Legislative Advocacy: State Advocacy

New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority:
Establishment of the NH Housing Appeals Board

The New Hampshire Housing Appeals Board was created to provide an alternative appeals process for local decisions on proposals for housing and housing developments. The state’s housing market is increasingly unable to meet the needs of citizens to find adequate housing in communities where they want to live and work. This is frequently because owners and developers encounter resistance to building housing due to unnecessary regulations, onerous approval conditions, or unreasonable denials.

New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency:
Permanently Financing Special Needs Housing

For the first time in state history, New Jersey has a permanent, capitalized source of funding for special needs gap financing. The fund was initially established in 2005 with a one-time appropriation and mostly depleted by 2018. To continue to fund the programs reliant on the fund, NJHMFA subsidized the work from its own operating budget while working closely with state legislators to create a permanent, dedicated funding stream. In 2021, NJHMFA’s work lead to the establishment of a $20 million dedicated annual revenue allocation from the State’s budget beginning with FY2022.

New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority:
Recurring Funding for a Recurring Need

After years of variable state funding and a growing need for affordable housing, MFA picked the ideal time to launch a comprehensive advocacy campaign that built strategic partnerships, curated compelling data, proactively addressed legislators’ concerns, crafted funding safeguards, and ensured the timing was just right. The result? A new state funding source that is set to match roughly 17 years’ worth of state funding in its first year alone, and a reinvigorated HFA with a track record of leveraging past funding to provide a 26-to-1 return on the state’s investments.

Ohio Housing Finance Agency:
Ohio’s Legislative One-Pagers: Using Technology to Simplify Housing Advocacy at the Local Level

For years, printed Congressional Reports provided an overview of the Agency’s rental housing, homeownership, and foreclosure prevention programs for each of Ohio’s congressional districts. To increase access to data and promote affordable housing advocacy at the local level, OHFA created two easy-to-use tools: individualized one-page legislative reports and online interactive maps. Keep reading to learn more about this innovative approach to data sharing and how it has increased the effectiveness of informing policymakers about the most important housing issues in Ohio.

Oregon Housing and Community Services:
Oregon’s Historical Investment in Housing

OHCS' Government Relations team and Governor Kate Brown successfully proposed the most extensive off-cycle housing package in the State's history. OHCS and providers built a robust housing package that meets the needs of Oregonians that increases the supply of affordable housing, builds assets to create community resiliency, supports homeowners, and improves homeless response infrastructure. The historic investment allows us to expand data-driven programs and services, reach target audiences, achieve goals, and foster existing and establish new partnerships.

Rhode Island Housing:
Trouble Getting in the Door: Source of Income Discrimination

Working with a broad coalition of over 40 member organizations laser focused on ending Source of Income discrimination helped Rhode Island become the 16th state in the nation to pass legislation to protect voucher holders from this form of discrimination. A significant barrier to accessing housing for low-income households, income discrimination was rampant, with advertisements stating “No Section 8” and landlords unwilling to even consider renting to voucher holders. Fittingly, passage of the legislation occurred during National Fair Housing Month.

Virginia Housing:
"Drop it like it's HOTC"

The steady and recognized expertise of Virginia Housing staff, the new relationships formed and the coalition built in the midst of a pandemic was critical to the successful creation of the Virginia Housing Opportunity Tax Credit (HOTC). Virginia Housing’s “lead from behind” approach to facilitating passage of the HOTC is something that can be replicated by additional states in adopting state credit legislation.