Contact: Lisa Sanders
lsanders@leadingage.org / 202-508-9407
Here’s an overview of our work for you in January 2020.
On January 28, HUD issued new guidance, FHEO-2020-1, to clarify “how housing providers can comply with the Fair Housing Act when assessing a person’s request to have an animal in housing to provide assistance because of a disability.”
LeadingAge has learned that given the number of Section 202 communities with Project Rental Assistance Contracts (PRACs) that requested larger rent increases to prepare for recapitalization in fiscal year 2019 (FY19), HUD plans to develop new guidance for HUD staff to evaluate these requests and prioritize those properties with the greatest need. According to HUD, many Section 202 PRAC owners have been requesting increases even for younger PRACs, and even with a final fiscal year 2020 HUD appropriations bill in place HUD cannot fully fund every request.
House and Senate leaders have announced plans to pass two large fiscal year 2020 spending packages to fund all federal programs before the current Continuing Resolution expires on December 20.
One of the two bills will include appropriations for the Department of Housing and Urban Development and Department of Health and Human Services. House and Senate negotiators have been negotiating differences between their chambers in order to avoid a third Continuing Resolution or a government shutdown after the December 20 deadline.
On December 5, LeadingAge participated in an invitation-only roundtable with House Financial Services Chair Maxine Waters (D-CA), Representatives Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) and Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) to discuss draft Tenant Empowerment Act bill.
On December 2, LeadingAge issued a call to action, urging our members to call and email their representatives and senators in support of funding for new homes in HUD’s Section 202 Housing for the Elderly program.
Just before Thanksgiving, Congress made progress on year-end spending negotiations and is now finalizing details of HUD’s fiscal year 2020 appropriations bill.
In a November 22 Notice, HUD announced a 60-day comment period to receive ideas for the White House Council on Eliminating Regulatory Barriers to Affordable Housing.