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On July 14, 2016, the Senate passed H.R. 3700, the Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act of 2015 (HOTMA) by unanimous consent. It streamlines and reforms several federal housing assistance programs. The Senate passage of the House-passed version expedites the lawmaking process, as now H.R. 3700 is headed to the President’s desk and is expected to be signed into law soon.
Florida Senators Bill Nelson (D) and Marco Rubio (R) introduced the Housing Accountability Act of 2016 on July 14. The bill would require a survey of residents at private properties with Section 8 Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) contracts twice a year to determine the existence of persistent problems with a property’s physical condition or management.
HUD and Comcast recently announced an initiative to provide broadband access to families living in HUD-assisted housing in 40 states across the nation. The effort scales up ConnectHome, a demonstration program hosted by HUD and Comcast that provides children and families living in HUD-assisted housing with high-speed Internet service, the opportunity to purchase a discounted computer, and digital literacy courses. Between 2011 and 2015, the pilot program connected more ...
The House Appropriations Committee recently approved its Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) funding bill by voice vote. The bill would fully fund project-based rental assistance contracts and funds the HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) at its FY 2016 level of $950 million. Overall, the bill provides $58.19 billion in new spending on THUD programs, $889 million above FY 2016 and slightly higher than the Senate-passed THUD...
Secretary Castro recently traveled to Puerto Rico for a series of events to discuss affordable housing strategies, economic development, and the Obama Administration’s efforts to combat the threat of the Zika virus on the island. While in Puerto Rico, Secretary Castro announced HUD will be investing $200 million to help develop and rehabilitate 750 units of affordable housing in seven locations across the island.
To help end veteran homelessness, HUD and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) are awarding nearly $38 million to help more than 5,200 homeless veterans find homes. The rental assistance is provided through the HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) Program, which combines rental assistance from HUD with case management and clinical services provided by VA.
HUD recently published the state-by-state 2016 allocations for the Housing Trust Fund (HTF). The total 2016 HTF funding is approximately $174 million. The HTF is an affordable housing production program that’s intended to complement existing federal, state, and local efforts to increase and preserve the supply of decent, safe, and sanitary affordable housing for extremely low- and very low-income households, including homeless families. It was established under Ti...
Representative Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) recently introduced H.R. 5137, “The Moving to Work Reformation and Expansion Act of 2016.” Thirty-nine public housing agencies (PHAs) currently participate in the Moving to Work (MTW) demonstration. Their MTW agreements were recently extended until 2028. In addition, the FY 2016 Appropriations Act authorized expanding the MTW demonstration to at least another 100 PHAs.
Representative Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the House Financial Services Committee, recently introduced the “Fair Chance at Housing Act of 2016” (H.R. 5085) that would take significant steps towards ensuring people with criminal records have meaningful access to housing. The bill would require PHAs and other owners of HUD- and USDA-assisted housing to provide applicants and current tenants with an individualized review that looks at the totality o...
Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) and 28 of his Democratic colleagues recently introduced the “True LEADership Act” (S. 2821) a comprehensive plan to address lead poisoning, including several proposals related to housing. The bill would overhaul the way HUD deals with lead in homes by amending and expanding the “Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act” to include healthy housing activities.
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