 HUD Bill Level-Funding Most Housing Programs

The Senate Appropriations Committee on September 19 approved unanimously the Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) funding bill, which provides $48.6 billion in...

House Financial Services Committee Advances Flood Insurance Reauthorization and Other Housing-Related Bills

On May 12, the House Financial Services Committee advanced a series of housing-related measures ā€“ including bills to reauthorize and reform the National Flood Insurance Program, make FHA single-family loans more affordable and sustainable, and block HUD from implementing proposed rules that would bar families with mixed immigration status from housing assistance and alter HUDā€™s Equal Access Rule.

House Appropriations Subcommittee Approves FY 2020 HUD Bill with Significant Funding Increases for HOME and Other HUD Programs

On May 23, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development approved its Fiscal Year 2020 funding bill, which provides $50.1 billion for HUD programs, $5.9 billion more than the FY 2019 enacted level and $13.4 billion more than the Administrationā€™s FY 2020 budget request.

HUD Proposes Rule to Prohibit Undocumented Immigrants from Housing Assistance

On April 17, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released a proposed rule for Congressional review that would prohibit ā€œmixed status familiesā€ from receiving federal housing assistance through HUDā€™s Public Housing, Project-Based Rental Assistance, and Housing Choice Voucher programs.

Trump Administrationā€™s FY 2020 Budget Proposes Significant Cuts to Key Federal Housing Programs

On March 11, the White House released the first part of its Fiscal Year 2020 Budget entitled, ā€œA Budget for a Better America; Promises Kept. Taxpayers First,ā€ outlining the Trump Administrationā€™s priorities and funding recommendations for the next fiscal year.

More Information on FY 2019 HUD and USDA Housing Program Funding

Last week, Congress and the White House reached a final deal to fund the nine federal agencies without full-year spending, including HUD and USDA, for the remainder of Fiscal Year (FY 2019), thus averting another government shutdown.

JCHS Report Highlights Housing Needs of Americaā€™s Older Adult Population

On November 14, Harvard Universityā€™s Joint Center for Housing Studies (JCHS) published ā€œHousing Americaā€™s Older Adultsā€ exploring the housing trends of older adults and identifying challenges that face this growing population.