- Restructuring HUD to maximize its organizational efficiency;
- Innovative approaches to address housing affordability that respect individual rights and promote individual responsibility;
- Methods of targeting housing assistance to address generational cycles of poverty; and
- Examples of successful implementation of such proposals at the local, national, or international level
September 18, 2015
Appropriations Update
Since last week, lawmakers in the Senate or House have still not introduced funding legislation for fiscal year 2016. The current fiscal year ends on September 30th, so there remains little time for Congress to finalize legislation for all federal nondefense discretionary programs. Earlier this year, the House passed only half of the 12 appropriations bills necessary to provide funding for FY 2016; the Senate did not pass any of these appropriations bills.
In lieu of these bills, NAHMA anticipates that a temporary continuing resolution will be passed. A continuing resolution (CR) continues the funding from the previous fiscal year, and they often extend the funding for a limited amount of time so that lawmakers may draft alternative appropriations bills. However, CRs may also last for the entire fiscal year. A full year CR would be very harmful for affordable housing programs, by basically locking in current inadequate funding levels for another year.
The ideal outcome would be for Congress to pass a short term CR, no more than 60 days, and that in that time they are able to agree on a comprehensive budget agreement and pass new appropriations legislation for FY 2016, similar to the Senator Patty Murray – Representative Paul Ryan agreement passed in 2013. The strict budget caps which Congress must adhere to for FY 2016 in order to avoid automatic, across-the-board funding cuts known as sequestration have prevented appropriators from passing legislation that will adequately fund all federal programs to their current need.
NAHMA will continue to monitor the funding situation for FY 2016 and will alert members of a CR when it is introduced.
House Financial Services Chair Seeks Recommendations on HUD Programs
Earlier this week, Financial Services Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-TX) requested that members of the public submit new ideas on how best to fight the problems of poverty and housing affordability in America. “Simply put, we must reform and innovate how we provide assistance for housing in the 21st century or we will continue to fail the very people who are in most need of our help. That is why I am calling on all interested advocates, organizations, and ordinary citizens to join the effort to modernize the delivery of federal housing assistance and submit their ideas on how to restructure and rebuild HUD for today’s generation” Hensarling said in a press release.
Submissions will be accepted through November 1, 2015, and may be incorporated into the Financial Services Committee proposals or made public at a later date. NAHMA would like to contribute to this discussion, and we would like to gather your thoughts and recommendations. Hensarling has asked that the public share their thoughts on the following subjects:
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