House Takes Steps to Avoid a Government Shutdown
On Wednesday, March 6, the House of Representatives approved H.R. 933, “the Department of Defense, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act of 2013” by a vote of vote of 267 to 151. The bill provides the necessary funds to keep the government open until the end of the fiscal year on September 30, 2013.
A full-year Defense Appropriations bill, as well as a full-year Military Construction/Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill, is included in the legislation. Except for the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Department of Veterans Affairs, the continuing resolution will extend funding for other government agencies, including HUD and USDA-RHS at the FY 2012 levels. This means contracts renewals for project-based Section 8 properties would also be funded at FY 2012 levels. Nearly all of the funding in the CR is subject to the President’s sequestration order, bringing the total discretionary spending within the bill to approximately $984 billion. NAHMA stands by the belief that sequestration should be replaced with a more sensible approach to deficit reduction.
To view the text of H.R. 933, please follow:
H.R.933
To view a summary by the House Appropriations Committee, please visit:
House Appropriations
Enhancing the Family Self Sufficiency Program
On Tuesday, March 5, Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) introduced S. 454, “a bill to promote the development of local strategies to coordinate use of assistance under sections 8 and 9 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 with public and private resources, to enable eligible families to achieve economic independence and self-sufficiency”.
Senator Reed’s legislation seeks to enhance the Family Self Sufficiency (FSS) program by streamlining the administration, and by extending the FSS program to tenants who live in privately-owned properties with project-based assistance. The owner of a privately-owned property may voluntarily make a local FSS program available to tenants by entering into a cooperative agreement with a local PHA that administers an FSS program. The bill would also combine the FSS program for families under the Housing Choice Voucher Program and families within Public Housing Agencies to lessen the overhead costs from running FSS separately in each program.
The Family Self Sufficiency program is an employment and savings incentive program for families that have Section 8 vouchers or live in public housing. The FFS program provides access to the resources and training that help participants pursue employment opportunities and meet financial goals. It also encourages families participating in FSS to save funds by establishing an interest-bearing security-deposit account for them. The family can use these savings to pay for job-related expenses, such as additional workforce training upon graduation from FSS.
To read the text of S.454, please visit:
S.454
The Choice Neighborhoods Initiative Act of 2013
On Monday, March 4, Senator Menendez introduced S. 437, the “Choice Neighborhoods Initiative Act of 2013”. This bill would authorize HUD to transform neighborhoods of extreme poverty into sustainable, mixed-income neighborhoods with better access to economic opportunities. This goal would be accomplished by revitalizing severely distressed housing, and investing in education opportunities, public assets, public transportation, and improved access to jobs within the communities.
The Secretary of HUD would be authorized to make competitive grants to eligible entities that submit transformation plans to distressed areas under this bill. Assisted housing owners are specifically deemed eligible for grants in the text of S.437, and the bill also promotes affordable housing as a means to ensure that existing residents have access to the benefits of the neighborhood transformation.
To read the text of S.437, please visit:
S.437
