Principal Policy Issues - 2008

Foreclosure Prevention and Neighborhood Stabilization

NHC is leading a national task force, in partnership with Enterprise Community Partners and NeighborWorks America that brings together key nonprofit organizations to address the foreclosure crisis. Since December 2007, approximately thirty organizations continue to convene to share information, identify programmatic gaps, and help craft or weigh-in on potential policy solutions.

T4 America

NHC, in collaboration with Smart Growth America, Reconnecting America and PolicyLink, is working to create a closer alignment between transportation investments and an array of issues high on the public agenda – including climate change, energy security, economic competitiveness, and housing and community development – as a way to enhance sustainability and quality of life for all. NHC will be convening members of the housing community to create policy proposals that effectively link housing and transportation.

Opportunity for Change in Housing Policy

With the current upheaval in the housing market and the approaching Presidential election, now is the time to look to the future and identify key changes needed in housing policy in the next five years. How can the tax code support more affordable housing? What improvements are needed in federal housing programs? How can the effectiveness of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development be improved? NHC will create an ongoing dialogue — in-person as well as through online tools and resources — in the housing community to explore possible areas of change.

Asset and Wealth Building and the Family Self-Sufficiency Program

NHC will continue to support efforts for increasing asset development and wealth building opportunities for low- and moderate-income homeowners and renters. In particular, NHC will work with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and Congress to strengthen the Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) program to help more families in the Public Housing and Section 8 Voucher programs build assets and make progress toward achieving self-sufficiency and homeownership. NHC promotes stable and ample funding of the FSS program and increased partnerships between public housing agencies and other programs that provide case management and supportive services.

Employer-Assisted Housing

NHC will continue to support employer-assisted housing as a way for employers to play a direct role in promoting housing affordability for both homeowners and renters.  In particular, NHC supports the Housing America’s Workforce Act (HAWA), legislation that would provide incentives to help expand employer-assisted housing programs nationally through the creation of a federally implemented tax credit for employers that provide a housing benefit to qualified employees. NHC will work toward advancing HAWA in both the U.S. House and Senate during the second session of the 110th Congress and beyond.