Congress in Recess
The Senate plans to return to Washington next week, while the House will not return until at least May 11. Members of the House of Representatives expressed concern about returning to Washington as some areas in the Washington, D.C. region continue to develop into coronavirus hot spots. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said the decision to delay the return, which had been scheduled for May 4, came after he talked with the Capitol physician. The physician, who advises both the House and Senate, recommended against taking the risk involved in allowing members to return. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced in a statement that the Senate would return during the week of May 4, but would “modify routines in ways that are smart and safe.”
Members of Congress Request Funding for Homeless Programs in Next COVID-19 Funding Bill
Representatives Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL) and Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), Co-Chairs of the Congressional Homelessness Caucus, led a letter signed by 95 Members of Congress urging House leadership to build upon funding provided in the CARES Act by including sufficient resources to protect homeless Americans in the fourth COVID-19 aid package. The letter requests: $11.5 billion in Emergency Solutions Grants to expand shelter capacity and support rapid re-housing programs; $3 billion in Housing Choice Vouchers to expand housing access to those most vulnerable (seniors, individuals with disabilities and/or underlying medical conditions); and $100 billion in emergency rental assistance funded through contributions to Housing Choice Vouchers, Emergency Solutions Grants, Section 521 Rural Rental Assistance, and the Disaster Housing Assistance Program The letter to House leadership can be found HERE.
LIHTC Champions Request 4 Percent Housing Credit in Next Package
Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (D-WA-1) sent a letter to House leadership urging them to address the growing affordable housing crisis by expanding the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (Housing Credit) in the next COVID-19 response package. The letter specifically calls on Congress to enact a minimum 4 percent Housing Credit rate in the next COVID-19 response package and lower the bond financing requirement from 50 percent. This would provide greater and much needed market flexibility during the COVID-19 pandemic and increase the feasibility of constructing and maintaining affordable housing developments. Enacting a 4 percent Housing Credit rate would enable the development or preservation of more than 68,000 additional rental home over 10 years and support thousands of new construction-related jobs. The letter was signed by Congresswoman DelBene and the three original co-sponsors of the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act (H.R. 3077), Reps. Don Beyer (VA-08), Kenny Marchant (TX-24), and Jackie Walorski (IN-02). The letter to House leadership can be found HERE.
Senators Request Funding for USDA Rural Rental Assistance Program
Senator Tina Smith (D-MN), along with a bipartisan group of 16 senators sent a letter to the Senate Committee on Appropriations Chairman Richard Shelby (R-AL) and Ranking Member Pat Leahy (D-VT), urging them to include emergency funding for USDA’s Section 521 Rural Rental Assistance program in the next Covid-19 supplemental appropriations package. No funding was included for USDA Rural Rental Assistance program in previous allocations. The letter highlights that 20 percent of Americans live in rural areas and that 86 percent of counties struggling with persistent poverty are also in rural areas. It also emphasizes that providing emergency funding for USDA’s Rural Rental Assistance program, which is a vital form of assistance to low-income households, seniors and individuals with disabilities in rural areas, is essential for preventing housing instability in USDA-financed rental properties in rural areas. The letter was also sent to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture. The letter to the Senate Appropriations Committee can be found HERE.
National Governors Association Requests Additional State Assistance
In a letter to Congressional leadership, Chairman of the National Governors Association Larry Hogan (R-MD) and Vice-Chair Governor Andrew Cuomo (D-NY), requested Congress appropriate an additional $500 billion for states and territories in direct federal aid. This would allow for the replacement of lost revenue in state coffers due to the negative economic impact of COVID-19. Specifically, Congress should retroactively amend the CARES Act to ensure flexibility to allow for lost revenue in Treasury Department funds necessary for state governments to function. The previous COVID-19 emergency spending bills did not contain direct funding to offset drastic state revenue shortfalls, and unlike the federal government, states cannot borrow to fund continuing operations. Many states are already reporting precipitous declines in revenues that fund state services in health care, education, public safety, transportation, and other vital programs. The letter to Congressional leadership can be found HERE.