CLPHA has submitted a statement for the record to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Financial Services’ Subcomittee on Housing and Insurance for the committee’s hearing entitled “Housing Affordability: Governmental Barriers and Market-Based Solutions,” held today, December 6.
In our statement we note that despite the successes achieved by PHAs in increasing affordable housing opportunities in their communities, they face many barriers to this work at the federal level, including decades of chronic federal underfunding and disinvestment as well as rising rents and housing supply deficits resulting from the national housing crisis. We propose solutions to these barriers by increasing funding for and/or making legislative changes to key programs and resources including the Public Housing Capital Fund, Housing Choice Voucher program, Rental Assistance Demonstration, Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, and Private Activity Bonds. We also reiterate our call for the development and implementation of a Public Housing Sustainability Ten-Year Roadmap that addresses the necessary policies, resources, services, and political support to recapitalize, improve and revitalize the aging public housing portfolio.
CLPHA attended today’s hearing and will update members soon on news and developments arising from the hearing.