Shutdown lifted temporarily as full-year funding remains uncertain
This afternoon, President Trump announced his intent to sign a bill reopening the federal government for three weeks, pending further border security negotiations. The announcement comes on day 35 of the partial shutdown, during which time HUD, USDA, Treasury, and other federal agencies remained closed.
The President is expected to sign a Continuing Resolution as soon as today to fund the affected agencies at Fiscal Year 2018 levels until February 15th, 2019; however, if border security negotiations between the White House and Congress are not resolved by mid-February, the funding impasse could continue, leaving federal workers, housing programs, and other stakeholders in a continued state of uncertainty.
During the shutdown, most HUD and USDA employees and contractors were furloughed without paychecks. Since the beginning of the shutdown, more than 1,100 Project-Based Rental Assistance contracts were not able to be renewed by HUD, causing owners to tap into reserve funding to cover the funding lapse. NAHMA will work with returning HUD staff to address the non-renewals as soon as the agency reopens, and will press for more clarity on why the contracts were allowed to expire despite early assurances from HUD that contract funding would not be affected until months into a shutdown.
Meanwhile, full-year FY19 funding for HUD and USDA housing programs remains uncertain. While NAHMA is relieved at the temporary government reopening, we continue to urge Congress and the White House to come to a full-year funding agreement as soon as possible, and we ask our members to continue your advocacy to your local and DC-based elected officials. In the meantime, we thank our partners at HUD and USDA for continuing to work with our member properties during the shutdown to the best of their ability.
Housing advocacy ramps up as government reopens temporarily
During the shutdown, NAHMA met with staff from key congressional offices – including the Speaker of the House, Senate Leadership, and Committee Chairmen – to discuss shutdown impacts on affordable housing communities. Despite the temporary relief announced today, we continue to advocate for a robust, full-year funding deal as soon as possible.
Short-term funding measures are not only inefficient, but they continue to destabilize communities and managers relying on annual federal assistance contracts. Please continue to reach out to your legislators to explain the impacts of funding lapses and temporary funding measures on your properties, staff, and residents.
In addition, if you or your properties have been affected by the funding lapse, please let us know so that we can help relay the message to lawmakers and to federal agencies. Shutdown information from agencies and advocacy materials will continue to be updated on NAHMA’s Shutdown Webpage here.
Plan your March Hill Visits and participate in NAHMA’s Hill Visit Challenge
With many new faces in Congress this year, and the ongoing funding uncertainty destabilizing NAHMA member communities, affordable housing advocacy is more important than ever. While in town for the March Meeting, please visit Capitol Hill on Tuesday afternoon to meet with your lawmakers or their staff and tell them why full year funding for affordable housing programs is critical.
NAHMA can assist with deciding which offices are most relevant for housing issues, scheduling meetings, and providing talking points. Please let us know by February 8th if you would like assistance so that we can reach out to Congressional offices on your behalf.
This week, NAHMA also announced the details of the “NAHMA March Meeting Hill Visit Challenge.” Participation is easy: Simply snap a photo during your pre-arranged Hill meeting (or in front of the Congressional office), and send it to jbilowich@nahma.org. Each meeting earns points to help your AHMA win our Challenge bracket! To earn extra points, post your photos on social media or bring someone new to advocacy to the meeting with you (or go to the Hill yourself as a first-timer – NAHMA can assist by attending a limited number of meetings with you).
For more information about the Hill Visit Challenge, please click here.