NCSHA Blogs
Waters Introduces Bill to Reform Emergency Rental Assistance Program; Salazar to Testify
On September 7, House Financial Services Committee Chairwoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) introduced the Expediting Assistance to Renters and Landlords Act of 2021 (H.R. 5196), which would make important modifications to the Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) program, including numerous changes NCSHA strongly supports. The bill’s goal is to remove barriers and expedite the processing of applications so ERA grantees can improve the delivery of this emergency assistance.
NCSHA Urges Chairwoman Waters to Consider Modifications to Emergency Rental Assistance Law in Forthcoming Bill
NCSHA, in partnership with other national organizations representing Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) grantees at the state, county, city, and tribal levels, today sent House Financial Services Committee Chairwoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) a letter encouraging her to incorporate changes to the ERA 1 and ERA 2 authorizing statutes in legislation the chairwoman is planning to introduce next week. The goal of her forthcoming legislation is to make changes to the ERA program to remove statutory barriers and accelerate the use of resources, allowing more eligible households to receive funding faster.
White House Reinstates FFB Risk-Sharing Program, Ups GSE Housing Credit Investment Cap, Announces Other Actions to Increase Affordable Housing Supply
Earlier today, the White House announced HUD, Treasury, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and FHFA will take a series of actions designed to help increase the supply of affordable housing. One of the key changes the administration announced is the reinstatement of the Federal Financing Bank (FFB) initiative to support FHA-HFA multifamily Risk-Sharing Program loans. NCSHA has sought this reinstatement energetically for the last three years since the previous administration terminated the very successful initiative.
Treasury Adopts NCSHA’s Recommendations Clarifying and Providing Greater Flexibility in Emergency Rental Assistance Program Guidance
Today, the U.S. Treasury Department issued updated Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for the Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) program, adopting many of the recommendations NCSHA has been pursuing since last Spring. NCSHA, working in partnership with other organizations representing grantees at the state, county, city, and tribal government levels, has been pressing Treasury to make many of these changes to reduce administrative burdens so that grantees could accelerate the processing of ERA applications, expediting payments of rent and utilities on behalf of qualified households.
House Passes Budget Resolution Setting the Stage for Reconciliation and Bipartisan Infrastructure Legislation
The House of Representatives today advanced the FY 2022 Budget Resolution after intense negotiations between Democratic leaders and moderate members of the Democratic caucus who had been seeking to decouple the Budget Resolution from the bipartisan infrastructure legislation and a more immediate vote on the bipartisan bill, which progressive members of the caucus opposed. In the end, leadership agreed to include language in the rule — which includes a deeming resolution essentially passing the Budget Resolution — stating that the House would vote on the bipartisan infrastructure bill by September 27. This appeased the moderate representatives and paved the way for passage. The Senate passed the Budget Resolution earlier this month.
NCSHA Writes to Congressional Leadership, Tax and Housing Authorizing Committees on Reconciliation Bill Priorities
Today, NCSHA sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY), House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) laying out NCSHA’s affordable housing priorities, which we urge Congress to include in the reconciliation legislation Democrats will work to pass this Fall. NCSHA sent similar letters to the leadership of the Senate Banking Committee and House Financial Services Committee on our housing spending priorities and to the leadership of the Senate Finance Committee and House Ways and Means Committee on our housing tax priorities. While NCSHA’s priorities also include modifications to existing law that would not impact the deficit, these letters focus on those that have a budgetary impact and thus would not run afoul of congressional rules for a reconciliation bill.
Finance Committee Chairman Wyden Introduces Sweeping Affordable Housing Legislation
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR) today released the Decent, Affordable, Safe Housing for All Act (DASH Act), which would make substantial investments in affordable housing, addressing both supply and demand needs, with the goal of ending homelessness. This comprehensive bill — which includes both tax and spending measures — seeks to ensure all families with children experiencing homelessness are able to receive a voucher within the next five years; expands health, child care, financial, and nutrition services for families and individuals; increases the production of affordable housing; and invests in homeownership in underserved communities. The production provisions in the bill would result in more than three million additional homes.
NCSHA Urges IRS and Treasury to Extend Housing Credit COVID-19 Relief
On August 13, NCSHA sent the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury) a letter urging them to extend certain temporary Housing Credit relief provisions in IRS Notice 2021-12 in light of the continuing disruption the COVID-19 pandemic is having on development and construction activities and the ongoing operation of Housing Credit properties.
Senate Democrats’ Budget Resolution Calls for Historic New Investments in Affordable Housing
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) Monday morning released the text of an agreement Senate Democrats reached on a proposed Budget Resolution for fiscal year (FY) 2022. This legislation would authorize $3.5 trillion in new federal spending for a variety of purposes, including affordable housing. Schumer also released a memorandum sent to Senate Democrats which calls for increased spending on some federal housing programs, including HOME, the Housing Trust Fund, and housing tax incentives, to be included among the investments.
CDC Issues New Eviction Moratorium Through October 3
Yesterday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a new order temporarily halting evictions for nonpayment of rent in communities with substantial or high levels of community transmission of COVID-19. The CDC defines substantiation and high transmission based on the number of positive cases in the county and the percentage of positive tests (see footnote 9 in the order for more specific information). The order cites the increase in COVID-19 cases and the public health impact evictions would have due to increased movement and shared and congregate housing situations into which evicted tenants may be forced to enter. The order is in effect until October 3, 2021.
