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Builders Support Katrina Housing Bill
With NAHB’s support, the House Financial Services Committee on March 7 passed H.R. 1227, the Gulf Coast Hurricane Housing Recovery Act, legislation that would help provide affordable housing for low-income residents displaced by the Gulf Coast hurricanes that occurred in 2005. Prior to consideration of the bill, NAHB sent a letter to the full committee highlighting the association’s support for language extending the Disaster Voucher Program until Jan. 1, 2008. Due to the magnitude of the destruction caused by the hurricanes, which decimated entire communities, many families have not yet found permanent housing or jobs and continue to need this vital assistance.
NAHB also indicated support for provisions in the bill that would prevent the expiration or termination of housing assistance payment contracts for multifamily housing properties assisted under Sections 8, 202, 811 and 236 that were damaged or destroyed by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank (D-Mass.) has stated that the bill will reach the House floor before the April spring recess. To read the legislation, click here and enter H.R. 1227 in the box at the center of the page. For more information, see the March 12 issue of Nation’s Building News or contact Scott Meyer at 800-368-5242 x8144.
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Bill Would Streamline Section 8 Voucher Unit Inspections
Draft legislation that would streamline several aspects of the existing Section 8 housing voucher program received a favorable response this week from the nation’s home builders. In written testimony to the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity, NAHB voiced support for the Section 8 Housing Voucher Reform Act (SEVRA), legislation that would streamline inspection and income verification requirements for the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program. The Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program provides rental subsidies to approximately 2 million very-low income households who obtain housing in the private rental market.
While the current SEVRA draft includes provisions intended to streamline the current housing inspection process, NAHB urged lawmakers to incorporate elements included in H.R. 5433, the Section 8 Voucher Reform Act of 2006, which was introduced in the 109th Congress. This would “best accomplish the goals of streamlining the unit inspection process by eliminating duplicative inspections and unit turnover delays, while ensuring that units continue to meet housing quality standards,” NAHB said. For more information, see the March 12 issue of Nation’s Building News or contact Scott Meyer at 800-368-5242, x8144.
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NAHB to Testify at Key GSE Hearing Next Week
NAHB Executive Vice President and CEO Jerry Howard will testify during next week’s scheduled House Financial Services Committee hearing on Government Sponsored Enterprises (GSE) reform. With committee Chairman Barney Frank (D-MA) circulating a new draft GSE reform bill this week, Howard's testimony will provide NAHB a valuable public platform to address our support for the establishment of a new regulator that will ensure that Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Federal Home Loan Banks operate in a safe and sound manner and effectively pursue their housing mission. NAHB will provide additional analysis and detail on this effort in next week's report and in the March 19th issue of Nation's Building News. For more information, e-mail Scott Meyer or call him at 800-368-5242, x8144.
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House Creates Global Warming Panel
By a margin of 269-150, the House on March 8 passed H.R. 202, which in addition to funding the operation of the 20 standing committees of the 110th Congress, also authorized the creation of the new Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. The new Select Committee is a priority for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), who said it will be a forum for investigations, hearings and debate on global warming. The new panel will not have any legislative authority but will be allowed to make recommendations to other standing committees, most notably the Energy and Commerce Committee, chaired by Rep. John Dingell (D-MI). Pelosi asserts that the Select Committee is necessary to bring issues of global climate change to the forefront, and she is set to tap Rep. Edward Markey (D-MA) to chair the group. Republicans interested in serving on the 15-member panel—nine Democrats and six Republicans—include Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-IL) and Dana Rohrabacher (D-CA), both avowed skeptics of climate change. The Select Committee’s authorization will expire on December 31, 2008.
The House Energy and Air Quality Subcommittee, chaired by Rick Boucher (D-VA), held two hearings this week on climate change. On Tuesday, the subcommittee heard testimony on carbon sequestration and cap-and-trade practices as potential means of dealing with carbon dioxide emissions. On Wednesday, witnesses testified before the panel on whether or not climatic changes are occurring due to human activities. Additionally, the Senate Small Business Committee, chaired by Senator John Kerry (D-MA), also convened a hearing on climate change and discussed how small businesses, which include the majority of the American workforce, can take measures to move toward carbon neutrality. NAHB continues to monitor this issue closely and is in the process of reviewing several pieces of draft legislation and current bills that may impact the home building industry. For more information, e-mail Elizabeth Odina or call her at 800-368-5242, x8570.
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Builders Oppose OSHA Legislative Measure
On March 6, Reps. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA) and Education and Labor Chairman George Miller (D-CA) introduced H.R. 1327, the Protective Equipment for America’s Workers Act. The measure would direct the U.S. Department of Labor to implement the final Occupational Safety Health Administration (OSHA) standard of 1999 that requires employers to pay for personal protective equipment -- such as chemical resistant clothing, metal mesh gloves, lifelines and lanyards, safety glasses and face shields -- to protect workers exposed to hazards on the job. NAHB opposes the bill and is working with other lawmakers and members of the business community to keep the measure from moving forward. No hearings or mark ups regarding this bill have been scheduled. For more information, e-mail Erin Tario or call her at 800-368-5242, x8413.
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Coalition Works to Limit Expansion of Clean Water Act
NAHB has been working with the newly formed Waters Advocacy Coalition (“WAC”) to educate Capitol Hill staff and members of Congress on legislation introduced in the 109th Congress by Rep. James Oberstar (D-MN) in the House and Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI) in the Senate that would provide virtually limitless federal Clean Water Act jurisdiction over all waters and wet areas within the United States. WAC is still working under the belief that similar legislation is going to be introduced in the very near future. NAHB, as a member of this coalition, has met with lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle and held discussions with Capitol Hill staffers to make sure they understand how this legislation would impact the housing industry. There is no word on when the measure will be introduced and no copies of any pending legislation are available for NAHB staff to review. NAHB continues to monitor the situation closely. For more information, e-mail Annie Raymond or call her at 800-368-5242, x8307.
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BUILD-PAC Update: Cautionary Tale on Finance Laws
As we enter the 2008 election cycle, it is important that BUILD-PAC members continue to stay updated on the basic campaign finance laws. All PAC contributions must come from personal funds and not exceed $5,000 per year. It is illegal for companies to reimburse employees for their PAC contributions.
This week, Roll Call cited an example of two Florida executives charged with illegally reimbursing employees for their federal campaign contributions with corporate funds. The executives were charged with conspiring to violate campaign finance laws in a variety of ways from the early 1990s through 2003. They are accused of forcing certain of their employees to claim false expenses for mileage in order to reimburse them for donations to candidates. They also allegedly created a bank account for their firm with checks that omitted the corporate name and address in order to conceal the use of corporate funds donated to candidates. For more information, e-mail Meghan Everngam or call her at 800-368-5242, x8259.
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State and Local: Catalde, County Execs Discuss Affordability Issues
Speaking at the National Association of Counties (NACo) Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C. this month, NAHB President Brian Catalde highlighted the long-standing, positive working relationship between the two organizations and addressed ongoing housing affordability issues such as inclusionary zoning and green building regulation that exist in America today. Catalde explained that housing shortages are often the product of land-use policies established by local governments and noted that local restrictions and development regulations often directly impact housing affordability in local communities. Stating that NAHB members are the pioneers of green building, he informed NACo officials that NAHB has partnered with the International Code Council to take the NAHB Model Green Home Building Guidelines through the American National Standards Institute development process, so they will be recognized as a true industry standard. For more information, contact Brooke Ransom at 800-368-5242, x8584. For more news on State and Local issues, look for the next issue of the State and Local Reporter, due out early next week.
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