Congress, the President and Housing

Policy. What’s going on?

By

Abbie Stone &

Evan Carmen

First building in the US

Wilkes-Barre, PA

Opened in 1971

B’nai B’rith International quickly realized

that our residents were aging in place,

and that our buildings needed to provide

more than just a place to live.

B’nai B’rith International was involved in

getting legislation passed to provide service

coordinators for buildings.

The Center for Senior Services

Provides…. • Training for Management Professionals & Service

Coordinators.

• Training for members of Boards of Directors.

• Programs for the housing communities.

• Community events on aging issues to help people live at

home longer.

• Ongoing consulting.

• Training for residents—The Resident Leadership

Retreat.

• Advocacy about seniors issues before Congress.

What’s New In Congress Regarding

Housing?

Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC)

• Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act of

2017 (Senate)

• 17 Sponsors – 10 Democrats, 6 Republicans,

1 Independent

• Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act of

2017 (House)

• 42 Cosponsors – 24 Democrats,

18 Republicans

What is the LIHTC?

• Created as part of the 1986 Tax Reform

Act.

• Government works with the private sector

to create and preserve affordable housing.

• The LIHTC has help build around 3 million

apartments and provided about 6.7 million

low-income people with housing.

How Does the LIHTC Work?

• Administered through the Internal

Revenue Service (IRS) by allocating tax

credits to states based on populations.

• States then give tax credits to developers

to use assist with the financing for the

creation of affordable rental housing.

• Developers sell the credits. The credits

are used by the purchaser save money on

their tax liabilities.

Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act

of 2017 (Senate). According to

Senator Maria Cantwell (Washington):

• The legislation aims to strengthen the

LIHTC by expanding it by 50 percent.

• Expansion would assist in the

preservation and construction of

about 400,00 units over ten years.

• This legislation would support

about450,000 jobs.

Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act

of 2017 – House vs. Senate

• Senate bill increases the reach of the tax

credit by:

• Senate bill increases the per capita tax-

credit to the states from $2.35 to $3.35

per capita cap.

• Senate bill increases the minimum state

allocation from $2.71 million to $4.065

million over the next 19 years.

LIHTC and Covenant Place (St. Louis,

Missouri) and Sudbury Apartments

(Massachusetts)

• Covenant Place and Sudbury Apartments are part of the

B’nai B’rith Housing Network.

• Used the LIHTC in St. Louis as part of a large

redevelopment project to replace existing apartments. In

Sudbury, LIHTC used to build new units.

• Covenant Place – Initially the total cost of the project

was $83,995,817, with $29,074,817 or 35% being

subsidized from the LIHTC.

• Sudbury Apartments – Helped finance $10 million of

$16 million dollar project.

LIHTC and Comprehensive Tax Reform

• Proposed tax reform could have a negative

consequence because:

• The lower the tax rate cause corporations to have

less tax liability.

• Consequently, corporations have less of an incentive

to apply for the tax credit.

• The threat of Comprehensive Tax on LIHTC has caused:

• Value of the LIHTC to investors has gone down by as

much as 15 percent.

• For example, pricing on credits has dropped from

than a $1.00 a credit to .85 cents. (Todd Crow, PNC

Bank)

How does HUD get their funding?

• The Budget and Appropriations Process

The President’s Annual Budget Request

• The President’s budget is due in Congress by the first

Monday in February. Though, it can be delayed, often

when a new Administration takes office.

• For example, President Trump did not release his

“skinny” budget until March 16th.

• President’s budget will include:

• Government spending

• Tax revenue projections

• President’s priorities for federal programs

President Trump’s Budget & HUD

• The President’s FY 2018 Budget requested $7.4 billion

or 15% decrease in funding from 2017 levels. The

budget proposes to eliminate:

• Community Development Block Grant Program

• Home Investment Partnerships Program

• Choice Neighborhoods

• Self-help Homeownership Opportunity Program

Congress & Budget Resolution

• Congress is supposed to complete action on the

concurrent budget resolution by April 15th.

• Congress generally holds hearings, and questions

Administration officials about the President’s budget

request.

• HUD Secretaries often go before Congress and testify

regarding budget requests.

• The House of Representatives and the Senate agree on

a concurrent budget resolution.

• Budget resolution detailing how much Congress

allocates towards broad spending categories.

The Appropriations Process

• The House and Senate both have Committees on

Appropriations. The 12 subcommittees make up the full

Appropriations Committees. Each subcommittee is given

funding levels for the next FY. Legislation is then drafted

that budgets money for programs.

• Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban

Development is responsible for HUD funding in both

the Senate and House.

What If Congress Doesn’t Pass

Appropriations Legislation?

• Appropriation legislation needs to be signed into law by

the President before October 1st.

• If Congress does not pass appropriations bills, they need

to pass a Continuing Resolution (CR) or a government

shutdown occurs.

• April 28th 2017 Congress passed a short term CR for a

few days. This provided for more time, and allowed

them to agree on a fully funded Appropriations Bill which

included housing programs.

How To Be Your Own Best Advocate!

What are the types of Advocacy?

• Writing/emailing a letter to your

representative

• Calling your representative

• Inviting your representative for a tour of

your building

• Meeting with your representative's

Washington D.C./district or state office

Writing a letter to Congress

• Correspondence can be one of the most

effective tools to advocate to your

representative.

• Allows constituents to explain how

existing/proposed legislation personally impacts

their life.

• Allows the message to come from the

constituent, who is their own best advocate.

• Constituents can state how they directly benefit

from affordable housing.

What makes a great letter?

• One to two pages – hand written and

individualized.

• Thank the member of Congress in the beginning

and end of the letter for reading the

correspondence.

• Provide a little context for who is the writer.

• Don’t get stuck on numbers and policy.

• Answer the question, how will I be impacted?

• For example, what happens if I lose my rental

subsidy.

Constituent Correspondence Example 1

Dear Congressman Bartlett:

I voted for you three times, and I

think you are wonderful. Please

don’t cut HUD’s budget.

- John J.__________

Constituent Correspondence Example 2

• Mr./Ms. Insert Name

• 1234 Main Street

• Anytown, USA 12345

•

• March 13, 2017

•

• Honorable [Insert Member’s Name)

• [Insert Office Building]

• Washington, DC 20515

•

• Dear Congressman or Senator [insert name]:

•

• My name is [insert name and age] and I am a resident of [insert building name] in [insert city and state of building]. Thank you for taking the time to read my letter. I have

been living in this building for the past [insert number] years. Prior to living in this building I [insert a couple of sentences regarding previous employment and personal

history].

•

• Unfortunately, I have read that President Trump is proposing to cut the federal budget from HUD. As someone who greatly benefits from Section [insert section of the Act]

affordable housing for the elderly, I am very worried about any potential cuts to the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s budget as it relates to rental

subsidies [insert name of rental subsidy] and the service coordinator program.

•

• During my time living in [insert name of building] I have benefited in countless ways from affordable housing and my service coordinator named [insert name. After this

sentence please refer to the service coordinator by name]. The rest of this paragraph should be dedicated to specific examples of how the resident benefited from

affordable housing and the service coordinator. For example, what would their housing situation would be but for living in B’nai B’rith apartments and receiving the benefits

of rental subsidies. In addition, what specific work the service coordinator does for the resident. It would be valuable if they could draw a specific connection to the work

the service coordinator performs by allowing them to age in place and not being required to move to a nursing facility. This paragraph is where the personal stories are

shared.

•

• Thanks again for reading my letter. I hope you do whatever you can to protect rental subsidies and the service coordinator program for people who live in [insert name of

building].

•

• Sincerely,

Calling your Member’s office

• Calling your representative’s office is a

great and quick way to express your

opinion.

• Can be easier to organize a phone calling

operation than a letter writing campaign.

• Allows your member to immediately know

your position on an issue as opposed to

the mail.

• Great for time sensitive issues

How Do I Make An Effective Phone call?

• Rehearse what you are going to say.

• Make a script.

• Remember the call should only last two

minutes. If it’s a polarizing issue, it’s likely

that many people are calling as well.

• Be friendly and say “thank you.”

Sample Script for Phone Call

My name is ____and I am ___ years old. I live at [name of building], a

HUD Section 202 funded community, in your district/state. I rely on

HUD Section 202 funding through PRAC/PBRA to help me with my

housing expenses and to pay for a Service Coordinator to help me

get the services I need to stay in my home.

Our Service Coordinator is named ______. (S)he helps me with

_____. She makes sure I do not have to move somewhere else like

a nursing home. The budget cut for next year could eliminate his/her

job. If I do not have someone here in the building to help me I may

not be able to stay here.

Please tell Representative/Senator

__________________________________ to protect funding for the

HUD Service Coordinator and HUD Section 202 housing programs.

Cutting funds for the programs we need is wrong. We live on a fixed

income, have worked all our lives, and need a safe place to live.

TIPS FOR SUCCESSFUL

LEGISLATIVE VISITS

There is no one "correct" way of visiting with a

Member of Congress’ office. But there are some

things that you can do that will greatly increase

the effectiveness of your visit. Here, are a few

guiding principles to remember:

9 Steps to a Successful Visit

1. Make an Appointment

2. Do your Homework

3. Select a Spokesperson

4. Be Brief and Focused

5. Be Positive but Respond Honestly

6. Localize the Issue

7. Leave a “One-Pager”

8. “Close the Deal”

9. Write a Thank You

Appointment Tips

• E-mail a letter to the scheduler in the office of each

Member, advising of your trip to Washington and

requesting a meeting. Include the issues you would like

to discuss.

• Follow up with a call if you do not hear back in a week

or two.

• Leave plenty of time between appointments—at least

45 minutes, more if going between House and Senate

appointments to account for delays.

• Walks between House and Senate offices can take 30

minutes.

Be Prepared and Prompt!

• Know the housing issue that is of primary concern to

you and your colleague. Research your

representative's positions on housing.

• Know the Committees the Member of Congress sits

on. Do any of the Committees impact housing?

• Know the key points you would like to make and

anticipate likely questions or reactions.

• Know and be able to respond to alternate arguments.

• Be on time!—even though you should plan to wait for

a Member or their staff to finish previous meetings,

etc.

Make Arguments That Win Broad

Support

1. Residents are able to live in the

buildings longer with access to services to

help them continue to live independently

and save the government money.

2. The cost to Medicaid of three older

adults with home and community-base

services roughly equals that of one

person in a nursing home.

Select a Spokesperson

• If each group member is going to speak,

decide in advance who is going to say what.

• Be prepared to adjust this plan in the event

the Member has to cut the meeting short.

TIP: if you have a large group, ask the scheduler in advance

how many people can attend the meeting – there may not be

room for everyone!

Be Brief!• Don't try to cover more than three issues.

• Decide in advance which is the most important to cover for each particular Member.

• Meetings typically last no more than 30 minutes, but can be cut short by a floor vote, etc. Make your point and move on.

• Don’t overstay your welcome – keep your eye on the clock.

Be Positive!

• Thank the Member for his/her past support on

key issues.

• Look for common ground – don’t retreat from

your position, but respect the Member’s point of

view even if it differs from yours.

• If a question arises for which you do not know

the answer, say so and make a note to follow up

with the answer.

Localize the Issue

• As Tip O’Neil said, “All politics is local.”

• Most important, explain how the legislation/issue affects the Member’s district or state.

• Be specific – e.g. use local stories.

• Make it easy for the Member to vote your way!

Leave a “One-Pager”

• Leave behind “One-Pagers” setting forth your

position on each issue so that the Member or staff

can refer to it after you've gone.

• Make sure your name, address and telephone

number is imprinted on your business card and

securely attached.

“Close the Deal”

• Tell the Member exactly what you would like them to do – sponsor legislation, write a letter to a committee, etc.

Members hear from many different constituencies on most issues, and are careful to avoid making too many commitments.

• Don’t take generalized statements of interest or support to be true commitments on your issue.

• Be sure to “Close the Deal!” or, at least determine a solid plan of action for next steps.

Write a Thank You Letter

• Write a letter thanking the Member and/or staff for their time and attention.

• Briefly summarize your position and any understandings that might have been reached.

• E-mail this letter (in PDF format) to the relevant staffer and stay in contact with her/him throughout

the year.

Invite Your Member To Tour Your Building!

Why ask my representative to visit the

building?

• Fabulous way for your representative to see how HUD

funding creates affordable housing for low-income

seniors.

• Creates opportunity for constituents to ask their

representatives questions.

• Can leave a valuable impression for the representative

to take back to Washington, D.C.

• Representative can see all the great things happening in

the building, like the great work performed by service

coordinators.

How Do I Arrange An On-Site Visit?

• Call your representatives district/state office and ask for

the scheduler’s contact information.

• Be mindful that representative's schedules can book up

months in advance.

• Have several proposed dates for a representative's visit.

• Being careful to pick weekends and weekdays when

Congress is not in session.

• Who will meet with the representative.

• Know what you have planned for the representative if

they visit:

• Tour

• Question & Answer with residents

B’nai B’rith Homecrest House and

Congressman Raskin

Representative’s Office as a Resource

• Representatives Office can be a great resource to help

the residents of your buildings with federal agency

casework such as:

• Social Security Administration

• Veterans Affairs

• Health and Human Services

• The Department of Housing and Urban Development

District/State Office

• Each Senator/Representative has caseworkers who are

responsible for helping constituents with federal agency

casework.

• Assistance is not based on personal politics.

• Members’ district/state offices exist to help you!

How Can I Get Assistance?

• Walk into the district/state office and ask for help.

• Make a phone call.

• Submit the information on the members’ website.

• Write a letter.

What Do I Need For Assistance?

• Any paperwork associated with the agency casework.

• Case number is ideal (if one exists).

• A letter summarizing the problem and the steps the

constituent has already taken to reach out to the federal

agency.

• Always a good practice to reach out to the federal

agency for assistance first, before contacting member of

Congress.

Have Reasonable Expectations

• Just come because a Members’ office

is assisting you doesn’t mean:

• A positive outcome

• Bumped to the front of the line

• Special attention

Conclusion

• Don’t wait for a crisis!

• Make sure your Members are reminded of your priorities well in advance of committee markups or floor votes!

• Develop and maintain working relationships with Members and staff:

• Offer to serve as an information resource;

• Participate in campaigns.