Specifically, the legislation would:

• Increase penalties against employers for repeated and willful violations of the law, including making felony charges available when an employer's repeated and willful violation of the law leads to a worker's death.
• Make clear that employers must provide the necessary safety equipment to their workers, such as goggles, gloves, respirators or other personal protective equipment or serious injury.
• Protect workers who blow the whistle on unsafe workplace conditions.
• Enhance the public's right to know about safety violations.
• Apply federal safety standards to workers who are not currently covered, including federal, state, and local employees, and some private-sector employees.

For more information, contact Erin Tario at 800-368-5242, x8413

• Congress Addresses the Minimum Wage Offset

The controversial Supplemental Appropriations legislation intended to provide funding for the military and the war in Iraq that passed the House and Senate last week includes a $4.8 billion small business tax package with provisions of special importance to residential builders.

Although the legislation is expected to be vetoed by the president (because it sets a time table for withdrawal from Iraq), the tax package and the Gulf Opportunity Zone (GO Zone)provisions within it will be included in a second, smaller bill sent to the President. 

The current legislation includes key provisions for the repair and reconstruction of affordable housing in the Gulf Opportunity Zone. Specifically, it increase Sections 179 expensing limits to $125,000 and the phase-out to $500,000 and extends the provision for GO Zone businesses through 2008. It also extends through the end of 2010:

• The placed-in-service deadlines for properties that received an allocation of Low Income Housing Tax Credits within the GO Zone, and Rita and Wilma GO Zones
• The difficult-to-develop-area designations in this same area
• Allow properties in this area that are placed into service by 12/31/2010 to use 9% housing credits with “disaster relief” CDBG funds loaned at below-market rates.
• Waive the Mortgage Revenue Bond program’s 20-year and existing walls rules for qualified rehabilitation in the GO Zone and Rita and Wilma GO Zones for owner-financing provided after enactment and before 1/1/2011.
• Require the GAO to study the practices employed by State and local governments in allocating and utilizing tax incentives provided as part of the GO Zone Act of 2005 and to report to Congress on its findings within one year of enactment.

Tax-writers have committed to moving the package separately if these provisions are not included in the second version of the Supplemental Appropriations bill.

• Exit Tax Legislation Introduced in the Senate

Last week, a bipartisan group of senators introduced legislation providing for exit tax relief for affordable housing. The legislation, which has yet to be assigned a number, is identical to a bill introduced in the last Congress by Senators Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Gordon Smith (R-OR). The bill is similar, but not identical to H.R. 1491, introduced in the House last month by Representatives Artur Davis (D-AL) and Jim Ramstad (R-MN).  The key difference between the House and Senate bills is that Low Income Housing Tax Credit properties would not be eligible for exit tax relief under the Senate bill. NAHB is working with our coalition partners to build co-sponsorship for the House and Senate bills.

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HUD and FEMA also are developing a plan in which HUD will take over management of the rental housing program on behalf of FEMA. The plan involves a transition for residents from paying no rent to paying incrementally-rising rent – starting at $50 the first month and rising by $50 additional dollars every month thereafter. And FEMA also has agreed to allow current residents of its mobile homes and trailers to purchase those units at a fair price.

For more details, view this press release from FEMA, and its Fact Sheet on the new programs. The information also is available on the HUD Web site. [return to top]

NAHB is working with the International Codes Council on this effort, which is expected to be complete in 2008. The Research Center has posted the guidelines on its web site for comment. By mid-April it had received 259 comments, and is open to receiving more.

There is a section of the standard that will apply to multifamily construction. While there is at least one person with multifamily expertise participating, additional participation on the part of multifamily builders at any level would be welcomed. E-mail John Ritterpusch, or call him at 800-368-5242 x8325. [return to top]

The winner of the Freddie Mac Development Firm of the Year award was Forest City Residential, Cleveland, whose CEO, Ron Ratner, accepted that award—as well as a number of others awarded to communities built by the company.

AvalonBay Communities was awarded the prestigious Property Management Company of the Year honor for 2007. And the Freddie Mac Community of the Year award went to University Commons, a condominium conversion community that was selected from among all the winners in the various Builder categories.

The press release and the list of all the Pillars Winners are available at this link.

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• NOD Award Deadline Approaching

May 7 is the deadline for applying for the NAHB/National Association on Disabilities award that honors HBAs that have created innovative and effective programs to address the needs of disabled members of the community. The winning HBA receives $1,000 from the National Housing Endowment. Read NAHB’s press release for the full story, and download the application from this link.

• Apply for State and Local Issues Fund Support

The deadline for your state or local Home Builders Association to submit a State & Local Issues Fund application for consideration at June’s Spring Board meeting is May 3. View a copy of the 2007 application, along with some additional comments, at this link.
 
The State & Local Issues Fund is available to provide financial assistance to state & local Home Builders’ associations so that they may successfully deal with legislative, regulatory, or ballot issues that have national significance (e.g., national implications beyond the association’s jurisdiction) or is a common industry problem whose resolution could be precedent-setting and might not succeed without financial support from NAHB. For more information, e-mail Alex Strong or call him at 800-368-5242 x8279.

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• National Membership Day – May 22

If your Home Builders Association doesn’t have a local Multifamily Council, start one on Membership Day, and qualify for great prizes! For more details, view this page, or e-mail Lawrence McFadden or call him at 800-368-5242 x8550.

• Spring Board of Directors Meeting — June 5-10

All the information you need to plan your trip to NAHB’s Spring Board of Directors’ meeting in Washington, D.C. is now live on NAHB’s Web site. There are schedules, online registration, information on air fares and details on the annual Legislative Conference and grassroots lobbying effort. To get it all, view this page.

• Grassroots Lobbying at the Legislative Conference — June 6

Take your issues and concerns directly to your elected representatives with the other participants in NAHB's LegCon — one of the most effective grassroots efforts on Capitol Hill. To learn more, and to register for a satisfying day of hands-on participation in representative democracy, view this page.

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