House Committee advances bill to expand and preserve rural affordable housing
This week, the House Financial Services Committee reported legislation to address critical affordable housing needs in rural America. The legislation, titled “Strategy and Investment in Rural Housing Preservation Act of 2019,” is co-sponsored by Subcommittee Chairman Lacy Clay and Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, both democrats from Missouri.
Chairman Clay’s Subcommittee convened a hearing earlier this year to discuss the draft legislation and the state of housing in rural areas. With rural American facing a maturing mortgage crisis on affordable properties, H.R. 3620 would permanently authorize the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Multifamily Housing Preservation and Revitalization (MPR) Program; allow decoupling of Rental Assistance as a last resort; authorize vouchers for residents after a mortgage matures, is prepaid, or is foreclosed; require USDA to come up with a plan for preservation of rural multifamily housing backed by USDA loans; and establish an advisory committee to advise USDA in implementing this plan.
The Committee reported the bill to be considered on the House floor with a unanimous vote of 57-0. NAHMA previously supported similar legislation to preserve and develop affordable housing in non-metro areas of the country, and we look forward to working with members to support rural housing solutions.
Prominent lawmakers introduce “Fair Chance at Housing Act”
This week, Presidential candidate Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) and prominent freshman Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) introduced a bill to reform the eviction and screening policies for individuals with a criminal history.
According to Senator Harris’s press release, this bill would reduce recidivism rates and increase stable housing access for ex-offenders “by preserving the ability of PHAs and owners to protect the health and safety of their properties, while simultaneously rolling back unjustified policies…It would also help prevent homelessness by ensuring that individuals and households currently receiving federal housing assistance are not unfairly evicted.”
Specifically, S. 2076/H.R. 3685 would:
- Provide PHAs with additional administrative funding for helping to house ex-offenders through the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program.
- Ban “1-strike” policies, which allow tenants to be evicted for a single incident of criminal activity, no matter how minor, in favor of a holistic review;
- Ban “no-fault” policies, which allow an entire family to be evicted for criminal activity by a guest of a household member even without the knowledge of anyone in the household;
- Raise the standards of evidence to be used by public housing authorities (PHAs) and owners and require a holistic consideration of all mitigating circumstances when making screening or eviction determinations based on criminal activity;
- Ensure that tenants who are evicted for criminal activity and applicants who are denied admission for criminal activity are given adequate written notice of the reasons for the decision, and the opportunity to present mitigating evidence or appeal a decision; and
- Prohibit the use of suspicionless drug and alcohol testing by owners and PHAs.
The bill is another of recent high-profile affordable housing legislation introduced by presidential hopefuls. NAHMA will monitor the bill’s progress.
HUD launches national fair housing training academy
Yesterday, HUD announced that it is partnering with the John Marshall Law School in Chicago and Cloudburst Consulting Group, Inc., to develop the National Fair Housing Training Academy (NFHTA). The Academy will prepare fair housing advocates, lawyers, investigators, and other stakeholders on effective strategies and techniques for addressing discriminatory housing policies and practices throughout the nation.
According to HUD’s press release, “The Academy will also play a central role in providing information and instruction that will advance the letter and spirit of the Fair Housing Act…In addition to providing training, the Academy will also serve as a think tank and conduit through which current and future generations of civil rights professionals share and explore best practices and develop ways to raise industry standards.” The Academy is also intended to serve as a “clearinghouse” for fair housing education and outreach materials.
Anna María Farías, HUD’s Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, said “the Academy will offer greater flexibility in how we prepare fair housing professionals to take on today’s fair housing challenges and represents an important step in training our fair housing partners around the country.”