Please Reach out to Representatives, Senators
PHADA President Mark Gillett.
I mentioned in my previous column that we are now less than three months away from the start of FY 25. With that deadline approaching, the House of Representatives has been marking up individual spending bills that contain significant reductions in non-defense programs including housing. While those cuts are sure to be rejected by the Senate and White House, and a budget will not be finished until well after the deadline, it is important for us to weigh in with our elected officials.
The House bill would reduce the operating fund by roughly 7 percent and the capital fund by about 5 percent. Given the present rate of inflation (especially rising insurance premiums), and all the new HUD regulations, the proposed cuts would be untenable for most of our agencies. The House package also includes flat funding for voucher renewals, which represents a significant cut considering spiraling voucher renewal costs. Needless to say, PHADA strongly opposes these cuts and will continue to advocate for maximum funding for HUD programs.
You can read more about the bill’s specifics in the article beginning on page 1 of the new Advocate. The situation now calls for effective advocacy with our Representatives and Senators. Many of you plan to attend PHADA’s always timely Legislative Forum in September. We expect to hear from, and interact with, key leaders at HUD.
To help members plan for their Capitol Hill meetings, PHADA is hosting an informative webinar covering the status of FY 25 HUD appropriations as well as updates on hot topics including the latest on NSPIRE, NSPIRE-V, HIP and HOTMA, TARs, criminal records and tenant screening. The webinar will also cover strategies for setting up meetings on the Hill, establishing relationships with lawmakers, and developing key messages to share with your representatives. The webinar will be held on July 24 at 1:00 pm ET.
Even if you are not attending the Washington meeting, you will not want to miss this webinar. Representatives and Senators will be back in their districts during the August recess. That is another ideal time to meet with them at their office or invite them to your sites.
A Resource for Meeting with Elected Officials
A few years ago, PHADA and NAHRO collaborated with HAI Group to develop a useful advocacy guidebook. I encourage you to review the publication, which you can access here. Page 51 includes a brief step-by-step outline on how to set up DC meetings along with some other useful tips.
We also recommend arranging meetings with Representatives and Senators at home. I was pleased to host Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK) in Oklahoma City last year. At that time, Rep. Cole was Chairman of the HUD appropriations subcommittee and now has risen to the chairmanship to the full Appropriations Committee.
I know some of you have welcomed your Representatives and Senators at your agencies and I encourage more to do the same. There are more than eighty first-term lawmakers in Congress, and we should do all we can to educate them about local housing programs and the low-income families we serve. Because Congress is not in session, the month of August is also a suitable time to attend town hall meetings your elected officials may be hosting in their districts.
PHADA can assist by providing information and materials to share with elected officials. You can also find our comprehensive FY 25 budget recommendations here.
We will also have an updated position paper ready for the September meeting.