In the most recent (May 8) call for the national HoUSed Campaign, we shared the latest updates on the debt ceiling, the fiscal year (FY) 2024 appropriations process, and how advocates can get involved in ensuring adequate funding for affordable housing; learned about a new comment portal to help tenants weigh in with the federal government on needed tenant protections; heard about research on the impact of land-use reforms on housing costs; and received affordable housing updates from our partners in Minnesota.
Natasha Duarte and Mariah de Leon from Upturn shared a new resource to help tenants comment on a Request for Information (RFI) by the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) asking the public to share their experiences with tenant screening processes. Natasha, Mariah, and their partners at the People’s Tech Project and PolicyLink created stoptenantscreening.org, a website that provides background information, examples, question prompts, and a comment portal to help tenants craft and submit their responses to the RFI. It is vital for people directly impacted by the tenant screening process to share their experience with the FTC and CFPB so the agencies can craft and implement guidance that will better protect tenants from harmful, discriminatory practices.
Christopher Davis from the Urban Institute joined the call to discuss new research on the impact of local land-use reforms on housing costs. Some experts and members of Congress point to overly restrictive local land-use policies as an explanation for the affordable housing crisis. The study found that reforms that increase land-use restrictions are indeed associated with increased median rents, and a reduction in units affordable to middle-income renters. However, while reforms that decrease land-use restrictions are associated with a slight (0.8%) increase in housing supply, this increase occurs primarily for units priced at above median income, although the impact is relatively positive across the affordability spectrum. The researchers concluded that, while reforms loosening restrictions can increase housing supply, the increase would likely not reach middle- and low-income renters, at least in the short term. Instead, it is necessary for leaders to pair land-use reforms with direct investments in affordable housing, such as through the national Housing Trust Fund or Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program.
Libby Murphy of Minnesota Housing Partnership (MHP) provided an update on Minnesota’s state legislative session, where the dedicated advocates at MHP, their allies, and legislative champions shepherded to enactment a housing bill that will provide an historic $1 billion for housing investments in the state.
NLIHC Senior Vice President of Policy and Field Organizing Sarah Saadian shared an update on debt ceiling negotiations and FY24 appropriations, warning listeners of the threat to housing stability posed by House Republicans’ “Limit, Save, and Grow Act” (or the “Default on America Act,” as it is called by some Democrats). If enacted, the bill would lift the debt ceiling until March 31, 2024, or until the ceiling hits another $1.5 trillion, whichever comes first, in exchange for capping FY24 spending at FY22 levels and limiting federal spending on domestic programs to 1% per year for 10 years. In a letter to the House Committee on Appropriations, HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge estimated that 1 million people would lose housing assistance if this harmful bill were enacted.
In response to the threat of spending cuts, Brooke Schipporeit, NLIHC’s manager of field organizing, shared an opportunity for advocates to contact their members of Congress about the devastating harm the proposed budget cuts would create. NLIHC’s Spring into Action effort, which began May 8 and will continue until May 19, encourages advocates to creatively weigh in with their members of Congress by writing poems, creating artwork, and otherwise creatively expressing the importance of federal housing and homelessness resources. Participants are encouraged to share their art on social media, tagging their members of Congress and using the tag #CutsHurt.
National calls take place every other week. The next call will be held on May 22 at 2:30 pm ET. Register for the call at: https://tinyurl.com/ru73qan