Community and Economic Development Policy & Advocacy Committee Congressional City Conference 2012 Helping Cities Leaders Build Better Communities.

Community and Economic Development

Policy & Advocacy Committee

Congressional City Conference 2012

Helping Cities Leaders Build Better Communities

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2012 Priorities for Cities and Towns

•Protect Local Sources of Revenue •Authorize cities to collect taxes owed from on-line sales

•Preserve Funds for Hometown Investment.• Support federal investments in cities through CDBG and

other federal programs.

•Invest in America’s Human Capital•Modernize the Workforce Investment Act and the

Education Act

•Enact a New Transportation Program• Invest in America’s roads, transit, bridges, and highways

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HUD Budget Challenges• 3.2 % increase to $44.8 B

• 80 cents of every dollar to maintain current level of assistance

• Short funding Project-based Section 8 contracts

• CDBG flat $2.9 billion (-25% over 2 years)

• HOME flat $ 1billion

• Sustainable Communities $100 million

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Congress Views and Estimates• HUD budget fails to impose spending discipline

• Resources should be allocated to fewer programs

• CDBG: "Concerns have been raised that some CDBG money is used to fund projects that reflect exclusively local priorities”  

• Clarity of purpose, poor management, questionable uses, and slow spend out rates

• Funds for Sustainable Communities Initiative and Choice Neighborhoods should be transferred to CDBG and Project-based Section 8

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Transportation-HUD 302(b) allocation

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CDBG Dear Colleagues

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Current CDBG Signers

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Home Regulatory Reform

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Economic Development Administration

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Eminent Domain• H.R. 1433, the Private Property Rights Protection Act of

2011

• Prohibits federal, state, and local governments that receive federal economic development funds from using eminent domain to acquire land for economic development purposes.

• “Economic development” defined as private, for-profit projects, or projects designed to increase tax revenue, the tax base, or employment. 

• Punitive measures on governments for violating the ban and creates a cause of action for landowners who have property wrongfully taken by a state or local government.

• Safe harbor for “public purpose” such as the construction of roads, hospital facilities, airports or military bases

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Presidents Housing Proposal• Aimed at middle class homeowners who may be

underwater

• Mostly current on mortgage payments over the course of a year

• Any qualifying homeowner unable to refinance in the private market could refinance through a federal entity

• Cost $5 to $10 billion; paid by proposed “Financial Crisis Responsibility Fee” on financial institutions

• $15 billion in FY 2013 for Project Rebuild

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Committee Communication

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www.CitiesSpeak.org

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www.twitter.com/MikeWallaceII

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Federal / Local RoundtablesDevelopment Roundtable • Val Piper, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Economic Development, CPD,

HUD• Judy Canales, Admin for Rural Business and Cooperative Programs,

USDA• Administrator for Housing and Community Facilities Programs, USDASustainable Cities Roundtable• Shelley Poticha, Director of OSHC, HUD     • Matthew Dalbey, Ph.D., Director, Federal and State Division, EPASC2 Roundtable• Sarah Ray – Department of Education • Jake Ament – HUD, Office of Policy Development• Kheng Mei Tan – HUD, Office of Policy Development• Iris Goodman, Sustainable and Healthy Communities Research, EPAChoice and Promise Neighborhoods• Bonnie Carter, Office of Innovation and Improvement, U.S. Department

of Education• Caroline Clayton, Office of Public Housing Investments, HUD

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Advocacy This Week1. Tell House to “Sign Brady CDBG Letter”

2. Tell Senate to “Sign Leahy CDBG Letter”

3. Bonus! Tell Senate to Support Casey/Blunt Amendment to fund local bridges in the Transportation Reauthorization bill

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Contact

Michael Wallace

Principal Associate,

Federal Relations

National League of Cities

202.626.3025

[email protected]

Twitter: @MikeWallaceII

Blog: www.CitiesSpeak.org