Advocacy & Policy

2021 Legislative & Regulatory Agenda

National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials 2021 NAHRO Legislative and Regulatory Agenda Cover
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NARHO Priorities Fully Fund Affordable Housing and Community Development Programs COVID-19 has demonstrated that affordable housing is critical to the nation's health and safety. Congress should fully fund affordable housing and community development programs. No one should have to face housing instability, especially during a pandemic. Congress and the Administration must also prioritize the appropriations process to keep the federal government open. Champion Resilient Families and Communities COVID-19 has deepened already stark economic divisions in America, but HUD tools utilized by NAHRO members help bridge that gap. NAHRO supports programs that help its members foster stable communities, house the homeless, recover quickly from disasters, and operate mobility and place-based initiatives that help families succeed. NAH RO supports critical federal, state, and local resident supportive services that foster strong education and health outcomes. Support Local, Equitable Community-Based Solutions NAHRO members (housing authorities, community development agencies, project-based rental assistance owners, project-based contract administrators, and our business partners) understand best the complex and unique circumstances facing their communities - rural, urban, and suburban. During COVID-19, Congress has entrusted NAHRO members with dramatically expanded flexibilities to operate their programs based on local conditions and needs; these flexibilities should be made permanent. We must also prioritize equity in local solution-making to address injustices and current service gaps. Preserve and Develop the Nation's Housing Stock Housing is critical infrastructure. Even throughout the pandemic, NAHRO members work hard to use existing federal housing programs and policies to create and maintain housing opportunities for families, youth, seniors, and persons with disabilities. NAH RO believes that housing providers should all have access to programs and funding that preserve and improve subsidized housing, including making the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) available to all PHAs that wish to participate. Any infrastructure discussions should include significant resources for housing infrastructure.
NAHRO Funding Priorities
COVID-19 Transitional Voucher Assistance the loss of income due to COVID-19 has increased housing insecurity, but families can be served with short-term rental assistance until their income is restored. COVID-19 Housing Assistance Payments Ensure that tenants and landlords are made whole from unpaid rent caused by the housing impacts of COVID-19 through rental assistance programs administered by PHAS and other partners.
Resiliency Community Development Block Grant - Disaster Recovery The Administration must request, and Congress must enact, streamlined and focused statutes, regulations, and guidance on the CDBG-DR program so funds can quickly reach local communities in need. Alleviate Food Insecurity The nation's low-income communities must be provided with the resources and opportunities to become food secure. Ensure Internet Access for Families Internet access is essential for 21st century families - all families should have the ability to access the basic utility to achieve employment, education and healthy goals. Access to Opportunity and Economic Mobility All families and individuals must have unfettered opportunities for upward economic mobility, including the ability to maximize their health and education outcomes.
Community Solutions New Permanent Voucher Assistance New voucher assistance should be available for approximately 8 million people who currently qualify for a voucher, but do not have one. It should include search assistance, tools for landlord engagement, short-term financial assistance, service assistance, especially for homeless people, and other services as needed. Source of Income A tenant must be allowed to rent any available rental unit regardless of the source of their rental payment. Equity in Housing Race, gender, economic status, ability, sexual orientation, or other identity differences should not affect open access to affordable homeownership and rental opportunities. Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing To meet the promise and duty to affirmatively further fair housing, HUD should create a workable process that advances fair housing but does not penalize housing authorities for impediments outside of their control, considers funding deficits faced by PHAs, and strikes a balance between place-based solutions and mobility. Expand Moving to Work Flexibilities Funding and program f1exibilities that allow Moving to Work (MTW) agencies to better serve their local communities should be expanded to all PHAs that would like to use them. Permanent Program Flexibilities HUD programs have numerous regulations that cause inefficient and unwise operations. PHAs and HUD have implemented the regulatory and statutory f1exibilities allowed during COVID-19 to quickly and effectively serve their local communities. These changes must be made permanent, especially for small agencies. Provide Resources to PBCA Project-Based Contract Administrators (PBCAs) are a crucial link between private owners of affordable housing and HUD, and public housing authorities are best equipped to administer these contracts. They ensure that residents have safe homes, so they must be given the authority and resources to effectively complete this work. Improve Fair Market Rents Fair Market Rents continue to lag behind local on-the-ground rental prices and should continue to be improved until they accurately represent rental prices in all housing markets across the country.
Preserve and Develop Public Housing Capital Fund To address the decades of dangerous underfunding of the Public Housing Capital Fund, Congress must appropriate $70 billion to the Capital Fund to address the backlog of repairs. Strengthen Native American Communities Reauthorization of the Native American Housing Assistance and Self - Determination Act (NAHASDA) is imperative, along with additional housing resources that Native American communities need to thrive. Fund the HOME Program The HOME Investment Partnerships program must receive additional funding and resources. This program creates and maintains critical local infrastructure and provides vital rental assistance to the community. New Housing Construction Congress should fund the construction of 300,000 new units of permanent low-income housing to replenish the units that have been removed from the public housing stock since 1999. Congress should also fully fund subsidies to operate additional units. Improve the Affordable Housing Tax Credit Strengthening and streamIining the Low - Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) is critical to meeting the affordable housing needs of our country. Congress should increase the LIHTC allocation by 50 percent, promote bonds for public housing preservation, and exclude those bonds from the overall cap. Expand the Rental Assistance Demonstration The Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) preserves safe, affordable housing. RAD and all available public housing preservation tools must be made available to all PHAs that opt to use them to maintain and safeguard their local hard affordable housing units. Increase Resources for Rural Housing The Administration and Congress should support increased funding, f1exibilities, and collaboration between affordable housing programs for America's rural communities by increasing funding to the USDA Section 515 Rural Rental Housing program and the Preservation Revolving Loan Fund to ensure USDA properties remain affordable in the future.
About NAHRO NAHRO, which was established in 1933, is a membership organization of 20,000 housing and community development providers and professional throughout the United States. NAHRO members create and manage affordable housing for low- and middle-income families, and support vibrant communities that enhance the quality of life for all. They administer more than 3 million homes for more than 8 million people. Why Public Housing Authorities Matter Public housing authorities house the nation's most vulnerable populations, and have done so for more than 70 years. PHAs own and manage millions of homes for families, veterans, persons with disabilities and seniors. Public housing authorities are crisis and recovery experts. During the COVID-19 pandemic, PHAs have kept families housed and safe. They support struggling families, adjust, rent payments, provide internet access and food relief, and partner with their local health departments to get their high-risk residents vaccinated. As our nation recovers, they'll continue to help by managing and administering federal rental assistance and providing counseling services to millions of families having trouble paying the rent and the bills. Public housing authorities lead the fight against homelessness by providing permanent affordable housing and services. PHAs administer the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program with their landlord partners, and provide rental assistance to nearly 2.2 million low-income families, and work closely with Veterans Affairs to provide wrap-around services and permanent affordable housing to veterans. Public housing authorities create and preserve affordable housing. To fight the current national shortage of 7.2 million affordable and available rental homes, PHAs and their partners use an array of tools, including the Rental Assistance Demonstration program, the Community Development Block Grant program, the HOME Investment Partnership program, the low-Income Housing Tax Credit, and Choice Neighborhoods to develop affordable housing in their communities. National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials NAHRO 630 Eye Street NW Washington DC 20001 202.2889.3500 agenda@nahro.org nahro.org nahroblog.org @nahronational

NAHRO PRIORITIES

Fully Fund Affordable Housing and Community Development Programs

COVID-19 has demonstrated that affordable housing is critical to the nation’s health and safety. Congress should fully fund affordable housing and community development programs. No one should have to face housing instability, especially during a pandemic. Congress and the Administration must also prioritize the appropriations process to keep the federal government open.

Champion Resilient Families and Communities

COVID-19 has deepened already stark economic divisions in America, but HUD tools utilized by NAHRO members help bridge that gap. NAHRO supports programs that help its members foster stable communities, house the homeless, recover quickly from disasters, and operate mobility and place-based initiatives that help families succeed. NAHRO supports critical federal, state, and local resident supportive services that foster strong education and health outcomes.

Support Local, Equitable Community-Based Solutions

NAHRO members (housing authorities, community development agencies, project-based rental assistance owners, project-based contract administrators, and our business partners) understand best the complex and unique circumstances facing their communities – rural, urban, and suburban. During COVID-19, Congress has entrusted NAHRO members with dramatically expanded flexibilities to operate their programs based on local conditions and needs; these flexibilities should be made permanent. We must also prioritize equity in local solution-making to address injustices and current service gaps.

Preserve and Develop the Nation’s Housing Stock

Housing is critical infrastructure. Even throughout the pandemic, NAHRO members work hard to use existing federal housing programs and policies to create and maintain housing opportunities for families, youth, seniors, and persons with disabilities. NAHRO believes that housing providers should all have access to programs and funding that preserve and improve subsidized housing, including making the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) available to all PHAs that wish to participate. Any infrastructure discussions should include significant resources for housing infrastructure.

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