NAHRO Policy Team Blog

Attention NAHRO members! With less than a week until the House THUD Appropriation Subcommittee’s mark up of the FY 2012 THUD appropriations bill and Congress’ August recess right around the corner, it is time to focus on your legislative advocacy and media outreach efforts. To help prepare you in your endeavors, NAHRO has created an Advocacy and PR Toolkit. This toolkit covers everything you need to know from how to contact your legislator(s) to quick tips on writing a boiler plate or customized letter to the editor of your local media outlet(s).

On June 30, HUD announced a revised version of the Notice of Disclosure form that describesthe rights of active duty military personnel and their dependents who are protected under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA).

HUD wants to hear your input on how to improve the Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grant NOFA at the Choice Neighborhoods Listening Session in DC from 2:30 – 4:30pm on Friday, July 15.

On June 23,Tony Bazzie, Executive Director of the Raleigh County (WV) Housing Authority, testified before the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Insurance, Housing and Community Opportunity on a recently released discussion draft, entitled the Section 8 Savings Act (SESA), to reform the Housing Choice Voucher program. NAHRO and six other organizations provided recommendations on the proposed legislation.

Attention NAHRO members! NAHRO, along with others, will testify tomorrow before the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Insurance, Housing and Community Opportunity.  The hearing will focus on a recently released discussion draft of the ‘‘Section 8 Savings Act of 2011,” which makes reforms to the Housing Choice Voucher Program.

Have you heard? All across the U.S., housing authorities are gearing up for Father’s Day Weekend. According to HUD, 200 agencies across the nation answered HUD’s call to host Father’s Day 2011 events this Saturday.

 During a briefing from HUD on its proposed operating reserve offset implementation plans on Monday, NAHRO made it clear to HUD Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing Sandra Henriquez that NAHRO will remain strongly opposed to this proposal and will continue its advocacy efforts on Capitol Hill against it.

 In case you missed it, HUD announced on Tuesday, June 14, in its 2010 A

On June 13, 2011, HUD and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs awarded FY 2010 Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing Program (HUD-VASH) project-based vouchers in the amount of $5.4 million to PHAs in 18 States to supply permanent housing and case management for 676 homeless Veterans.

Update from Washington

Secretary Shaun Donovan knows the HOME Investment Partnership Program well.  In a new op-ed piece, the Secretary explains what the WashingtonPost got wrong in its investigative report.

Attention NAHRO Members!

Around the Web

The Joint Center for Housing Studies recently released The State of the Nation’s Housing 2011, the Center’s annual report describing the challenges facing the housing industry, with a particular emphasis on affordable housing.  With the tightening of rental markets, a record high 19 million American households are paying more than half of their income for housing, causing affordable housing residents to feel the squeeze.   

HUD officials ha