NAHMA joins HUD in celebrating 50 years of the Fair Housing Act
This week, HUD celebrated 50 years since the enactment of the Fair Housing Act in 1968. NAHMA participated in a ceremony at HUD headquarters with Secretary Ben Carson and Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity Anna Maria Farias, titled: “The Fair Housing Act: 50 Years of Opening Doors.”
In last week’s White House proclamation of April as National Fair Housing Month, the President declared: “During April, America reaffirms its commitment to ending housing discrimination by celebrating National Fair Housing Month….My Administration intends to deliver on the promise outlined by the Fair Housing Act, by ending prejudice and unlawful discriminatory practices in the sale, lease, and financing of housing, expanding the availability of affordable housing, promoting sustainable homeownership opportunities, encouraging economic mobility, and creating more vibrant communities.”
This week, the President also signed an Executive Order calling on HUD and other agencies to recommend and implement reforms to strengthen work requirements for recipients of public assistance. Congressional leaders also unveiled a plan this week to implement new work requirements for Americans receiving food and nutritional assistance.
More information on the President’s Executive Order is available
here. For more information on HUD’s celebration of the Fair Housing Act 50-year Anniversary, please click
here.
Lawmakers press HUD and USDA on Fiscal Year 2019 spending
This week, USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue
testified before the Senate Appropriations Committee on the President’s Fiscal Year 2019 Budget Request, which proposes steep cuts to housing and other programs.
In a hearing dominated by agricultural trade and changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Secretary faced tough questions about the impacts on struggling families in rural areas. Secretary Perdue highlighted the Budget Request’s goal to “stimulate public-private partnerships needed to build rural infrastructure including broadband, community facilities, safe and affordable housing, health services and facilities, and provide capacity-building to help underserved communities become thriving communities.”
The Secretary also updated the Senate Committee on the Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity, which recently released its findings and recommendations: “We have a strong plan in place to ensure we continue to improve our service to rural America…The recommendations centered on five areas: e-connectivity, quality of life, rural workforce, technology, and economic development. To ensure that the findings of this report have a meaningful impact on rural America, we are moving forward to implement the initial recommendations and to expand stakeholder participation.”
Next week, the Senate will hear testimony from HUD Secretary Carson on the FY19 Budget Request, and the House will hold hearings on appropriations and on the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program.
