With so much going on in federal housing policy, how does the National Low Income Housing Coalition decide what to focus on? Every year, our board of directors, policy committees and staff decide on the top policy priorities for our organization. Below, you’ll find NLIHC’s 2011 policy priorities.

National Housing Trust Fund (NHTF). Advancing the National Housing Trust Fund remains NLIHC’s highest priority. NLIHC will seek to capitalize the NHTF and continue to seek new
funding sources, including through reform of federal tax expenditures; support legislative
efforts to address issues not addressed in HUD’s NHTF regulations; and, obtain project‐based
vouchers to go to states to accompany NHTF dollars.

Housing Choice Vouchers. To support the units added by the National Housing Trust Fund and
otherwise assist the lowest income families in accessing affordable housing, NLIHC will continue
to advocate to renew all vouchers in use and to expand the voucher program. NLIHC will work
secure at least 250,000 new vouchers, including by reforming the federal mortgage interest
deduction. NLIHC will support enactment of the Section 8 Voucher Reform Act (SEVRA) and
efforts to regionalize voucher administration.

Balanced Housing Policy. NLIHC will work to achieve greater equity in federal housing subsidies
both along the income spectrum and between homeowners and renters, and will advocate for
redirecting these savings to fund NHTF and Housing Choice Vouchers.

Foreclosure Intervention. NLIHC will monitor compliance of the Protecting Tenants in
Foreclosure Act of 2009 and educate the public about this law, protect tenants in private
market multifamily properties that are threatened with foreclosure, and support bankruptcy
and foreclosure prevention legislation.

Preservation of Public and Assisted Housing. NLIHC will support enactment of comprehensive
Section 8 project‐based and other multi‐family housing preservation legislation, to include a
mandate for federal agencies to collect and disseminate data, and capacity grants to support
local data collection; support and promote policies that preserve severely distressed and non‐
severely distressed public housing stock through administrative and legislative vehicles; and
work to ensure renewal of all project‐ and tenant‐based rental assistance.

Gulf Coast Housing Recovery. NLIHC will support enactment of Gulf Coast Housing Recovery
legislation that reflects issues identified by the Katrina Housing Group, which NLIHC
coordinates, and will continue to work to influence the National Disaster Housing Strategy.

Budget and Appropriations. NLIHC will work to achieve the best possible HUD budget for FY12,
including through the President’s budget, the Congressional budget resolution, and
appropriations bills.

Housing Plus Services. Work in this broad subject area includes the Homeless Emergency
Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing Act of 2009 (HEARTH) implementation, as well as
Section 3 legislation, healthy housing legislation, and implementation of the 2010 Section 202
and Section 811 reforms.

Planning for Just Communities. NLIHC will advocate for improvements to the Livable
Communities Act/Sustainable Communities Initiative and will seek reform of federally required
planning processes, including the Consolidated Plan and the duty to Affirmatively Furthering
Fair Housing, to achieve greater inter‐departmental coordination.

Low Income Housing Tax Credits. NLIHC will support efforts to help the LIHTC program rebound
and to revise the LIHTC to require 25% of LIHTCs to be used for housing affordable for
extremely low income households.

Definition of Affordability and Income. NLIHC will monitor and inform proposals to redefine
the federal poverty level to assure consideration of housing costs. NLIHC will also monitor and
inform any changes to Fair Market Rents and income limits.

Housing Funding from Other Sources. NLIHC will seek ways to maximize resources for
affordable housing for extremely low income households through the Capital Magnet Fund,
climate change legislation, energy retrofit legislation, Community Reinvestment Act legislation,
and the transportation bill, as well as other potential resources.

What’s the top housing policy priority for your community?