NPCNYS: Policy Alert #7

Dear Members & Friends,

This policy alert and update covers a few topics of interest: 1) DHCR contractual updates, 2) Housing Budget Update, and 3) Federal Policy Updates.

1)      DHCR

NOTE TO Preservation Companies: The Neighborhood and Rural Preservation Programs require you to submit your Annual Performance Report to DHCR sixty days after the end of your contract.  Therefore, the reports are due by Monday, August 30, 2010.  In order to remain in compliance with your preservation program contract, you must submit this report to annualreport@nysdhscr.gov on or before that date.  Also, complete your renewal contract.  Information on budget below.

2)      Housing Budget

As you know, NYS has a $9.2 billion deficit.  We have yet to finalize the State budget which means that it remains unclear how much funding will be made available to the NPC’s.  The NYS Leadership cannot decide on where to cut and spend regarding taxes and education.  The third leaders meeting is tomorrow at 11am. 

We need to bring attention back to the NPC budget.  All programs need to call their Assembly Member and Senator and urge them to tell the Housing Chairs (Assembly Member Vito Lopez and Senator Pedro Espada Jr) that your program’s funding cannot be cut.  Describe the important and critical services you provide in your community and explain the impact budget cuts would have on your program and their constituents. The Housing Chairs need to hear from your representatives. 

We need to generate more attention.  So we ask you to continue in our campaign to receive adequate funding:

Inform your Legislator in the Assembly and Senate about the budget impact.

Please call.  Your calls are important.  They need to know that their constituents care about this issue and are making the effort to reach out to them.  Make sure that your local State Senator and Assembly Member is informed on the impact the proposed budget will have on your program and the community you serve.  It is imperative that the Legislature hear our all of our voices, strong and unified in message, as it they will decide on any restorations during the budget negotiations.

1. A)     Call the Legislator’s Albany office to let them know your program requires full funding to be able to sustain your services. 

Assemblymembers            http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/

Senators                            http://www.nysenate.gov/

1. B)      Meet with your local State Senator and Assemblymember in the home district office during the non-Session days.  Educate them further about your program, the services you provide, and the impact the proposed budget will have on being able to continue providing those services.  Invite them to your program and offer a tour.

1. 3.       Federal Policy Updates (courtesy of the National Low Income Housing Coalition)

On Friday, May 28, the US House of Representatives passed H.R. 4213, the American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act of 2010, hours before leaving for the Memorial Day recess.  Some programs of interest in the bill include:

National Housing Trust Fund- The bill would provide a one-time capitalization of $1.065 billion, which will provide communities with funds to build, preserve, and rehabilitate rental homes that are affordable for very low income households.

Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program – The bill will extend through 2010 the LIHTC exchange program created in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), which allows state housing agencies to exchange a portion of their allocation of 9% LIHTC for cash that can be used to invest in qualified housing projects. 

What happens next?  Congress is due to return on June 7.  If the Senate passes the bill as is, it will go the President for his signature. However, if the Senate amends the bill, it will have to go to the House for a vote.

HUD Transforming Rental Assistance Program

On May 25 the US House of Representative’s Committee on Financial Services held a hearing on HUD’s Preservation, Enhancement, and Transformation of Rental Assistance initiative (PETRA).  PETRA would allow public housing agencies and certain assisted housing properties to convert their subsidies to a new form of rental assistance.  As part of its FY11 budget, HUD requested $350 million for the first phase of Transforming Rental Assistance (TRA), now called PETRA.    Damaris Reyes, executive director of Good Ole Lower East Side (a NPCNYS member program) and representing National People’s Action (NPA) testified at the hearing in Washington, D.C.    View an archived webcast of the hearing, and access all witness testimony and HUD’s PETRA proposal at:

http://www.house. gov/apps/list/hearing/financialsvcs_dem/hrfc_051910.shtml

Thank you for all that you do,

Jessica