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The National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty (the Law Center) announced a major victory that will create housing for people experiencing homelessness by using surplus federal property. The Law Center worked with a bipartisan coalition in Congress on the Federal Assets Sale and Transfer Act of 2016 (FAST Act), which reforms how the federal government disposes of its property, including property for homeless services under Title V. The FAST Act (H.R. 4465) passed the U.S. House of Representatives in May of 2016, and then passed the U.S. Senate by unanimous consent on December 10, 2016. The bill is expected to be signed into law.

The National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty (the Law Center) issued Grading the U.S. Response to Homelessness, its annual report card on the human right to housing in the U.S. The report card praises the progress of the federal government this year in addressing the criminalization of homelessness and in some areas to promote fair housing, but condemns its ongoing failure to stem the tide of homelessness by ensuring adequate, affordable housing is available to all, resulting in an overall grade of “D.”

The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) begins the public sale for Cotton Annex building in an effort to find a new owner for the property while creating the greatest possible value for taxpayers.

The Justice Department filed a statement of interest today arguing that the Fair Housing Act (FHA) requires that landlords who consider criminal records in evaluating prospective tenants do not use overly broad generalizations that disproportionately disqualify people based on a legally protected characteristic, such as race or national origin.
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The National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) welcomes an elevated discussion and proposed solutions to the country's affordable housing crisis. Together with our members, partners and allies across the country, we work towards ensuring the lowest income families have decent, safe and affordable homes. While we are pleased to have Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) prioritizing solutions to the affordable housing crisis, his proposed Middle Income Housing Tax Credit (MIHTC) program would be a misguided and wasteful use of federal resources

On Thursday September 22, 2016 the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty ("the Law Center") will be honoring Washington Wizard John Wall, U.S. Senator Susan M. Collins, Dechert LLP and Angela Spencer, at the 18th annual McKinney-Vento Awards Ceremony in Washington D.C. The Law Center will also celebrate 27 years of high impact work to protect the rights of individuals experiencing homelessness and to end homelessness in America. Dana Jacobson, an award winning TV sports personality and correspondent and anchor for CBS News and CBS Sports, will emcee. Ted Leonsis and Congresswoman Gwen Moore will join us as awards presenters.

The National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) and National Apartment Association (NAA) issued the following statement in response to Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden’s (D-OR) proposal to create a Middle-Income Housing Tax Credit (MIHTC)

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) today commended Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) for introducing the Middle-Income Housing Tax Credit Act of 2016. The legislation builds on the successful Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) by creating a new tax credit to spur the development of rental homes affordable to Americans with moderate incomes

For the first time in its 74-year history, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) is officially endorsing candidates for the U.S. House and Senate in the upcoming Nov. 8 elections. “As housing goes, so goes the economy,” said NAHB Chairman Ed Brady, a home builder and developer from Bloomington, Ill. “This election could determine if the housing and economic recovery stays on track or veers off course. The incumbents and candidates from both political parties that NAHB will be endorsing have all exhibited a commitment to advance policies that will promote homeownership and rental housing opportunities for all Americans.”

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is illegally foisting union activists onto non-unionized businesses, through an unlawful rule allowing agents from organized labor to participate, as of right, in OSHA health and safety inspections.

The National Consumer Law Center, on behalf of its low-income clients, and 15 consumer advocacy organizations submitted comments urging the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to strengthen consumer protections in the Department's draft Best Practices for Residential PACE Financing Programs. Municipalities use Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) loans to help homeowners finance energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements to their homes.

On July 29, President Obama signed into law H.R. 3700, the Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act (HOTMA), which will streamline and reform several federal housing assistance programs. NCSHA and a broad coalition of housing stakeholders have strongly advocated for this bipartisan legislation over the past year.

DC Mayor Muriel E. Bowser hosted a press conference with Courtney Snowden, Deputy Mayor for Greater Economic Opportunity (DMGEO); Tommy Wells, Director of the Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE); GRID Alternatives; and participants in DOEE’s Green Zone Environmental Program (GZEP), where she signed the Renewable Portfolio Standard Expansion Act of 2016. This legislation, introduced by Councilmember Cheh and unanimously passed by Council, will solidify the District’s position as a national leader in the push to decarbonize our economies, increase access to clean energy for DC residents, and create a long-term pipeline for green jobs and business creation.

Statement from the National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) and National Apartment Association (NAA) released in response to the passage of “The Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act” in Congress

The National Institute of Building Sciences issued an open letter today to delegates attending the upcoming American Bar Association (ABA) Annual Meeting in August informing of the potential long-term impacts should they vote to support a proposed resolution. The resolution—which advocates that copyrighted codes and standards incorporated by reference in legislation and regulation be made available for free—would alter the way codes and standards are developed in the United States

The Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held a hearing on the status of Ivanpah and other federal loan-guaranteed solar energy projects on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands.

The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy has released the latest edition of its annual report on property tax rates in all 50 U.S. states, with a new analysis of how communities raise revenue to pay for basic public services.

Mobile and online technology and evolving consumer tastes are changing the dynamics of renting property, and the debate on whether the regulatory response from state and local governments clashes with individual property rights will likely continue, according to speakers at a panel discussion on the current issues surrounding short-term rentals at the 2016 REALTORS® Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo.

The House of Representatives has filed an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court in United States v. Texas opposing the Obama administration's executive overreach. The brief, authorized by a vote of the full House, sets forth why only Congress—not the executive branch—is empowered to write the nation’s immigration laws.