Help NAHMA harness our membership strength!
NAHMA’s 2020 Affordable 100 survey is now available. Responses will be accepted until Jan. 31. Besides publishing the data, the information collected is used for legislative and regulatory advocacy in Washington, D.C. Even if you think your company may be too small to qualify for the top 100 list, please take the time to fill out the survey and assist NAHMA and its members in their advocacy efforts on behalf of the affordable housing industry.
The Affordable 100 is a list of the 100 largest affordable multifamily property management companies ranked by affordable unit counts. The Affordable 100 results are posted on NAHMA’s website and appear in NAHMA News, which is distributed to NAHMA members as well as other key personnel in the affordable housing management industry. It has a circulation of more than 10,000 copies. Additionally, the list is published in Affordable Housing Finance magazine and Units magazine.
The NAHMA website version of the Affordable 100 expands the list to the top 120 largest multifamily property management companies. In addition, the online version presents two specialty lists: the 25 largest housing credit (LIHTC) property management companies and the 25 largest Rural Development program property management companies. The Affordable 100 found on the association’s website also provides the management companies with the option to include hyperlinks to their own corporate websites, so visitors can quickly and easily find out more information on a particular company.
You do not need to be a NAHMA member to fill out the survey; your participation in this much-acclaimed list provides your company an opportunity to get the recognition it deserves on a national stage. Take the 2020 Survey by clicking here.
Registration for HUD Strong Families Initiative is Open!
Join the 1,000’s of past participating communities and improve the quality of life for HUD-assisted families. The goal of the initiative is to provide men, women, and children with key resources in health, education, and economic empowerment.
For more information and to register your event, visit HUD Strong Families website here. Registration ensures access to briefs and additional materials to make your event successful.
Congress shines spotlight on Homelessness and Community Reinvestment Act (CRA)
This week, affordable housing, or lack thereof, was examined from many different perspectives in Congress. Three committee hearings in the U.S. House of Representatives brought public, private, academic, and think thank leaders from across the industry to share their expertise on homelessness, gentrification, and financial institution lending in local communities.
On Tuesday, Jan. 14, the House Committee on Financial Services Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Financial Institutions held a hearing titled “The Community Reinvestment Act: Reviewing Who Wins and Who Loses with Comptroller Ottings Proposal,” to discuss modernization of the CRA. Per the title, the hearing largely examined the changes and potential impacts on proposed CRA revision. The affordable housing industry is currently examining the impacts of this proposal and how it will potentially impact programs such as the LIHTC and affordable housing lending. This hearing included the following panelists: Gerron Levi of the National Community Reinvestment Coalition; Eric Rodriguez of UnidosUS; Paulina Gonzalez-Brito of the California Reinvestment Coalition Institute; Hope Knight of the Greater Jamaica Development Corporation; and Faith Bautista of the National Diversity Coalition. The hearing can be viewed here.
Also on Tuesday, the Committee on Financial Services held a hearing titled “On the Brink of Homelessness: How the Affordable Housing Crisis and the Gentrification of America Is Leaving Families Vulnerable.” Hearing witnesses included: Karen Chapple, Professor and Chair of the Department of City and Regional Planning, University of California, Berkley; Matthew Desmond, Maurice P. During Professor of Sociology & Director of the Eviction Lab, Princeton University; Priya Jayachandran, President, National Housing Trust; Jeffrey Williams, Tenant Advocate; and Michael Hendrix, Director of State and Local Policy, Manhattan Institute. The hearing examined homelessness through a few subtopics, with panelists offering views on Current Issues Contributing to the Rental Housing Crisis, including Lack of Investment in Affordable Housing and Gentrification and Displacement, and Short-Term Rentals. Panelists also offered their perspective on the Impact of the Rental Housing Crisis: Evictions and Homelessness. Per the press release, several legislative proposals were highlighted and discussed during the hearing. This includes:
- H.R.1856, “The Ending Homelessness Act of 2019,” introduced by Chairwoman Waters to provide $13.27 billion over five years to several critical federal housing programs and initiatives, which includes funding for new units of affordable housing, new vouchers, case management, and technical assistance. The targeted funding in this bill is projected to end homelessness in America.
- H.R. 5187, the “Housing is Infrastructure Act of 2019,” sponsored by Chairwoman Maxine Waters to authorize more than $100 billion in federal investments for the nation’s affordable housing infrastructure, including public housing, supportive housing for seniors and people with disabilities, housing affordable to the lowest-income people, and rural and Native American housing.
- The “Stable Families Act,” a discussion draft from Representative William Lacy Clay that would establish a demonstration program to provide short-term financial assistance to extremely low-income families at risk of eviction.
- The “Housing Emergencies Lifeline Program (HELP) Act of 2019,” a discussion draft from Representative Ayanna Pressley to provide protections for tenants who have been evicted from their homes by making several key changes to Fair Credit Reporting Act. The legislation would also create a database of eviction information.
NAHMA will follow these bills through the committee process and keep members updated. The hearing can be view here.
Congress holds hearing on Veterans Services
This week, the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity held hearing entitled “Making HUD-VASH Work for all Veteran Communities.” The hearing covered why tens of thousands of HUD-VASH vouchers go unused each year; what actions can be taken to improve the program; how to better address veteran homelessness. Hearing witnesses for the first panel included Mr. Keith Harris, National Director of Clinical Operations, VA Homeless Program Office, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Mr. Hunter Kurtz, Assistant Secretary of Public and Indian Housing, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; and Panel 2: Mr. Steve Berg, Vice President for Programs and Policy, National Alliance to End Homelessness; Ms. Kathryn Monet, Chief Executive Officer, National Coalition for Homeless Veterans; Mr. Greg Anglea, Chief Executive Officer, Interfaith Community Services; and Mr. Gary Cooper, Chairman of the Board of Directors of NAIHC, Executive Director of the Housing Authority of the Cherokee Nation. The hearing is available here.