In Case You Missed It: A Look at Recent National Housing Policy News

Ways and Means Chairman Brady Issues Tax Reform Mission Statement for Pro-Growth Policy Agenda 

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX), who has been tasked by Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-WI) with leading a task force on tax reform, released a mission statement, set of principles, policy reforms, and desired outcomes for the task force. The tax reform task force is one of six task forces Ryan has established and charged with developing a Republican pro-growth agenda to be presented to the country in the months ahead. The task forces are designed to allow for a bottom-up approach that allows other Republican House members to provide input into the development of the agenda through a series of idea forums.

Representatives Hultgren and Ruppersberger Launch Municipal Finance Caucus 

Representatives Randy Hultgren (R-IL) and Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD) announced the establishment of a new, bipartisan caucus, which will serve as an advocacy and discussion forum for House members who are supporters of municipal bonds. The Municipal Finance Caucus will focus on protecting the tax-exempt status of municipal debt, understanding how financial regulations treat such debt, and ensuring there is a robust market for municipal securities.

ACTION Campaign Circulates Sign-On Letter Urging Congress to Raise the Cap on Housing Credit Authority 

The A Call To Invest in Our Neighborhoods (ACTION) Campaign, which NCSHA co-chairs with Enterprise Community Partners, is circulating a national sign-on letter calling on Congress to address the nation's severe shortage of affordable rental housing by increasing Housing Credit authority by at least 50 percent.  The letter speaks to President Barack Obama and House Speaker Paul Ryan's (R-WI) shared goals of alleviating poverty and expanding opportunity, and argues that the scarcity of affordable housing is a significant obstacle to our nation's efforts to achieve these objectives. It explains why the Housing Credit program is the best solution for addressing the affordable housing crisis, and outlines how affordable housing promotes financial stability and economic mobility and contributes to local economies through job creation, community revitalization, and the generation of tax revenues.