Congress

Feingold Urges Trust Fund Support
   Wisconsin Sen. Russ Feingold (D) attempts to move his national affordable housing trust fund proposal off dead center, but his plea echoes through a Capitol Hill wary of proposed funding mechanisms.Feingold's measure, S 427, the proposed Affordable Housing Expansion & Public Safety Act, would cr...
posted 2/14/08 11:08 AM  read complete story

Bush Signs Stimulus Package
   President Bush on Wednesday (Feb. 13) signed the two-year, $168 billion rescue package passed by Congress last week. The package includes not only rebates for individuals but also tax breaks for businesses to spur investment in new plants and equipment, thus helping bolster U.S. economic activity. T...
posted 2/14/08 10:25 AM  read complete story

HAC Says USDA Budget Plan Would Harm Rural Housing Efforts
   Officials at the Housing Assistance Council say the Agriculture Dept.'s budget request for FY 2009 would do considerable damage to rural housing efforts, as it seeks to eliminate a host of programs the group sees as important ones.HAC officials say poorer rural Americans would take a major hit shoul...
posted 2/6/08 2:13 PM  read complete story

SEC Extends Auditing Requirement Compliance Deadline for Small Businesses
   Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) officials Jan. 31 opt to extend by one year to Dec. 15, 2009 the deadline for small businesses to meet auditing requirements set in the Sarbanes-Oxley, meanwhile conducting a cost-benefit study.Senate Small Business & Entrepreneurship Chairman John Kerr...
posted 2/5/08 3:30 PM  read complete story

HOPE VI Founder Mikulski Says She Will Fight to Save Threatened Program
   The founder of the HOPE VI housing revitalization program says she will fight to save the program from extinction and to restore funding for it at existing levels.Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), in a statement released upon receiving the Fiscal Year 2009 budget that zeroes out the program, said she wo...
posted 2/5/08 3:26 PM  read complete story

Kerry, Kennedy Seek Up to $2B in Funds to Fight Foreclosures
   Sens. John Kerry (D-MA) and Ted Kennedy (D-MA) are pressing the Senate leadership for up to $2 billion in additional Community Development Block Grant funding to be added to the economic stimulus package (HR 5140) expected from the House. However, such a move could be met with resistance as Presiden...
posted 1/30/08 11:50 AM  read complete story

House OKs Bill to Speed Applications for Rural Housing Repairs
   The Senate Banking Committee is sent legislation from the House that would improve application processes for new and rehabilitated rural housing units insured under the federal Housing Act of 1949.House members passed the bill (HR 3873) by voice vote on Jan. 23, backed with support from rural housin...
posted 1/28/08 10:42 AM  read complete story

Kerry to Introduce Small-Business Tax Incentive Bill
   Senate Small Business & Entrepreneurship Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) will put his weight behind new legislation that would result in tax incentives designed to help those small-business entrepreneurs during these current tight credit times.Kerry's office says he will work with his colle...
posted 1/25/08 2:21 PM  read complete story

Stimulus Effort Tackles Housing Woes
    There is no actual spending on housing included in the fledgling national stimulus plan to reinvigorate the economy, but the White House and senior lawmakers include provisions intended to ease subprime mortgage woes.Regardless, the moves are temporary and permanent solutions will have to wait...
posted 1/25/08 2:05 PM  read complete story

Kennedy to Retire After 38 Years at HUD
   Richard Kennedy, a long-time veteran of HUD's Office of Community Development & Planning, is retiring after 42 years of government service, effective March 1.Kennedy has spent nearly his entire professional life with HUD, with the exception of four years in the U.S. Marine Corps. He told an audi...
posted 1/25/08 1:43 PM  read complete story