By Eugene T. Lowe
October 7, 2002

Lobby Day meetings to support the national housing agenda developed by the Conference of Mayors over the last several months centered around urging congressional members to pass a national housing production program and to increase funding for community development and housing programs over the next fiscal year. Meetings were held with Representative Bernard Sanders (VT), Representative Barney Frank (MA) Ranking Member of the House Housing and Community Opportunity Subcommittee, Representative Michael Oxley (OH) Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, and Senator Christopher "Kit" Bond (MO), Ranking Member of the Senate VA, HUD and Independent Agencies Subcommittee.

Meeting with Representatives Sanders, Frank, and Oxley, mayors, police and fire chiefs pushed for the House of Representatives to pass H.R. 3995, the Housing Affordability for America Act of 2002. Most importantly, the mayors urged that Representative Sanders H.R. 2349, the National Housing Trust Fund Act, be passed as amendment to H.R. 3995. Mr. Sanders- Trust Fund amendment would fulfill the mayors' legislative goal in the National Housing Agenda of establishing a national housing production program. The purpose of Mr. Sanders- amendment would be "to help solve the affordable housing crisis by producing, rehabilitating and preserving at least 1.5 million affordable dwelling units by 2010 for families with the greatest economic need in mixed-income settings." The mayors were told in their meetings with the three representatives that the housing trust fund would not likely be brought to In the meeting with Senator Bond, mayors learned of new housing legislation (S. 2967) that the senator recently introduced that "would encourage the production of new houses for very low and extremely low-income families." The $1 billion housing proposal would be distributed to state housing agencies and require a 25 percent match. Twenty percent of the money could be used for housing renovation, and the remainder wold be used to build new housing. The program would be funded from excess Section 8 reserves. Senator Bond said that he did not expect the bill to passed before Congress adjourns, and that he introduced it to begin a discussion on housing production. The meeting with Senator Bond also covered funding for CDBG and other housing and community development programs.Á

In the meeting with Senator Bond, mayors learned of new housing legislation (S. 2967) that the senator recently introduced that "would encourage the production of new houses for very low and extremely low-income families." The $1 billion housing proposal would be distributed to state housing agencies and require a 25 percent match. Twenty percent of the money could be used for housing renovation, and the remainder wold be used to build new housing. The program would be funded from excess Section 8 reserves. Senator Bond said that he did not expect the bill to passed before Congress adjourns, and that he introduced it to begin a discussion on housing production. The meeting with Senator Bond also covered funding for CDBG and other housing and community development programs.Á