2012 Advocates Guide to Housing and Community Development Policy
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2012 advocates’ guide to Housing & Community Development Policy Presented by the National Low Income Housing Coalition Made possible through the generosity of Established in 1974 by Cushing N. Dolbeare, the National Low Income Housing Coalition is dedicated solely to achieving socially just public policy that assures people with the lowest incomes in the United States have affordable and decent homes. NLIHC STAFF Megan Bolton | Senior Research Analyst Elina Bravve | Research Analyst Sarah Brundage | Communications Associate Amy Clark | Communications Director Linda Couch | Senior Vice President for Policy and Research Sheila Crowley | President and CEO Shannon Faulk | Executive Assistant Ed Gramlich | Director of Regulatory Affairs Patrice Guillory | Outreach Associate Elisha Harig-Blaine | State Coalition Project Director Mary Kolar | Outreach Associate Sham Manglik | Policy Analyst Taylor Materio | Communications Consultant Khara Norris | Director of Administration Melissa Quirk | Senior Policy Analyst Bill Shields | Vice President of Operations La’Teashia Sykes | Senior Outreach Associate NLIHC BOARD OF DIRECTORS Mark Allison | Center for Social Innovation | Albuquerque, NM William C. Apgar | Joint Center for Housing Studies, Harvard University | Cambridge, MA David Bowers | Enterprise Community Partners | Washington, D.C. Mary Brooks | Center for Community Change | Frazier Park, CA Maria Cabildo | East LA Community Corporation | Los Angeles, CA Delorise Calhoun | Jurisdiction-Wide Resident Advisory Board, Cincinnati Housing Authority | Cincinnati, OH Donald Chamberlain | Sound Thinking | Seattle, WA Brenda Clement | Housing Action Coalition of Rhode Island | Providence, RI Marcie Cohen | Community CoNexus | Washington, D.C. Lot Diaz | National Council of La Raza | Washington, D.C. Charles Elsesser, Jr. | Florida Legal Services | Miami, FL Chris Estes | North Carolina Housing Coalition | Raleigh, NC Bill Faith | Coalition on Housing and Homelessness in Ohio | Columbus, OH Daisy Franklin | Public Housing Residents Network | Norwalk, CT Matt Gerard | Minneapolis Highrise Representative Council | Minneapolis, MN Lisa Hasegawa | National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development | Washington, D.C. Linda Leaks | District of Columbia Grassroots Empowerment Project | Washington, D.C. Moises Loza | Housing Assistance Council | Washington, D.C. George Moses | Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania | Pittsburgh, PA Reymundo Ocañas | BBVA Compass | Houston, TX Greg Payne | Maine Affordable Housing Coalition | Portland, ME Tara Rollins | Utah Housing Coalition | Salt Lake City, UT Martha Weatherspoon | Lincoln Home Resident Council | Clarksville, TN Paul Weech | Housing Partnership Network | Washington, D.C. Leonard Williams | Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority | Buffalo, NY 727 15th Street NW, 6th Floor | Washington, D.C. 20005 Tel: (202) 662-1530 | Fax: (202) 393-1973 | www.nlihc.org 2012 Advocates’ Guide to Housing & Community Development Policy TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................................................................1 About the Advocates’ Guide.....................................................................................................................................................................2 2012 NLIHC Policy Agenda......................................................................................................................................................................3 Federal Budget and Appropriations.........................................................................................................................................................5 NLIHC Budget Chart for Selected HUD and USDA Programs................................................................................................................7 Housing Need.........................................................................................................................................................................................10 Housing as a Human Right....................................................................................................................................................................12 ADVOCACY TOOLS..................................................................................................................................................................15 How Laws Are Made...............................................................................................................................................................................16 Introduction to the Federal Regulatory Process....................................................................................................................................18 Lobbying by 501(c)(3) Organizations....................................................................................................................................................20 Lobbying & Advocacy Tips.....................................................................................................................................................................22 Federal Data Sources for Housing Advocacy.........................................................................................................................................25 Board Advocacy Project..........................................................................................................................................................................32 Contacting Congress, the White House & Federal Agencies.................................................................................................................33 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).....................................................................................................................................................34 HUD Organizational Chart....................................................................................................................................................................37 White Houses Offices.............................................................................................................................................................................38 Key Congressional Committees.............................................................................................................................................................39 2012 Voterization Plan & Narrative Guide..........................................................................................................................................42 HOUSING PROGRAMS AND ISSUES...........................................................................................................................55 National Housing Trust Fund................................................................................................................................................................56 Community Development Block Grant Program..................................................................................................................................60 Community Development Financial Institutions Fund.......................................................................................................................62 Community Reinvestment Act...............................................................................................................................................................65 Disaster Housing Programs....................................................................................................................................................................68 Emergency Food & Shelter Program.....................................................................................................................................................71 Fair Housing Programs...........................................................................................................................................................................73 Family Self-Sufficiency...........................................................................................................................................................................76 Family Unification Program...................................................................................................................................................................78 The Federal Home Loan Banks...............................................................................................................................................................80 Federal Housing Administration...........................................................................................................................................................82 Foreclosure Intervention: Protecting Homeowners.............................................................................................................................84 Foreclosure Intervention: Protecting Renters.......................................................................................................................................87 Healthy Housing.....................................................................................................................................................................................90 HOME Investment Partnerships Program............................................................................................................................................94