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Appropriations Budget Ignores Supportive Housing
Renewed Effort to Keep Momentum for Solving Homelessness
Despite wide support and mounting evidence that it is the more effective and less expensive way to end homelessness, the General Assembly's Appropriations Committee included no new funding for permanent supportive housing in the budget reported out March 26. Supportive housing advocates are continuing to press members of the General Assembly to add funds for new units of scattered site supportive housing in this year's budget adjustment. Legislative leadership and the Governor's office will negotiate a final budget during the remaining weeks of the legislative session. Click here to contact your State Representative and State Senator.
STATE DEVELOPMENTS Appropriations Budget Ignores Supportive Housing
Renewed Effort to Keep Momentum for Solving Homelessness
Despite wide support and mounting evidence that it is the more effective and less expensive way to end homelessness, the General Assembly's Appropriations Committee included no new funding for permanent supportive housing in the budget reported out March 26. Supportive housing advocates are continuing to press members of the General Assembly to add funds for new units of scattered site supportive housing in this year's budget adjustment. Legislative leadership and the Governor's office will negotiate a final budget during the remaining weeks of the legislative session. Click here to contact your State Representative and State Senator. If no new funding for permanent supportive housing is included in this budget, there will be no opportunity to apply for State funding to create supportive housing in the next fiscal year (from July 1, 2008-June 30, 2009). This month, CHFA is expected to issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the development of 150 units of supportive housing. This RFP is possible because of the funds the General Assembly put in the budget last legislative session. Gov. Rell's proposed budget this year annualized that funding to assure the development round for 150 units will go forward. Funding for any new supportive housing created in Connecticut after this development round will likely be from extremely limited HUD resources (through the continuums of care). It will be difficult for Ten-Year Planning Communities that have planned for production of supportive housing to achieve their goals without action by the legislature.
Housing Bills Move in Committees, Await Budget Consideration
SB 40, the Governor's bill to annualize state debt service payments for supportive housing was amended by a voice vote to Senate Bill 2, Senator Williams' economic stimulus bill in the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee on April 1. The bill was approved on party lines. SB 346, the bill to increase the state Housing Tax Credit Contribution Program from $10 million to $20 million a year was passed by the Planning and Development Committee and is now in file copy. The bill will likely be referred by the Senate to the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee, and will ultimately be considered within the budget negotiations. SB 597. The Appropriations Committee approved this bill on a split vote of 39-14, and it now moves to the Senate. The bill authorizes the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority to borrow up to $200 million for the immediate repair, deferred maintenance and rehabilitation of the state's moderate rental housing portfolio. But the second necessity-the appropriation of $10 million to $15 million in the State Treasurer's budget to pay debt service on those bonds - was not included by the committee. The Connecticut Housing Coalition and CONNAHRO will continue to press lawmakers to include the debt service payments in the final budget in order for CHFA to finance the upgrade of the existing 17,000 units of affordable housing before they deteriorate to a dangerous level. Other bills that affect housing which have been approved by the Planning and Development Committee include HB5714, File 344, An Act Concerning Zoning for Starter Homes and SB 39, File 355, An Act Concerning Responsible Growth. Genuario, Smith Advance HOMEConnecticut Progress
By hiring a new OPM administrator this week to oversee the HOMEConnecticut program and creating an application form for technical assistance and planning grants available under the program, OPM Secretary Robert Genuario and Undersecretary Phil Smith accelerated the effort to build new affordable rentals and starter homes across the state. The new administrator for the HOMEConnecticut program will be announced later this week, and will oversee applications for the planning grants and approval of HOMEConnecticut incentive housing zones. Smith reported that application forms for technical assistance and planning grants have been created and were mailed last week to 24 cities and towns, and three regional planning organizations, that sent letters to OPM requesting the assistance. Those municipalities, from every region of the state, are interested in creating housing in responsible growth locations. It is anticipated that up to 50 cities and towns will apply for the grants by the end of the fiscal year. Meanwhile, several municipalities are readying applications for incentive zone approval - and the incentive payments that come with them - in the coming months. Under the HOMEConnecticut program, towns receive $2,000 for every market-rate or affordable unit that can be zoned in an incentive housing zone and another $2,000 per multi-family unit for $5,000 per single-family unit for every building permit issued in the zone. Commission Reviews Interim Report; Subcommittees at Work
The Blue Ribbon Commission on Housing and Economic Development, created when the HOMEConnecticut program was approved by the General Assembly in June, discussed the interim report to the General Assembly at its April 2 meeting. Members of the Commission concurred with the recommendation for "the establishment of a mechanism for providing necessary additional state assistance to muncipalities that develop Incentive Housing Zones through the HOMEConnecticut statute." The intent of the HOMEConnecticut incentives is to provide municipalities with help covering some of the costs of housing creation. The idea for the additional capital grants to municipalities is based on the idea of one-time capital grants - either (1) directly related to housing creation in HOMEConnecticut zones (infrastructure, remediation, TOD) or (2) devoted to related state policy goals (open space, farmland preservation, historic preservation) - would provide significant benefit to the town and enhance the likelihood of housing creation approvals by their residents. The commission's interim report will include an outline of the work of the subcommittees that are reviewing housing finance methods in Connecticut with an eye toward recommending enhancements, and regulatory and policy barriers that may prevent housing creation with a goal of recommending ways to remove such barriers. Homelessness Among Veterans The Topic of April 10 Event
It has been estimated that a third of U.S. servicemen who served in Iraq and Afghanistan are at risk of homelessness, and that will be the topic of a forum April 10 from 8:30 a.m. to noon at The Lyceum. "Leave No Veterans Behind: Ending Homelessness Among Veterans in Connecticut" will include expert panelists and a keynote address on prevention strategies. Click here to view the flyer. The forum will be particularly useful for supportive housing providers, veterans and homeless advocates, housing authorities, policymakers and developers to examine the needs of veterans experiencing homelessness and how the state can prevent and end homelessness among veterans through the creation of supportive housing. A panel discussion will feature best practices for solving homelessness among veterans in Connecticut. One of the programs featured will be Legion Woods, a supportive housing site in New Haven which recently won a 2007 Maxwell Award for Excellence. For more information, call Kate Kelly at 860-244-0066. CHFA To Allocate $6.9M in '08 9% Credits
The CHFA Board of Directors has voted to allocate $6.9 million in 9% Low Income Housing Tax Credits in 2008, split equally among Special Class 1 and General Class 1 projects definitions of the Classes can be found here. Special Class 1 proposals not awarded tax credits from that set-aside may compete for General Class-1 set-aside funds. Once the entire $6.9 million is reserved for projects, there will be no new award rounds until 2009. CHFA plans focus groups and public hearings this fall for the 2009 awards. Whalley Terrace Supportive Housing Grand Opening
On March 25, the Whalley Terrace building was dedicated in New Haven. Whalley Terrace is a 22-unit supportive housing program for low income and/or disabled single adults who are at least 62 years or older, Funded through the State of Connecticut's Supportive Housing Pilots Initiative, the site was developed and is managed by HOME Inc. with support services provided by Columbus House. Speakers at the event included the Honorable John DeStefano Jr, Mayor of New Haven; Alison Cunningham, Executive Director of Columbus House; DSS Commissioner Michael Starkowski; Elliot Stone of DMHAS; and Timothy Coppage, Vice President of Housing Development, CHFA. Enterprise Builders was represented by Keith Czarneski and Enterprise Community Investment was represented by Robert Cox. The event made local news in New Haven. Click here to read "City Welcomes Supportive Housing" in the New Haven Register, which focuses on a new resident of Whalley Terrace, an 82 year old World War II veteran who had been previously living in a hotel and here to read an article on the opening event. The opening was also covered in "Whalley Terrace Opens Doors" by the New Haven Independent. Click here for Whalley Terrace photos and success stories on Reaching Home's website.
FEDERAL DEVELOPMENTS
Jackson Quits HUD After Dodd, Others Call for Resignation
Asserting that he wanted to spend more time with his family, HUD Secretary Alphonso R. Jackson stepped down Monday, effective April 18. But his resignation came as federal authorities were investigating whether he had given lucrative housing contracts in the Virgin Islands and New Orleans to friends. U.S. Sen. Christopher Dodd, chairman of the Senate Banking and Urban Affairs committee, was among those who had called on Jackson in recent days to resign because the allegations had undermined his credibility. The FBI, according to the New York Times, has interviewed several of his employees. Critics have also cited accusations that Jackson had threatened to withhold federal aid from the Philadelphia Housing Authority after its president refused to turn over a $2 million property to a politically connected developer, the Times said. Senate and House Moving Forward on Bills Addressing Mortgage Crisis
Senators Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Richard Shelby (R-AL), Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, announced on April 2nd a bipartisan deal on measures to address the mortgage crisis. The legislation proposed includes the following provisions: - FHA modernization that would increase the FHA loan limit to $550,000 ion high costs areas;
- $4 billion in supplemental Community Development Block Grant funds to be used to purchase and rehabilitate/redevelop foreclosed homes in neighborhoods hit the hardest;
- $100 million in additional funding for housing counseling aimed at preventing foreclosures;
- $10 billion in federal tax-exempt bond authority for states to be used to refinance subprime mortgages;
- $6 billion in tax rebates for home builders;
- $7,000 tax credit for those who purchase a home in foreclosure; enhanced disclosure of mortgage terms;
- assistance for veterans facing foreclosure; and
- a standard property tax deduction.
The Senate bill, as proposed, is estimated to cost $15 billion over the next ten years. Debate on the bill may start as early as next week and it is expected that amendments will be offered to the bill on issues that remain divisive among Senate Democrats and Republicans, including the proposal by Democrats on a bankruptcy provision that would allow judges to modify mortgage terms. The National Low Income Housing Coalition is asking interested individuals to call their Senators and urge them to include a set aside of housing bought using the $4 billion in supplemental CDBG funds for those making less than 30% of AMI. Read more here. Meanwhile, Rep. Barney Frank, D-MA, Chair of the House Committee on Financial Services, will hold a hearing on April 9 on his draft "economic, mortgage and housing rescue proposal." The proposal would: allow the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) to provide up to $300 billion in mortgage guarantees to help refinance at-risk homeowners; allow the FHA to establish procedures to refinance loans on a bulk basis; and authorize $10 billion in loans and $5 billion in grants for the purchase and rehabilitation of vacant, foreclosed homes. Click here for more information. Nadler, Velazquez Seek Full Sect. 8 Funding
Reps. Jerrold Nadler, D-NY, and Nydia Velázquez, D-NY, and 34 other members sent a letter March 19 to Reps. John Olver, D-MA, and Joe Knollenberg, R-MI, of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies, urging full funding for the Section 8 tenant- and project-based programs and seeking an unspecified number of new vouchers. The letter noted that full funding of Section 8 is needed, especially in light of the mortgage crisis that is now driving former homeowners to seek Section 8 assistance. Click here for more. NYU Study Shows Success of Inclusionary Zoning
A new study by New York University's Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy and the Center for Housing Policy in Washington, D.C., entitled The Effects of Inclusionary Zoning on Local Housing Markets: Lessons from the San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and Suburban Boston Areas provides local decision-makers with valuable evidence on the impacts of inclusionary zoning (IZ) - a popular but often-controversial affordable housing policy. IZ policies require or create incentives for developers to set aside a portion of newly produced housing units as affordable housing in exchange for certain benefits or cost offsets. Click here to view the policy brief summarizing the results of the research. Until now, little empirical analysis has been available to guide policymakers' decisions about how these programs are designed and implemented. This new study, commissioned by the Center for Housing Policy and conducted by researchers at the Furman Center, fills the gap by taking a closer look at the impact that IZ policies have on housing prices and production in the San Francisco and suburban Boston regions. The paper also includes descriptive information on IZ policies in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. The study found substantial variation in the design and impacts of IZ programs across both jurisdictions and regions. In the San Francisco area, the study found no evidence that IZ programs have increased the price or reduced the production of single-family homes, despite the fact that 93 percent of the programs are mandatory. In the suburban Boston area, by contrast, the study found evidence that IZ programs resulted in small decreases in production and slight increases in prices of single-family homes. In interpreting the findings, the authors explain that the design of IZ programs may matter considerably. In particular, IZ programs that provide density bonuses or other effective cost offsets to developers may be less likely to drive up the price or decrease the supply of market-rate homes. In the San Francisco area, programs that provided density bonuses also produced more affordable housing units. In addition to the impacts noted above, the study finds that larger, more affluent jurisdictions are more likely to adopt IZ programs. It also identifies a bandwagon effect, in which jurisdictions are more likely to adopt IZ programs when their neighbors have already adopted one.
PARTNERSHIP DEVELOPMENTS Partnership Staff Speaks at Education, Housing Symposia
Diane Randall, director of the Partnership for Strong Communities, and policy director David Fink underscores the relationship between safe, secure housing and educational success at two of four "Town Meetings on Education" sponsored by Connecticut State University and its chancellor, Dr. David Carter. Randall served on a panel at Eastern Connecticut State University March 31 while Fink was part of a group at Central Connecticut State University March 25. Fink has also spoken to the Connecticut Federation of Planning and Zoning Agencies, the Middlesex Chamber of Commerce's Haddam/East Haddam and Chester/Deep River/Essex divisions, and the Eastern Connecticut Home Builders Association in the last two weeks. LyceumCenter.org Offers Wide Range of Information
The Lyceum Resource and Conference Center has a new website- www.LyceumCenter.org. Designed to meet the needs of a wide audience-from policymakers to practitioners, volunteers to funders-LyceumCenter.org contains introductory information about: For those seeking in-depth understanding of housing and community development, the Knowledge Center contains: - a Resource Library with white papers, data sources, fact sheets, case studies and much more information on homelessness, affordable housing, and community development issues,
- Helpful Links to local, state and national connections, and
- an extensive listing of Technical Assistance providers.
Partnership staff are interested in knowing how users react to the website and would like to list their organization in the Knowledge Center. They also encourage user organizations to link to LyceumCenter.org on their websites. To investigate that possibility further or contribute information or data to the website, please contact Tracy Dumont at tracy@ctpartnershiphousing.com or 860-244-0077.
NEWS YOU CAN USE
CHFA, GE Issue Bridgeport RFP
GE Money Bank and the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority have released a Request for Proposals for first mortgage construction or permanent financing for mixed-use or mixed-income multifamily rental or homeownership projects in downtown Bridgeport. CHFA will accept response from qualified respondents through noon Friday, April 18. For more information: rose.holdbrook@chfa.org. Property Tax, Smart Growth "Summit"
Saturday, April 5, 2008, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Housatonic Community College
1000 Friends of Connecticut will sponsor "A Citizen Activist Summit on Property Tax and Smart Growth" from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 5, at Housatonic Community College in Bridgeport. Registration and information: 860-523-0003 or info@1000friends-ct.org (mailto:info@1000friends-ct.org)]]. CHFA and HUD Host Housing Fairs
CHFA and HUD will be hosting housing fairs throughout the state in the next two months to explain programs that may help owners facing mortgage problems. At these fairs, participants can learn about the CT FAMLIES program and other refinancing programs, attend a loan counseling session, and meet with loan counselors. Upcoming dates are as follows: April 11 & 12 - Waterbury - Holiday Inn - click here for a flyer
April 25 & 26 - Hartford - CT Convention Center
May 16 & 17 - Bridgeport - Holiday Inn
May 30 & 31 - New Haven - Omni Hotel at Yale All times are currently Fridays 2 to 8 pm, and Saturdays 9 am to 1 pm. Norquist To Address I-84 Future, New Haven's Route 34
Tuesday, April 15, 2008, 6 p.m. Hartford Public Library
Wednesday, April 16, 2008, 6 - 8 p.m., Career High School, New Haven
Former Milwaukee Mayor John O. Norquist, now president of the Congress for the New Urbanism, will discuss how Milwaukee tore down the elevated Park East Freeway and created a vibrant community in its place at two events in April. Norquist will appear at 6 p.m. April 15 at the Hartford Public Library to discuss state consideration of a plan to lower the elevated I-84 in downtown Hartford. For information: 860-757-9566. Norquist will talk about New Haven's plan for turning the Route 34 corridor into a neighborhood of workforce housing, retail and open space at Career High School, 140 Legion Avenue, from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, April 16. Information: www.tstc.org. Fairfield County Affordable Housing Summit
Monday, April 29, 2008, 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. UConn Stamford Campus
The South Western Regional Planning Agency will host a half-day Affordable Housing Summit April 29th at the UConn campus in Stamford campus. The event will bring together different groups to discuss the need for more affordable housing in the region and what is being done to address that need. Visit SWRPA's website to register online and learn more about this event. Registration is $10. 4.0 CM credits are being offered to AICP certified Planners. Green - and Affordable - Housing Forum
Tuesday, May 20, 2008, The Lyceum
Creating Housing That's Green - And Affordable will be the topic of a forum at The Lyceum May 20. Organized by the Partnership's Shelby Mertes, it will include presentations by former Massachusetts Secretary of Commonwealth Development Doug Foy, and developers who have created green housing. A panel will review how government assistance can enhance the environmental savings and also apply them to affordable choices. Save the date. Supportive Housing Celebration Dinner May 29 - Save the Date
Thursday, May 29, 2008, Rocky Hill Marriot
The Reaching Home Campaign will hold the 3rd annual Supportive Housing Celebration Dinner on Thursday, May 29, 2008 at the Marriott in Rocky Hill. For information on Supportive Housing Awards Nominations, click here.
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