By Eugene T. Lowe
June 23, 2003

San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown, Jr. chaired his last standing committee meeting of Community Development and Housing on June 6. The mayor, who is term limited and who chaired the committee for eight years held a marathon meeting, approving 15 resolutions, a record for the standing committee, and hearing remarks from 10 speakers. The resolutions passed by the Community Development and Housing Committee will certainly direct Conference of Mayors policy for years to come. The committee approved Conference lobby efforts for an all time high for Community Development Block Grant funding at $5.5 billion. The committee also called for a homeownership tax credit and a national housing trust fund. The committee voted to oppose the administration's proposal to block grant Section 8 to the states as well as the administration's proposal that would eliminate the HOPE VI severely distressed public housing program; but, the committee unanimously approved resolutions endorsing the administration's effort to end chronic homelessness in 10 years and approved a resolution supporting President Bush's Small Business Plan. The committee deepened its already tough stance on predatory lending by unanimously approving a resolution that opposes the enactment of any federal legislation which would pre-empt state and local anti- predatory lending laws.

housing program; but, the committee unanimously approved resolutions endorsing the administration's effort to end chronic homelessness in 10 years and approved a resolution supporting President Bush's Small Business Plan. The committee deepened its already tough stance on predatory lending by unanimously approving a resolution that opposes the enactment of any federal legislation which would pre-empt state and local anti- predatory lending laws.

Speakers before the Committee included Lentswe Mokgatle, Mayor of Mogale City , South Africa, one of more than 20 mayors from around the world attending the Second International Conference of Mayors Meeting. The mayor gave a detailed report of the unique challenges to his city. With respect to housing, the mayor said that his city is "still living with the legacy of apartheid." He said that the challenge is to "integrate previously segregated residential areas." Dallas Mayor Laura Miller, Chair of Southwest Regional Housing, gave a report of the housing challenges and best practices of the states of Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. She told the committee that in Dallas the goal over the next 10 years " is to put on the ground 30,000 units of affordable housing."

Sister Lillian Murphy, President and Chief Executive Officer of Mercy Housing, explained the operation of Mercy in over 70 cities across the country. She told the mayors that "it is impossible to successfully develop and operate affordable housing without support from the mayor's office. This support often requires strong leadership from the mayor in the face of opposition that is based on fear, stereotypes, and past bad experiences of some individuals and groups." Philip Mangano, Executive Director of the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, reported on the latest efforts to end chronic homelessness in the next 10 years. He challenged members of the committee to develop 10 year plans such as those already developed in Columbus, Ohio, Indianapolis, Chicago, Memphis, Phoenix and Atlanta. Mangano said: "These cities have gathered the most innovative ideas from around the country. There is no need to reinvent the wheel or to wander in the wilderness. There are replicable models and best practices ready to go. All these plans are on the web site of the council, www.ich.gov."

try. There is no need to reinvent the wheel or to wander in the wilderness. There are replicable models and best practices ready to go. All these plans are on the web site of the council, www.ich.gov."

Kevin E. Marchman, Executive Director of the National Organization of African Americans in Housing (NOOAH), gave an update of his organization's report on "environmental health hazards in the nation's low income housing stock." Marchman said that the "report has enjoyed widespread coverage and support since its release last February." Accompanying Marchman was Michael Kelly, Executive Director of the District of Columbia's Housing Authority. Kelly, Chair of the Board of Directors of NOOAH, presented Mayor Brown the organization's Chairman's Award For Outstanding Service and Contribution. Norman Hill, the national president of the A. Philip Randolph Institute and James Bryant of the San Francisco A. Philip Randolph Institute addressed the mayors about a project of their organization : registering public housing residents to vote. "San Francisco has developed a model program which we hope to replicate in your cities throughout this country," said Hill.

to replicate in your cities throughout this country," said Hill.

Robert M. Couch, Chairman-Elect of the Mortgage Bankers Association of America, spoke in favor of a national standard "to address the issue of predatory lending." He added: "A national standard will ensure that the entire mortgage lending industry complies with one set of laws while allowing consumers to have a greater grasp of the lending process to keep from falling prey to unscrupulous parties."

Jim Park, Vice President of Industry and Trade Relations of Freddie Mac, made three points during his presentation to the committee. Park said: "Number one, the housing economy is critical to the communities you serve. Number two, public/private partnership is critical to tackling the housing challenges ahead of us. And lastly, we often talk about homeownership, but we do not talk about rental housing enough."

David M Dworkin, Vice President for Regional Management and Housing of Fannie Mae, reminded the mayors that June was National Homeownership month. Fannie Mae , along with a number of others is supporting the administration's homeownership effort called the American Dream which will increase minority homeownership. Dworkin said: "I think will all of the mortgage products that we have come up with and all of the different ways that we try to figure out how we can make it more affordable for people to become homeowners, I think one of the most important things is that we communicate the hope that people need to have to take that first step so they can benefit from these programs." Scott Syphax, President and CEO of the Nehemiah Corporation of California, told the committee that "we must work to educate our citizens that the asset development opportunity that is afforded through homeownership should not be looked at as an ATM to spend on short term consumer purchases, but as wealth accumulation and continued prosperity for themselves, their families, and generations yet inborn."

ip should not be looked at as an ATM to spend on short term consumer purchases, but as wealth accumulation and continued prosperity for themselves, their families, and generations yet inborn."

Community Development and Housing Resolutions

Supporting The Community Development Block Grant Program calls for separate funding for CDBG set-asides; and urges the President, the Secretary of HUD, the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives to increase the formula appropriation in FY 2004 to $5.5 billion to accommodate the increase in eligible entitlement communities.

Supporting The Home Investment Partnerships Program supports increased funding for the HOME program formula to at least $2.25 billion in FY 2004; and supports additional funding within the HOME program for increased housing production to meet the nation's affordable housing shortage.

Homeownership Tax Credit supports the proposed investor- based single family homeownership tax credit that would encourage the development of affordable single-family housing, help revitalize distressed neighborhoods, and increase homeownership by lower income families; and calls on the Congress to pass legislation creating a single family homeownership tax credit during this session of the 108th Congress.

Mayor's In Support Of President's Small Business Plan supports the President's Small Business Plan and urges continued to work with the President and his Cabinet and Administration officials to implement policies that will allow for job opportunities for citizens who want to find work and to create an environment in which entrepreneurship can flourish.

Tenant-Based Section 8 Block Grant Proposal urges Congress to defeat legislation that would block grant Section 8 to the states and calls on Congress to provide sufficient funds for the Section 8 program in fiscal year 2004 to ensure the renewal of all existing vouchers.

Reauthorization And Full Funding For Hope VI Program opposes the termination of this highly successful program after fiscal year 2004, and calls upon Congress to (1) appropriate at least $ 625 million for HOPE VI in fiscal year 2004; and (2) take other appropriate legislative action to ensure that the HOPE VI program is continued at least through fiscal year 2008.

Full Funding For Public Housing Capital And Operating Funds strongly supports full funding for the Public Housing Operating Fund and Capital Fund to ensure the preservation of this important affordable housing resource and, as part of the fiscal year 2004 HUD appropriations, calls on Congress to provide $ 4.1 billion for the Public Housing Operating Fund and $ 3.5 billion for the Public Housing Capital Fund.

Endorsing 10 Year Planning Process To End Chronic Homelessness supports the 10-year planning process to eliminate chronic homelessness and strongly encourages cities to create and implement performance based, results oriented strategic plans to end chronic homelessness in 10 years.

Continued Funding And Expanded Access To The Brownfields Economic Development Initiative strongly encourages Congress to enact legislation, such as H.R. 239, the Brownfields Redevelopment Enhancement Act, that would eliminate the BEDI program's requirement for a Section 108 loan guarantee, thereby giving more communities access to funding for redevelopment of brownfield sites; and strongly urges Congress to provide at least $25 million in FY04 funding so that the BEDI program can continue to exist as a resource for the redevelopment of brownfield sites across the country.

Proposed Housing And Community Development Resolution In Support Of A Strong Housing And Real Estate System supports the continued partnership of America's Mayors with real estate professionals, home builders, lenders, non-profits and the government sponsored enterprises to tackle the affordable housing challenges facing our nation.

Preemption Of State And Local Anti-Predatory Laws opposes the enactment of any federal legislation which would pre-empt state and local anti- predatory lending laws, and supports enactment of legislation creating an effective national standard, while leaving in place stronger state and local laws on predatory lending.

Resolution Commending U.S. Senators Christopher "Kit" Bond And Barbara Mikulski, The Children's Health Forum And Others Responsible For $50 Million In New Funding For Lead- Safe Cities commends Senators Christopher "Kit" Bond and Barbara Mikulski in their tireless work with the Children's Health Forum and others in the non-profit and private sector in succeeding in appropriating to HUD an additional $50 million for an entirely new program for American cities to eradicate childhood lead poisoning by 2010; and calls on Congress to continue to significantly increase federal funding for lead hazard remediation in privately-owned, low- income housing, through the HUD Lead Hazard Control Grant Program or otherwise, to at least $250 million per year;

Reforming The Federal Housing Administration And LIHTC To Advance Affordable Housing In Neighborhoods calls on the Congress to pass legislation that would provide FHA greater flexibility to develop new products and programs to expand homeownership opportunities in underserved areas and spur the production and preservation of affordable rental housing in neighborhoods.

National Housing Trust Fund strongly supports the creation of a national housing trust fund and urges the passage of the National Affordable Housing Trust Fund Act (HR 1102).

The Bringing America Home AcT supports the passage of the Bringing America Home Act of 2003 and its goals of ending homelessness, currently pending in the 108th Congress.