Call Notes:
Around the State
General Assembly Update
Reopening with access to LB & LOB to members, staff & some media; very limited
- Will need 26 senators and 51 house members physically present in order to pass anything
- Further guidance will be issued on how meetings of standing committees and other committees will be held and how the public can participate in that process remotely
- Some appropriations are expected along with a few COVID-19 related bills (healthcare is priority)
- Expected to come back in June/July and deal with more budget items (another bite at the apple)
COVID-19 Response Coordination in Governor’s Office
There is a small team within OSBM that is being formed to play point on the COVID-19 recovery similar to the Office of Economic Recovery and Investments that was formed after the foreclosure crisis. At its peak, OERI had up to 20 employees who were time-limited whose charge was to coordinate, work with others, provide guidance, make sure there is a clean audit, etc. Barbara Baldwin is temporarily heading this effort up as it is being formalized. She led OERI from 2011 to its closure.
CDBG
Little guidance to the state apart from the legislation.
Update on Raleigh Affordable Housing Bond
- City put up a website: follow along what is happening (meetings, info, etc)
- Currently doing a survey on what the public thinks the focus of bond should be:
- https://publicinput.com/housing-bond-2020
- Open until 5/3, also in Spanish
- Bond committee meets next on 4/24 Fridays 11:30am-12:30pm via zoom
- Email Judith.blaeske@raleighnc.gov for the call-in number/info.
NC Eviction Scorecard
Matthew Desmond/Eviction Lab released scorecards on Monday evaluating each state’s COVID-19 related responses regarding housing stabilization (i.e. protections against eviction & foreclosure)
- NC scored poorly = 0.6 out of 5
https://evictionlab.org/covid-policy-scorecard/nc/
National
Legislation Update
Work continues to get agreement on the next COVID-19 relief packages
Right now looks like the focus of the next bill will be financial aid to small businesses and hospitals
There is little mention of what housing support will be included, although there is talk of things like:
- Fixing the 4% rate;
- Some sort of rental subsidy;
- A historic investment in the HOME Partnerships Program; and
- Increased investment in ESG
You can find our recommendations to the NC Congressional delegation here.
Rent & Mortgage Cancellation Act
Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN) introduced a bill on April 17
- institute nationwide cancellation of rents and home mortgage payments through the duration of the coronavirus pandemic
IRS Extensions Related to LIHTC
Among the deadlines extended for low-income housing tax credit properties are the 10 percent of reasonably expected basis test, the 24-month period for minimum rehabilitation expenses, annual owner certification of compliance and more.
Reports/Resources/Events
HUD Hosting Listening Session on Rural Impacts – Wed 4/22 at 2pm
Rural Gateway Peer-to-Peer Conference Call: The Economic Impact of COVID-19 on America’s Rural and Underserved Communities: A Listening Session for Local Leaders.
Please register at https://ems8.intellor.com?do=register&t=1&p=825082
NLIHC – searchable database of rental properties that federal eviction moratorium applies to
For tenants to figure out if the property they reside in is covered
Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved – “Rental Assistance and Adult Self-Rated Health,”
- Found associations between how adults rated their own health and the receipt of rental assistance. Compared to adults receiving HUD rental assistance, those on the waiting list for housing assistance were up to 3 times more likely to rate their health as either poor or fair, rather than good, very good, or excellent.
- https://muse.jhu.edu/article/747791?utm_source=NLIHC+All+Subscribers&utm_campaign=99129f9368-Memo_042020&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_e090383b5e-99129f9368-292697557&ct=t(Memo_042020)
GUEST: Greg Kirkpatrick, Habitat NC
