Tony L. Hoch, Sr. Vice President of the
Kansas Chapter National Association of Housing & Redevelopment Officials
C/o City of Lawrence * PO Box 708 * Lawrence, KS * 66044
Telephone: 785-832-3113 * FAX: 785-832-3110
E-Mail: [email protected]
Annual Conference Kansas NAHRO
Wichita, Kansas
Sr. Vice Presidents Report
May 21, 2014
Your Sr. VP attended the SWNAHRO Winter Planning meetings in Grapevine, TX on January 23rd & 24th.
As the Sr. VP I am assigned to the Legislative committee and as such am responsible for letting you, the state
members, know about the issues NAHRO will be pushing on the hill.
In March your delegation of JoAnn Sutton, Larry Hopkins, Sherly Swendson and Roxanne Mason, met with our
state Senators and Representatives in Washington, D.C. They delivered a copy of the Kansas NAHRO position
paper, available on the KSNAHO website, to each office and delivered personal appeals about the concerns of
our members. A schedule of the visits and contacts are listed below.
Senator Roberts Office: Joshua Yurek March 6, 2014 at 11:00 am
Congressman Yoder Office: Lara Driscoe: March 6th at 1:30 pm
Congressman Pompeo Office: Mike Netherton March 6th at 3:00 pm
Congressman Huelskamp Office: Mark Kelly March 6th at 3:30 pm
Congressman Jenkins Office: Colin Brainard March 6th at 4:30 pm
Senator Moran Office: William Ruder March 7th at 11:00 am
On May 6, the House Appropriations Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (T-HUD) Committee
released a draft FY 2015 appropriations bill, which was then approved unanimously during a May 7 mark-up.
Although the bill received an overall $1.2 billion increase compared to current levels, a $1.8 billion decrease in
revenue from the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) receipts resulted in an overall cut to the T-HUD spending
bill, dramatically impacting housing and community development (HCD) programs funded by the bill. The bill
includes $40.3 billion for HUD programs, $769 million below FY 2014 enacted levels.
NAHRO expects the bill to be taken up for consideration by the full House Appropriations Committee this week
even though the Senate has not yet begun work on their version of the FY 2015 Appropriations Act. While
much of the focus recently by NAHRO has been on full funding of housing programs and regulatory relief,
there has been a recent push to bring the Flat Rent issue and it’s devastating effects on the HA’s. With the
June deadline just weeks away, SWNAHRO members have been focused recently on getting local, personal
information in front of their legislators in leadership positions that can potentially get this changed.
NAHRO recently contacted the National CR&D committee members asking to collect local success stories on
redevelopment projects, that staff might put before the appropriation committee members, to illustrate what
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further cuts to CD funding levels will do to Community Development agencies. That request was passed on to
SWNAHRO CR&D members last week and several communities have responded already.
This year, it seems to me, to be the most active legislatively since joining KSNAHRO. Perhaps it is because the
committees I am a member of are focused on making changes where ever possible. Maybe I see that a phone
call, a personal email, a letter from a resident might actually get someone’s attention. I feel more confident
than ever that NAHRO, Southwest NAHRO and Kansas NAHRO “Will do whatever it takes” to advocate for the
people we serve on a daily basis, to provide them with be best possible outcomes we can provide.
Have a Great Conference!!!
Respectfully Submitted
Tony L. Hoch
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