{"id":42997,"date":"2024-07-24T16:51:41","date_gmt":"2024-07-24T20:51:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nahro.org\/?post_type=news&p=42997"},"modified":"2024-07-24T16:51:45","modified_gmt":"2024-07-24T20:51:45","slug":"congress-holds-hearing-on-housing-solutions-and-regulations","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.nahro.org\/news\/congress-holds-hearing-on-housing-solutions-and-regulations\/","title":{"rendered":"Congress Holds Hearing on Housing Solutions and Regulations"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
By: Jenna Hampton, Legislative Affairs Manager<\/p>\n\n\n\n Subcommittee Chair Warren Davidson (R-OH) and Subcommittee Staff Director Ed Skala<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n On Wednesday, July 24, the House Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance held a hearing on \u201cHousing Solutions: Cutting Through Government Red Tape<\/a>.\u201d The hearing covered a wide range of the housing industry, including single family homes, multifamily development, and government-assisted senior housing. Chair Warren Davidson (R-OH) set the tone for the hearing with a graphic to show that government regulations make the leasing process for Housing Choice Vouchers (HCVs) much more complicated than the \u201cstandard\u201d leasing process for rental housing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Four witnesses joined the hearing to provide expert testimony, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Republican committee members and several witnesses argued that government regulation and requirements slow housing construction and increase costs. Schloemer testified that\u2014on average\u2014regulations at all levels of government account for about 40.6% of multifamily development costs. Harris cited environmental regulations such as the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) as being particularly burdensome. Harris and Schloemer both rejected the Biden Administration\u2019s recent proposal<\/a> to cap rent increases at 5% each year for landlords with more than 50 units, arguing that rent controls lead to a decrease in housing supply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While not fully disagreeing with the argument that government regulations sometimes constrain housing supply, Democratic committee members argued that government requirements can protect tenant safety and ensure better accessibility in housing. Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia (D-TX) pointed out that Congress is limited in its ability to cut down on \u201cred tape\u201d at the local level such as zoning and land use laws, which present some of the greatest barriers to increasing housing supply. Linda Couch of Leading Age discussed with Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) that accessibility requirements are needed to ensure enough housing is available for people with disabilities and seniors with accessibility needs. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Congressman Steven Horsford (D-NV) closed the hearing by referencing a letter he sent to the Biden Administration, \u201c\u2026requesting additional resources be provided to our local housing authorities such as increased allocation of Housing Choice Vouchers and the flexibility to make the programs fit local challenges.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n