Housing Legislative Update

As we reported in our last issue (Summer 2009), the Shriver Center has been working on the state and federal level to advance housing-related legislation to protect low-income families.  Here’s an update of this work:

• The Shriver Center continues its work with the US House Financial Services Committee to amend Section 18 of the United States Housing Act (demolition/disposition of public housing) to restore the one-for-one replacement requirement; its 1996 repeal resulted in the loss of over 100,000 public housing units.  In response to the Committee’s request that HUD impose a demolition moratorium until these amendments are passed, HUD has committed to review Section 18 applications with better scrutiny.  The Shriver Center continues to take a leading role with the Housing Justice Network and other organizations to prepare joint proposed language for introduction in the House of Representatives.
• On October 29, 2009, amendments to the Illinois Mortgage Foreclosure Law (H.B. 3863), successfully advanced by the Shriver Center and its legislative advocacy partner Housing Action Illinois, went into effect.  The amendments provide crucial protections for tenants affected by the foreclosure crisis, including ensuring that they receive notice when ownership or management of the property changes due to foreclosure.