CLPHA Action Alert

October 25, 2011

Dear CLPHA Member:

As reported earlier, the Senate version of the FY12 HUD appropriations bill includes a provision to authorize a Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program (see 9/23/11 CLPHA Update) which CLPHA and coalition partners advocated for, and support.  We are pleased that we were successful in having this proposal included in the Senate funding bill.  While the Senate proposal is not perfect, it is important to remember that RAD is a voluntary demonstration and is the first step, not the last, in allowing housing authorities to test different approaches to conversion with the goal of keeping housing affordable for low-income persons.  A copy of the Senate RAD legislative proposal and accompanying committee report can be found here.

Since the Senate action, it has come to our attention that the RAD provision is in no way a sure thing in the House.  House Leadership has taken the position that any authorizing legislation should go through “regular order” rather than circumventing the process by attaching authorization legislation to appropriations bills.  While the not-yet-formally-announced House Financial Services hearing next week on RAD is a first step in the House regular order process, CLPHA, HUD and other stakeholders are still hopeful we can maintain the RAD proposal in any final appropriations bill which emerges for HUD in FY12.

To that end, we need your help. The Senate language is at risk if House members do not hear from you. 

ACTION:

We need you to ask your Representatives to support keeping the Senate’s RAD legislative proposal in any final FY12 HUD appropriations bill.  This proposal is in danger of being stricken from the final HUD funding bill without strong input from PHAs and others.  

To help in making the case to your Congressional representatives, we have attached a draft form letter.  We strongly urge you to adapt the form letter to suit your situation, and after sending it along, we recommend following up with a phone call to your Member of Congress’ offices.  Also, please send a copy of your letters to CLPHA so that we may follow-up on our end.

For questions or additional information, please contact Gerard Holder, CLPHA Legislative Director at gholder@clpha.org.