More than 40% of the PHAs participating in the HUD Administrative Reform Initiative are HAI Group policyholders. We thank them for their efforts and are pleased to be able to provide them with a little support in their work.

HAI Group has been working with the public housing industry associations (CLPHA, PHADA, and NAHRO) in this regard to help the PHA staffers who have volunteered to participate in the 10 focus groups created by HUD to review regulations for possible revision or deletion.

HAI's support has taken the form of funding a review of HUD regulations. The firm of Reno & Cavanaugh is conducting the review in coordination with the industry associations. This data will be provided as separate reports to be used by PHA participants in the 10 HUD focus groups.

It is hoped that these reports will enable PHA representatives to be more effective in their participation and aid PHAs in their own independent efforts to obtain HUD regulatory waivers. This work may also be useful to the industry associations as they prepare their 2008 legislative agendas, where regulatory reform is not the solution.

The first of these reports, entitled “Global Overview,” can be found online at http://www.housingcenter.com/sites/
PublicShared/LegislativeAffairs/HAIDeregProject08_07.pdf. Others will be posted as they become available over the next several weeks. They may also be found at the HUD Web site at the Public Housing Administrative Reform Initiative location.

Web-based Advocacy

HAI has been working with CLPHA and PHADA to launch a Web-based legislative advocacy network to aid them and PHAs in their efforts to communicate with legislators on issues of concern such as PHA Operations, capital funding, and the need to expand workforce housing.

A contract has been signed with a provider and training in the use of this system by PHADA, CLPHA, and HAI staff began in August. Training for PHA users should commence in September. More will be shared on this powerful new tool in the months ahead.

National Housing Trust Fund (NHTF)

Recently, HR 2895 was introduced by Congressman Barney Frank, D-Mass. The purpose of this bill is to produce, preserve, or rehabilitate 1.5 million affordable housing units over the next 10 years. At least 75% of funds must go to extremely low-income families. For more information about this positive development and ways that you may be able to help push it forward, visit http://www.nhtf.org/.

If you are interested in learning more about the HAI Legislative Affairs Program, or sharing your ideas, please contact Brian Braley at bbraley@housingcenter.com or call him at 800-873-0242, ext. 225.