Housing Report: February 4, 2005
HUD Appropriations Subcommittees To Be Realigned???
Senate and House Authorizing Committees Organize
The FY 2006 Budget to be Released Today
New Housing Management Update
Funds Available for Green Building
RHP Program
Housing Report
Policy
At press time, a number of questions remain about the future of the HUD
appropriations subcommittees in both houses of Congress. The new House
Appropriations Chairman, Jerry Lewis (R-41st, CA), has proposed eliminating
three of the thirteen appropriations subcommittees, including VA/HUD. Under the
revamped system, HUD would come under the jurisdiction of the Transportation
and Treasury Committees, divorced from VA health care and NASA, its constant
competition.
The problem comes with convincing the Senate to realign their appropriations
subcommittee structure to match the new House plan because some of Senators
would lose their chairmanships, including Senator Kit Bond, a long time champion
for HUD. Last week the Senate rejected the idea, but agreed to enter into talks with
the House in an attempt to reach a compromise. It is unclear if HUD will fare much
better in a new subcommittee or if the housing programs will continue to face stiff,
but different, competition and cuts. Chairman Lewis and Senator Cochran, the new
Senate Appropriations Chairman, will meet this week to settle on a new structure,
if any.
Former HUD Secretary, Mel Martinez, was assigned to the Senate Committee on
Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, and to its Subcommittee on Housing and
Transportation which has jurisdiction over legislation on public and private housing,
and mass transit, including the senior transportation program. Martinez served for
three years as the HUD Secretary before returning to Florida to run for Senate. The
most immediate focus of the Senate Banking Committee this year will be on
legislation regulating and reforming Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, in the wake
of accounting troubles for the housing government sponsored enterprises.
In the House Financial Services Committee, new members were assigned to the
Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity when they organized on
February 2. New Republicans include Ginny Brown-Waite of Florida, Randy
Neugebauer of Texas, Michael Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, and Geoff Davis of
Kentucky. The new Democrats include Al Green of Texas, and Emanuel Cleaver
of Missouri.
While we expect no surprises in the Section 202 budget, the Community
Development Block Grant Program, long a source of funding for services
such as senior centers and meals on wheels programs, gap funding, and
community infrastructure repairs, such as sidewalks, for senior housing, is
on the chopping and reorganizing block. According to a recently released
OMB paper the budget will include a proposal to combine 18 community
and economic development grant programs now funded at $16 billion,
including CDBG, into a single new program, the Strengthening America's
Communities Grant Program. Funds would be tightly targeted to low-income
communities, to be called Opportunity Zones, and eligibility for funding will be
based on job loss, unemployment levels, and poverty. Funding for the
consolidated program will be $3.71 billion, to be administered by the
Commerce Department. Funding for CDBG alone including its various
set-asides such as Youthbuild, LISC, Enterprise, Habitat for Humanity,
EDI grants, Native Americans, Native Hawaiians totaled $4.7 billion in
FY 2005.
Operations and Management
In this edition of the AAHSA Housing Bulletin, find out about current and future
Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit impacts on owner verifications of income
and medical cost deductions; decreased service coordinator renewal funding
guidelines; AAHSA’s comments on draft revisions to the PBCA guidebook; the
latest steps taken toward possible contract administration for other non-Section 8
rental assistance programs; annual adjustment factors, emergency repair grants;
REAC updates; and latest extensions of existing notices.
Read the Update here.
Resources
The Housing Assistance Council and the Home Depot Foundation are offering
grants program to nonprofits involved in developing or rehabbing buildings in rural
communities to make them green or healthy homes. The grants will range from
$10,000 to $20,000 and should address projects to promote design, efficiency
and conservation. Applications are due to HAC by March 15, 2005 and awards
will be made in late spring 2005. For more information and to download an
application visit
www.ruralhome.org.
The Retirement Housing Professional (RHP) program will be held May 2-7, 2005
in Saratoga Springs, NY. The RHP program is a partnership between the University
of North Texas, AAHSA and NYAHSA that offers national certification program for
professionals designed to educate senior housing and service professionals
involved in the management of continuing care retirement communities, assisted
living facilities and senior housing. RHP is recognized as a leader in promoting
professionalism and excellence in housing management, administration, and
services. For more information go to
http://www.unt.edu/aging/rhp/
Last Updated : 1/19/2006 11:38:26 AM
