Policy
AAHSA Members Go to the Hill in Support of Interagency Bill
HUD Appropriations Mark Up "Happens"


Operational Tips
HUD Posts 4350.3 REV-1 Summary Q & A
Non Section 8 CA Deadline Extended

New and Notable
HUD Creates Two FMR Systems
The State of the Nation’s Housing 2005 Released


Housing Report

Policy
AAHSA Members Go to the Hill in Support of Interagency Bill
Five AAHSA members testified at the hearing on S. 705, a bill which would establish an Interagency Council on Meeting the Housing and Services Needs of Seniors to better coordinate the various programs used by seniors. AAHSA members, Board Chair, Bill Smith, Steve Protulis of EHDOC, Terry Allton of National Church Residences, Steve Proctor of Presbyterian Homes in Pennsylvania and Dana Olson representing VOA, had a positive reception from the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee. In a testament to the work of our members in raising the importance of this issue, several senators were on hand and praised Sarbanes for introducing the much needed legislation. HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson, who testified in support of the bill, gave the senators his commitment to be personally involved in the council rather than assigning a designee.
Read the testimony and view the hearing.
Urge your senators to co-sponsor the bill through Contact Congress.

HUD Appropriations Mark Up "Happens"
In what appeared to be a pro forma mark up of the HUD budget the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Treasury and HUD set FY06 funding levels for several programs including the Section 202 housing program. The funding remained level at $741 million although the subcommittee released no information on how the money would be divided amongst the various programs funded under Section 202, such as the capital advance, service coordinator grants, and the assisted living conversion program. The CDBG program remains at HUD rather than transferred to the Department of Commerce as proposed by the Presidents although funding was cut by about $250 million. The bill includes the President’s unspecified $2.5 billion rescission which is a major concern for us. No one knows or will say exactly where the planned $2.5 billion rescission will come from. As soon as we have more information, we will let you know. The Full House Appropriations Committee is expected to consider the bill on the 21st, with floor action tentatively scheduled prior to the July 4th recess. The Senate has not scheduled its mark up yet.
For more information, contact Alayna Waldrum.



Operational Tips
HUD Posts 4350.3 REV-1 Summary Q & A
HUD released a summary of questions pertaining to Occupancy Handbook 4350.3 Revision 1. This is a "must read" document for housing providers and their staff. The summary includes HUD responses to online questions from housing administrators and is categorized by topic.
Download the 40 page document.
For more information contact Colleen Bloom.

Non Section 8 CA Deadline Extended
HUD has released an amendment to non- section 8 contract administration application extending the deadline to June 30, 2005.
More information and view the amendment.

New and Notable
HUD Creates Two FMR Systems
HUD’s Office of Policy Development and Research has just added two new web systems to the HUDUSER.org web site to provide information about the Fair Market Rents (FMRs) set by HUD each year for the Housing Choice Voucher program and other programs. These systems will provide easier access to FMR information, as well as highly detailed information on the process HUD uses to set FMRs nationwide. The new Fair Market Rent History system provides the published FMRs for all unit sizes from FY 2000 to FY 2005for any area of the country.
View the Fair Market Rent History System.

The second system is the 2005 Fair Market Rent Documentation System. It provides complete descriptions of the development of the 2005 FMRs for any area of the country. By location, you can determine how the 2005 FMRs were updated and developed, starting with the 2000 Census benchmark and including any subsequent re-benchmarking that has come about through a local random digit dialing survey or American Housing Survey data.
View the 2005 Fair Market Rent Documentation System.

The State of the Nation’s Housing 2005 Released
The Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University released its annual report of the state of the nation’s housing on June 13. For renters, affordability remains a critical problem. Nearly one third of the nation’s renters spends more than 30% of their income for housing, with one in eight spending nearly 50% or more for rent. Seniors on fixed income find it harder and harder to find an affordable apartment as the number of affordable housing units shrink.
Read the full report.