Rep. Tulsi Gabbard Votes to Improve Federal Housing Programs
Washington, DC – February 4, 2016 – (RealEstateRama) — Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02) voted in favor of H.R. 3700, the Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act of 2015. The bill would enact incremental changes at a number of federal housing programs, including public housing, the Section 8 voucher program, the Federal Housing Administration, the Rural Housing Service, and the McKinney-Vento homelessness assistance grants, among others.
“Huge shortages of affordable housing nationwide, especially in states like Hawaiʻi, make it increasingly difficult for families with limited resources to find a safe place to live, to put food on the table, and to make basic ends meet,” said Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard. “One result of this is increasing numbers of homeless individuals and families. H.R. 3700 will improve our ability to better serve our most vulnerable populations, like the thousands of homeless veterans living on our streets today, including close to 600 in Hawaiʻi. In addition, this legislation streamlines many of the regulations that burden families in Hawaiʻi and across the country, and it increases flexibility to empower state and local housing agencies and private owners to develop new housing units and create new housing opportunities in areas where vouchers are difficult to use. This housing shortage is a crisis that will require every level of government, the private sector, and community taking action towards a solution.”
Background:
H.R. 3700 passed unanimously today by a vote of 427-0 and will now move to the Senate for consideration.
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard is a co-sponsor of H.R. 1142, which would make permanent and expand the temporary minimum credit rate for the low-income housing tax credit program, and H.R.3110 to increase Low Income Housing Tax Credits for individuals that have experienced a Federally Declared Natural Disaster. She has supported federal funding for the HEARTH Act, Section 8 Housing Program, Continuum of Care Program (CoC), Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG), HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing, Fair Housing Initiatives Program, Fair Housing Assistance Program, Community Development Block Grant, HOME Investment Partnership Program, among others.
H.R. 3700 is supported by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, National Low Income Housing Coalition, National Alliance to End Homelessness, National Housing Law Project, National Leased Housing Association, National Association of REALTORS, National Association of Home Builders, National Multifamily Housing Council, Local Initiatives Support Corporation, National Association of Home Builders, Stewards of Affordable Housing for the Future, National Housing Trust, National Apartment Association, Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities Housing Task Force, Council of Large Public Housing Authorities, CSH, Enterprise Community Partners, Housing Partnership Network, LeadingAge, Low Income Investment Fund, National Affordable Housing Management Association, National Alliance on Mental Illness, National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials, National Council of State Housing Agencies, Technical Assistance Collaborative, Institute of Real Estate Management, Council for Affordable and Rural Housing, National Association of Affordable Housing Lenders, National Association of Housing Cooperatives, Heartland Alliance, among others.
