Senate Banking Committee leaders Tim Johnson of South Dakota and Mike Crapo of Idaho released yesterday details of their comprehensive housing finance reform legislation, entitled the Housing Finance Reform and Taxpayer Protection Act of 2014.
Legislation
Vermont lawmakers urged to prevent homelessness through rental subsidies
At Thursday’s vigil on the Statehouse steps and joint legislative hearing on homelessness, Vermonters who have experienced homelessness and service providers were among the voices urging lawmakers to consider long-term solutions. Linda Ryan, co-chair of the Governor’s Council on Pathways out of Poverty, asked the state to fund more rental subsidies, in light of declining federal support.
National housing expert to testify at VT State House
All are invited to a joint Vermont House and Senate hearing to hear from the Bipartisan Policy Center’s (BPC) Housing Commission on Wednesday, May 1, 2013 from 9:30 to 10:30 am in Vermont State House Room 11.
Housing tax credit provisions survive fiscal cliff compromise
With greater dissention than in the Senate, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the fiscal cliff compromise bill last night. Despite considerable debate among House members about a lack of spending cuts, the bill retains a provision fixing the 9% credit rate for Low Income Housing Tax Credit allocations made up to January 1, 2014, according to analysis by the Housing Advisory Group.
Congress Keeps American Community Survey Intact For Now
The continuing resolution passed by the U.S. House and Senate last week will keep the American Community Survey from being eliminated, at least until the resolution expires on March 27, 2013, according to the Association of Public Data Users. Earlier this year, a rider had been attached to the FY 2013 appropriations bills by the House eliminating the American Community Survey.
President’s budget proposes changes to federal housing credit, MRB and HUD programs
The Obama administration sent Congress its FY 2013 budget this week, proposing changes to the housing credit program to provide incentives for creating mixed-income housing and to allow a 30 percent basis boost for some 4 percent credit, tax-exempt bond-financed preservation projects. It also proposes repealing the mortgage revenue bond (MRB) program purchase price limit and refinancing restriction.
VHFA’s Sarah Carpenter attends White House convening on affordable housing
On October 12, VHFA’s executive director, Sarah Carpenter, joined housing finance leaders from other states and from the National Council of State Housing Agencies at a White House convening on affordable housing.
HUD organized the forum primarily to engage key stakeholders in the results of the 20 regional convenings it held this past year, the FY 2012 HUD budget, and the American Jobs Act.
HUD Secretary Shaun Donavan stressed the importance of the housing community uniting in an effort to secure the maximum possible funding for federal housing programs. He urged groups not to “fight over the pieces… their share of the pie” but instead to “speak as housers, with one voice in support of more resources overall.”