Transcripts For CSPAN Senate Hearing On Affordable Housing Access 20240713

Next, a Senate Committee ooking at Affordable Housing and safety concerns. One of the issues deals with onsider car upon monoxide ctors in all in alln monoxide readers Affordable Housings. To his hearing will come order. Today the committee will receive testimony from leaders in the community on bipartisan opportunities, to expand access to fter for theable housing improve the safety conditions within current federally assisted housing, and to we might better target some of our existing Housing Resources to meet unaddressed needs. Welcome to our witnesses, and thank you for being here and be with us on discussion. Nt join us today are ivory mathews, director of tive the Housing Authority of columbia, South Carolina, mark yost, president and chief executive officer of the skyline champion corporation, and peggy bailey, Vice President for policy at the budget. Hearing ses of todays were focused on examining three bipartisan pieces of in particular that have been introduced in the congress. 2160, the alerts act, introduced in july by senators scott and menendez and has the support of five republicans and on this crats committee. S 1804, the hud manufactured modernization act which was introduced in june and has cosponsors, an including senators cortez masto, smith, and and r4300, the stable housing opportunities act which has bipartisan interest in the senate and is moving quickly through the house of strong tatives on a bipartisan basis. Aleshts act would require the installation and Maintenance Co 2 larms in any dwelling unit containing a fuelburning fireplace, furnace or enclosed garage. Currently the majority of housing assisted programs have no such requirements. Despite similar requirements in the district of columbia. At least 13 individuals living assisted house having died due to carbon onoxide poisoning since 2003 including four in the past year. In april, secretary carson hud would that undertake a rulemaking process o establish such a requirement across all of huds rental assistance programs. This bill would also require the hud secretary to provide to the Public Housing they can better educate tenants. The act would provide to state and local jurisdiction who receive hud unding through programs like the Community Development bloc grant or home investment program, that manufacture housing as an Affordable Housing option for which communities can receive for construction and repair. In other words, local jurisdictions would have a broader menu of options available as they seek to meet housing e affordable needs of their community. The fostering stable housing advanced ies act was unanimously out of the House Financial Services committee in awaits floor consideration. It would authorize hud to llocate vouchers under its family Unification Program, more directly than any Public Housing gency that requests an allocation in order to provide too manically assistance to an aging out uth who is of foster care and at risk of losing their safety net overnight. Bill would also extend the length of a family unification months for p to 24 eligible youth who are either participating in he wass family program, iciency working toward a degree, or are articipating in a career pathway. These individuals would also be ligible for any Additional Supportive Services made available in connection with any Housing Assistance program of provides the t voucher. Commend hud and secretary carton, including the new foster to youth initiative. Each of these three bills were examining today have been and htfully put together have strong bipartisan support. I look forward to hearing from ur witnesses on these legislative proposals and committee to his identify other items with bipartisan support in the housing space and elsewhere. Thanks to the three witnesses contributions on these issues. I would like to start by taking and ent to acknowledge remember the passing of one of our former colleagues, the carolina. Rom north this is our first hearing since she passed away. On this d well committee in her six years in the senate and i want her family know we think often of her. Sherrod said the housing part of this committees name doesnt attention it should. Important aring an but small step towards giving Affordable Housing crisis that the ve in this country attention that it deserves. Right now nearly 11 million half olds spend more than their income on housing. Four people t of seven of the growing jobs dont pay enough to afford housing. It hits nearly every community our great country. Instead of working to solve this crisis the touch administration worse proposing deep cuts to the hud budget, ismantling fair housing protections, advocating for Housing Finances that would make expensive, and harder to get. Fortunately members of this are taking some steps to address some of the challenges we face. Said well look at this Bipartisan Legislation and unique housing issues, the hud modernization introduced by masto, and senator scott, thank you both, would require communities to manufactured housing as they develop strategic plans to address local housing and Development Needs with federal grants, manufacturing ousing, home to 22 Million People. It meets critical Affordable Housing need across the country. In my state of ohio. Senator menendez and senator scotts c. E. O. Alert acts responds to two tragic deaths poisoningpon monoxide in assisted hud housing earlier this year. No one should have to fear that poison her. Going to their bill would finally require allon monoxide detectors in federally assisted units that have c. O. Risk to prevent more preventable deaths. It would take a step toward ensuring that everyone no matter be safe. Ome, can finally well discuss the need for a program to address the young people of exiting foster care across the country. 20,000 young people age out of foster care every year. The challenges that they face. All of a sudden, youre on your own. Same family e the safety net to fall back on that others may have. Youre trying to find a job, enroll in ng to school. Many face housing instability up 1 3 will to experience homelessness at some point during this transition. Hamilton county, ohio, cincinnati, shared with my foster hat he entered care at 10, aged out at 18 with no permanent home. Found red college, himself homeless during college breaks. Imagine, imagine. He became an red, advocate for others because no young person should have to did. Rience what he ohios foster care youth alumni problem. To solve this they put forth ideas that became the bipartisan foster stable ousing opportunities act so foster care alumni nationwide can have a place to call home. Supportislation has the of a hundred organizations and fostercurrent and former youth. Congresswoman dean introduced this bill in the house. This week senator grassley and i, with a big assist from senator reid, introduced this bill in the senate. Additional resources and more communities that encourages local housing and to work fare agencies together to serve our young people. This is just the first step. Carbon monoxide isnt the only way people are poisoned in their homes. Health hazards in homes across the country Housing Stock ld and places like apalachicola. Housing severe shortages in urban and rural areas in Indian Country. Expiring assistance contracts in thousands affordable units in rural counties. A your communities we see growing need for afford building Senior Housing options. We have to tackle this crisis sides. Ll corporations, frankly, are not paying workers enough to afford live. Ce to we need to create, on the other side we need to create more homes. Affordable im glad that the word housing is making its way back into the committee. Is housing and urban affairs. Thank you, senator brown. Ill indicate right now, that i to go to a leave vote in the Judiciary Committee holding. Up that were unfortunately, we seem to double up our hearings quite regularly so i apologize at the outset if i have to step rapidly. With that well proceed to the witnesses opening statements. All, yourto, first of written testimony has been entered into the record. Try encourage you to each to wrap up your initial comments in five minutes as weve got a we k there in front of you want the senators to have time for their questions and i always remind my colleagues to pay to your five minute time requirements as well. Mathews, you may proceed. Chairman crapo, ranking for the thank you opportunity to testify during critically important hearing in support of the act of 2019. Mathews and im the interim executive director of the Housing Authority of the of columbia, South Carolina. Founded in 1937, columbia ousing currently provides 6,000ng assistance to over families in richmond county. Im here today to support the alerts legislation. The bill ensures that families in federally assisted safe, from section 202, section 811, Public Housing housing in 8 accordance with the International Fire code. Would like to begin this testimony by honoring calvin roperrspoon jr. And derek who lost their lives as a result monoxide poisoning on january 17, 2019, at the Housing Community in columbia. Are with t sympathies the witherspoon and families and memory of these individuals. Following 18, 2019, the deaths of mr. Witherspoon mr. Roper, over 400 tenants were evacuated from their homes abundance of caution. An emergency relocation plan was implement am mmpeachmen impeachme a implemented. Columbia housing worked and meet to assess the individual needs of each family. All residents were offered the being temporarily housed at area hotels until permanent housing was found. The health and safety of our residents remained our highest priority at this time. Has provideding residents with free but help euro health with Free Behavioral Health sessions to help with their emergency location. Services were also provided by city and Council Government to help with associated costs and inconveniences like laundry services, transportation to places of worship, doctorstation to appointments, food preparation, and after underscore activities afterschool activities, donated goods and services were provided by arial colleges and universities. Social groups, sororities, fraternities, statebased communities, and private senate citizens. Columbia house worked diligently to make sure the families were Public Housing. Housing options provided to families included other available Public Housing units and housing choice vouchers to secure permanent housing in the opening market to eliminate any rent burden on the family. All costs associated with the move were paid by columbia housing. We remain grateful for the outpouring of support received from the community and the South Carolina hud field office. Additionally, columbia housing installed Carbon Monoxide detectors in its Public Housing unit and require public monoxide detectors Carbon Monoxide s in the homes. Other housing authorities across the country should do the same. The desireard, it is of the city of columbia and columbia housing to transform the Benedict Court community. Just in 1939, Alan Benedict consisted of 26 buildings on a 15acre site located adjacent to historically black educational institutions, Benedict College and allen university. Unfortunately, like many other housing authorities, we do not currently have the Financial Resources to move forward with allendevelopment of Benedict Court. There is a backlog of capital Housing Stock nationwide, which continues to grow at approximately 3. 5 billion per year. This backlog includes many health and safety items, additional funding is needed to address these issues. Crapo, Ranking Member brown, members of the committee on banking, housing, and urban havers, i am honored to had the opportunity to testify before the committee and provide. perspective it is my pleasure to answer any questions you may have. Sen. Brown miss matthews, thank you so much. Mr. Yost . Mr. Yost thank you, chairman Ranking Member brown, chairman crapo. Of homebuilding experience with 38 manufacturing facilities throughout the United States and in canada. Champions is one of the largest homebuilders in america, providing a wide variety of manufactured in modular homes, rvs and modular buildings. Before you today on behalf of the manufactured housing is everywhere i serve on the board of directors and the National Modular housing council. That has ally one sectors. Manufactured housing is the largest form of unsubsidized Affordable Housing in the United States, and the only type of housing built for federal construction Safety Standards. Today, 22 Million People live in manufactured homes. 100018, we produced nearly 18,000 homes or approximately 10 of Single Family housing starts. While new site built homes are generally priced above 200 thousand dollars, manufactured homes are often priced below 100,000. As a result, manufactured housing accounts for 80 of new under 150,000. My testimony today is focused on the hudill 1804, manufactured housing modernization act of 2019. Andtrongly support 1804 commend senators cortez mastro, andt, smith, craver, young, tester for coming together to introduce this bipartisan bill. The bill requires localities g, homeng cbd Housing Trust funds to appropriately include residential manufactured housing in their comprehensive affordability strategies and Community Development plans, also referred to as the consolidated plans. The adoption of this legislation would break down barriers through formal housing by increasing the focus on manufactured housing. As you know, manufactured homes serve many Housing Needs across a range of communities, from both rural areas to metropolitan areas. Unfortunately, what we see nationwide is a growing number of state and local restrictions that discriminate against people and families who seek to dream of homeownership through manufactured housing. Called attention to these discriminatory practices in its september Housing Finance reform plan, noting, and i quote, policies that is include or disincentive five the utilization of manufactured housingd exasperate affordability. We do not need to exasperate the problem of Housing Affordability, we need to solve the problem of affordability. 1804 is crucially important to this. Because localities locate the cbdg and home funds, which naturally or about 4. 5 billion per year, based upon the annual based ond in turn, are the plan locally, and the best form of Affordable Housing in the country is unsubsidized manufactured housings. Zoning either prohibits or limits the placement of manufactured products. Hud has Preemption Authority under the manufacturing Safety Standards act, a statutory mandate to intervene with a local or state regulatory requirements inconsistent or manufactured homes. While hud pursues individual cases, i would ask that the senate encouraged to better enforce Preemption Authority. This would facilitate the of affordableility homes. In closing, i thank the providingtoday for the opportunity to share ideas of how we can prioritize the importance of manufactured housing when it comes to addressing the shortage in crisis of solving the affordable crisis in the country. Again, i thank you, and i look forward to answering your questions. Sen. Brown thank you, mr. Yost. Ms. Bailiff. Thank you for the opportunity to testify today. I am peggy bailey, Vice President for housing policy at the center for public priorities. Conductsnonprofit that effectsof policies o on low income families. The act of 2019, which was recently introduced by senators brown and ca grassley and has the support of over 100 organizations represent over 55,000 foster youth across the country. This has been spearheaded by action ohio, spearheaded by foster alumni, who not only support the legislation but played a central role in designing and drafting of the bill. Second, except the funding increases in the federal Unification Program targeted at foster youth, included in a 2020 appropriations bill. Third, protect lgbtq youth from discrimination and ensure their access to housing and social support. Mr. Chairman, 75 of households eligible for federal rental assistance to not get it due to limited funding. Toilies may wait years receive assistance, and an overwhelming amount have stopped accepting applications. They are vulnerable and are disproportionately at risk of homelessness. Of the 4000 or so children in foster care, 20,000 age out each year. These young adults often have limited or no emotional support your day struggle to get jobs, and if they get jobs, which most of them do, they are often paid low wages. Who are hispanic youth overrepresented in foster care may face racism and discrimination when looking for housing, jobs, and educational support, and lgbtq youth are also overrepresented in the foster care system and face you that canhallenges be harder to overcome if they are uncertain about how to afford a place to live. About one and four at foster youth report they have been homeless at least once during the prior two years, and as many as one and three experience homelessness by the age of 26 pierce some agencies with some federal funding and oversight stand in for parents who cannot care for their children. Evidence shows, and im sure personal experiment by many here today validates that most American Parents contribute to their children in various ways, including helping pay for evenng well past 18 and 21. It is not unreasonable to think foster youth need similar help your young people who need are eligible for vouchers, but there is a severe shortage of vouchers overall fear the department of housing and urban development have a small amount available to state and local housing agencies that partner with child where fair agencies that help atrisk youth, but the Geographic Reach of the vouchers is limited. Only one out of every eight of the more than 2200 housing agencies nationwide are authorized to administer them, and nearly 20,000 vouchers that to onlyse right now go 1000 former foster youth are understandably, most vouchers go to families to help prevent removing a child from home to foster care or to help families reunite with their children once they are placed in foster care. Hr 4300, which the House Financial Services committee passed unanimously, would make vouchers more effective for foster youth, and as chairman crapo explained, it would authorize hud to make vouchers available to every Housing Agency to administer vouchers, and was they administer vouchers, as long as the agency meets chrom program requirement, it will also enable childhood where Child Welfare agencies to help them become independent and use the vouchers for up to five years, two years longer than the current limit, if they are working and educational support a meeting other requirements. It would provide fundamental to support welfare agencies. In addition to passing for 300, congress should also pass the 20 million increase in the house and Senate Versions of the 2020 appropriations bill, to expand vouchers for at risk foster youth. That would enable more than 2000 young people who have left foster care and are at risk of homelessness to live in decent stable housing. Also urged the administration to withdraw the department of health and human proposed and hud regulations to roll equal access and antidiscrimination protections for lgbtq people. The proposed rules have put lgbt q and former foster youth at risk. Thank you very much for the opportunity to testify today, and i would be happy to answer any questions that you have. Sen. Brown thank you, ms. Bailey. Senator scott. Sen. Scott thank you, mr. Ranking member. Good morning to the panel. Thank you for being of this morning on a very important topic. I would like to take a moment to give a special thanks to miss Ivory Matthews for joining us today from my home state of South Carolina. I commend her for her hard work to helpingion improve the lives of my constituents in South Carolina. Some of her amazing work in greenville to addressing the tragic situation in colombia, i am very confident that with her our families are and save her hands. Thank you for your expertise, your leadership, and your passion for helping those folks who are most vulnerable in our society. With one ofhis year tragedy for our community in South Carolina. I would like to honor calvin witherspoon, jr. And derek who tragically lost their lives in what were preventablely deaths. As a result of Carbon Monoxide poisoning on january 17 of this year. Tos only galvanized my need ensure that we are protecting our most vulnerable system citizens, like calvin and derrick, and the other families that allen Benedict Court Public Housing community in colombia. Work with my colleagues, senator menendez, on finding a Bipartisan Solutions but it stopped at a more deaths like that in South Carolina, pennsylvania, oklahoma, virginia, michigan, indiana, and tennessee. Deaths in Public Housing across this country since 2003. 14 deaths too many. I also want to thank secretary carson and his staff at hud for their commitment to addressing this problem had for moving forward with a 5 Million Grant Program to help our Public Housing authorities to purchase and install co2 directors. Ms. Matthews, steel poison can happen quickly and without warning, resulting in entirely preventable deaths. Proper measures are taken we have a patchwork of state laws and regulations when it comes to Carbon Monoxide prevention. In utah, for example, the state has in it for a 25 increase in Carbon Monoxide poisoning in just the last year. Only new Residential Structures regulated by the state residential code are required to have c. O. Detectors. How would it go like c. O. Alertl like help when it comes to stopping the silent killer, ms. Matthews . Ms. Matthews thank you, senator scott. Will savelert act lives, and the senate should pass this bill. Made itly since hud has clear that it is waiting on congressional action, it is important for our industry that we have those mandatory guidelines so that no other Housing Authority or family have to experience the tragedy experienced in columbia, South Carolina. Sen. Scott thank you, maam. We have to find a way to stop this. Affordable homeownership can come in many forms. Residential manufactured housing the in one of those. This is a safe and Affordable Housing option for more than 22 million working families. In South Carolina, it is , asicularly important nearly one in five homes are prefabricated. Would open the bill for more Affordable Housing options for our individuals and families across the country. You explain how manufactured homes fill an Important Role in providing lower price, more affordable indicates . . It mr. Yost thank you, senator scott, and yes, South Carolina is a very popular state for asufactured housing to it you know, there are 376,000 manufactured homes in your state, about 20 of your homes are manufactured housing. I think what manufactured housing does is it allows us to supply an affordable price point. The average site built home 294,000. Oing for , excluding land the average manufactured home is 72,000. When a big difference people are fighting for affordability at the inn of the day, this bill, eight to go for, really allows us to spread manufactured housing across the thetry and give People Choice of having unaffordable option, so that they can support their family. Sen. Scott thank you mr. Yost. Mr. Ranking member, i just want to thank the Ranking Members for being here today the guests for being here today, to help the most vulnerable in our society. Sen. Brown thank you, mr. Scott. I have a question for ms. Bailey, i will start with you. Acthousing opportunities that senator grassley, senator raid, and i senator reid, and i are working on. Walkthrough, again, what this young peoplen for aging out, why it makes their lives better. Housing, ell, know, aey well, as we formal housing allows people to life,school, work, live a and having the low wages just make the affordability gap figure for them. Without this housing, they could have years spent homeless or even worse, maybe in jail or prison, and other outcomes that we know happen when people are a risk of homelessness. So this bill would give youth able tost step in being have a safe, stable place to live, so that they can build their future. Sen. Brown you had mentioned the challenges facing lgbtq young people and people of color. This bill how will this help them overcome some of the immense challenges they face . Bailey housing will play a fuse role in being able to make those first steps as they enter into adulthood. Lgbtq youth, black youth, who are allh overrepresented in the foster care system are also overrepresented in homelessness, overrepresented in jails and prisons, they face disparities when trying to Access Health services. Housing plays a huge role in being able to reverse all of those outcomes, and this bill will give them that assistance that they need to avoid those challenges in the future. Sen. Brown thank you. Ms. Mathews, we know that fewer than have access to vouchers the targeted to foster youth. How would a bill like this be used in your communities . Ms. Mathews in our community, we partner with South Carolina department of social services and many nonprofit organizations that house individual youth that are currently in foster care. And for many, many years, it is a constant struggle to help find Housing Resources for those families, because we dont have the dedicated resources available, like what will be approved in the bill that ms. Peggy mentioned, and i think it is tremendously important to bill like this pass in law and for us to have the resources so that we can help those families, those youth transition, and stabilize their lives. Housing is the first part of being able to stabilize their lives as they transition into adulthood, so we certainly support and it would be to mislead beneficial in our community. Sen. Brown thank you. Follow up with that, ms. Bailey, in this way, if you would, please. We know what an important social determinants of Health Stable housing can be. We know that low income people and people of color, their infant mortality rates are higher, their Maternal Mortality rates are higher, significantly higher. Given your background at the intersection of housing and health, talk about how stable housing impacts peoples health. Ms. Bailey you know, i think it in thinkingt, too, about health to not just a about someones physical and primary health needs but also their Mental Health and Substance Use as an disorder and of these, too. As a disorder and disease, too. Allows have a home, it them to store their medication, to have access to healthy food. Housing and then just the stability of knowing that you can pay for your place to live and not and avoid homelessness is a comfort that so many families are not able to are not able to have. I think lastly, peoples spirits and homelessness or exposed people experiencing homelessness are exposed to severe weather,annot take care of infection have to and must stand in line at shelters in order to be a would have access to that shelter, and therefore cannot engage in a lot of services and then work. Is the foundation for everything that we think about when it comes to improved health care. And also, we know that people experiencing homelessness access emergency room care and are over institutionalized, which is expensive for the healthcare system. Without access to housing, all outcomes are experienced in the healthcare system. Sen. Brown thank you. Senator rounds. Sen. Rounds thank you. I would like to thank you for being a today. I would like to thank my colleagues who wrote the legislation that we are considering at todays hearing. I would like to point out the fact that it has now been 534 days since our last markup in this committee, which when we consider legislation modernizing the process, if you go back to the last nonsecurity bill, which 55, it has been 689 days. That is nearly two full years. This is particularly unfortunate, because there are a lot of well, there are a whole host of bills that are being discussed on both sides but i really think republicans and democrats could agree on. When it comes to Housing Affordability, it has been really challenging to find a bipartisan approach that we can get to to actually make the major changes that are necessary if we want to fix what is going on an fha. Reform, theeve that federal housing and administration, the way they operate within hud is critical, and it will take a bipartisan effort. Everyone here is aware of the fact that the fha is broken, and at this stage of the game, we have yet to come to a bipartisan agreement on how we want to fix it. So i would challenge all of us once again to sit back and look at if we really want to make changes, this is going to take a bipartisan effort to get it done, and i would be more than willing to work with and a member come on either side of the aisle, to try to find that step forward. Ats be honest, as we look the bills before us today, important ideas that i think should move forward to the markup process, they are only going to move the needle so far. To make housing affordable and the longterm, we have to confront the tough issues confronting us in a fundamental house financing reform. Togress coming together solve major problems does not have to be a foreign concept. Heck, if you take a look at most of our states, i will give south dakota as example, in a matter of 40 days and 40 nights, the legislature comes together and looks at every single bill that comes before the, they pass a balanced budget, and then they go and look at the citizens of the laws that they created. That same sort of attitude needs to be shown within congress. Here in the Senate Banking committee have had problems in the past. I have to offer my commendation to chairman crapo on his work on the house and finance protection act, better known as johnsoncrapo. It has been six years since we actually had that discussion. That would be an excellent place on which to start on gse reform. While i know there would be many ideas for amendments, i hope we in a include johnsoncrapo future markup, along with amendments that would make it better. With that being said, i do want to ask i know my colleagues have already had a chance to ask some questions about some of the legislation before us, but i would like to ask the following question, and it went. Perspective,evel what are some of the additional steps you would like to see this committee taken to promote Housing Affordability . This is almost like an open mic opportunity for you. From your perspective, can you share with us what you would like to see in terms of what might you the options that will help in terms of Affordable Housing . Like to stepld forward, if not, i will go down the line. Ms. Mathews sure. I dont mind going first. What we would like to see first and foremost is a major expansion of the housing choice Voucher Program. Haveng choice vouchers been shown to be extraordinarily effective in being able to stabilize families and individuals in their housing in a very efficient way. Sometimes when we think about solving the Affordable Housing crisis, we think of solving the entirety of homelessness, and it is not. Part of ass is problem, but overall, many people have some place to live, they just simply have a hard time making ends meet. If we could make sure that everyone who needs it can afford their housing, and a housing choice voucher testing testing thank you for the question. There are two things that come to mind immediately. The first thing is, i would to do theire gses duty to serve that they have put in writing. Secondaryeation of a market for channel lending. That creation of a secondary market will create a more competitive financing environment for Affordable Housing. Times, a manufactured home is a achievement cheaper alternative than apartment rent or Single Housing options. I know im going to run out of time but would you like to make any comments as well . Yes, thank you. I really support some of the tools that are in existence. Is an Important Program to help us expand Affordable Housing. There are just enough dollars that exist to allow us to address all of the capital needs. Any of those legislations on the will allow for more publicprivate partnerships to expand more 41 housing. My time is expired thank you. Thank you mr. Chairman and thank you witnesses for your excellent terrorist testimony. Let me recognize [indiscernible] who served this congress. Let me also say this from two perspectives. Appropriator ind am the ranking democrat. Echoing senator browns comments, the budget that the president set up was less than adequate. A 12 billion cut in Affordable Housing programs including public and home housing. Ms. Matthews, you would have a lot of problems trying to survive on the budget. Of block grant program, one the most popular programs throughout the country. Fortunately, through the leadership of senator collins and all of my colleagues we were able to vote on a bipartisan basis for a strong appropriations bill. 849 i think all of them for that. Andhly more discretionary resources that can go to Affordable Housing, the homeless populations, they can be devoted to development opportunities. Remediation and this goes to about Carbon Monoxide. Dangerous ander that is lead exposure. Lead exposure in some housing we can get at that and we must. We have made some progress. We help you to get more resources for the housing programs. I want to commend my colleagues on the legislation they have submitted. It is thoughtful and important and we need to move quickly. I would be remiss if i did not mention a piece of legislation i just introduced. 2801 which would extend the council on homelessness. Since they began planning and coordinating with all of these federal departments, we have seen a reduction from 2010 today, a reduction in managing these numbers as far as homelessness. Bailey andn to ms. Ask for your comments on the Interagency Council. The Interagency Council on homelessness has played a vital role in coordinating federal agencies. I have been working on these issues since almost the creation of the Interagency Council or at least when it started to get legs in the early 2000s. And mandated that communities should make tenure plans to end homelessness and really spurred the way for we thinking about homelessness as a problem we can solve. The way they have done that, the most is with veterans. 78 communities or close to that have ended veterans homelessness in three states and without the Interagency Council work to not only help the v. A. Target resources but also the dhhs and ahead toward the problem hud toward the problem is with the council was meant to do. Thank you very much. You are right. Communities and counties are in mississippi, texas, arkansas. Reaching to rural arius that have veterans and we need to deal with them. I think that is appropriate. Im slightly offtopic but i think its important. I want to follow up. The Housing Trust fund, the a greatmagnet fund is source of resources for federal housing. Every community in this country is facing an Affordable Housing crisis. Cities, sano be big francisco, boston, everyone is being priced out of the market. Now youre going to smaller communities. For reasons that mr. Just suggested, you cannot build Affordable Housing. How important is the Housing Trust in the Capital Magnet Fund in your view . The crisis given that we have, every resource is important but the Housing Trust fund really helps make sure we are targeting Housing Resources to the lowest income people. What i dont think everyone understands is that the low income tax credit is great and it is our largest investment and Capital Resources but it only makes housing affordable for people who are at 60 or 80 Median Income in the 40,000 range for income. With the Housing Trust fund does is to allow for dollars to be coupled with the low income tax credit to make units affordable for people at lower income levels especially people with no income or with extremely low income in the 30 Median Income range. Thank you very much for your great work. Senator menendez . For want to thank you holding the hearing on these important housing bills including the alerts act. I hope the committee will consider in this agenda having several other housing related opportunities. This is one of the most critical elements of our economy and the last of our families. I hope we can do more. Bipartisanshipe is supposed to be dead, senator scott and i were able to introduce this lifesaving bill. True silentide is a killer. It is tasteless, colorless, odorless yet it takes a few minutes of exposure to cause brain damage and death. Luckily, this is entirely preventable. Carbon monoxide detectors are a proven way to alert people. It is a basic lifesaving necessity that belongs in every home and that includes Public Housing. Unfortunately, while Housing Units must include smoke detectors there is no such requirement for Carbon Monoxide alarms and that is unacceptable. My state is one of the 27 states that requires Carbon Monoxide detectors in public dwellings. 4 Public Housing residents died from completely preventable Carbon Monoxide poisoning. Two of the deaths took place in requiresolina which Carbon Monoxide alarms. There is no excuse for not taking action today. Hud has probably stated that congress meant to act and i hope that our bipartisan bill that adopts International Fire code standards requiring alarms to be present to detect Carbon Monoxide in emitting from aging appliances up happens. Approaches,rfest residents of fire up their furnaces and the risk of Carbon Monoxide increases. It is time for the senate to follow the house and overwhelmingly passed the co alerts act. In this regard, im going to stick to this line of questions. Opportunitiesith to broad net. Ms. Matthews, in South Carolina like new jersey, the state has Carbon Monoxide detector requirements but despite the presence of state law, to Public Housing residents died from Carbon Monoxide poisoning earlier this year. State law,ce with where their Carbon Monoxide detectors in these Public Housing units . Senator, i joined the columbia Housing Authority on july 1 two thousand 19. It is my understanding that there were no Carbon Monoxide detectors installed in these Public Housing units. The state officials conduct regular health and safety inspections for Carbon Monoxide detectors in Public Housing which is federally funded . 6 note ms. Mathews no i am makingre of any agency inspections. The reason they dont inspect is because there is no federal Carbon Monoxide detector requirement. Despite state laws, all four of the Carbon Monoxide related deaths in Public Housing this year happened in states that require Carbon Monoxide detectors that they do not have inspections. Congress can fix this by passing legislation to require Carbon Monoxide detectors for those living in hud homes. I hope that this hearing motivates us to do so. The private Property Owners who decide to participate in hud section eight housing chose Voucher Programs have to abide by federal health and Safety Standards such as having smoke alarms in their buildings . Yes, they do. I ask that question as a predicate to saying, wouldnt requiring public landlords who toept housing vouchers comply with Carbon Monoxide alarm requirements similar to those that already exist for smoke alarm requirements the consistent with our existing requiring private landlords who choose to participate in hud programs to take certain steps to guarantee the health and safety of their residents . Yes and it seems like it would be a responsibility for federal dollars to go to housing that is safe for people. Finally, your Organization States that Public Housing assistance currently helps about 1. 9 million seniors, 2. 4 Million People with disabilities, 6. 3 Million People and families with children. Isnt it important for the federal government to protect these groups of federal fellow citizens well over 10 million from the dangers of Carbon Monoxide . Ms. Bailey absolutely. Thank you, senator brown. I want to thank you for having this hearing. Want to thank the folks who are on a panel today. Ijust want to know because dont want to go into a realm you are not familiar with. How many have had experience with the hud [indiscernible] program . Raise your hand if you have because then i have a question. In your experience, how adequate is that program for meeting the needs out there for veterans . I have a bill to expanded to include other than Honorable Discharge veterans because a lot of them get ptsd and they get booted out through no fault of their own. The question is, right now, how effective is that program in meeting the needs of Homeless Veterans . In South Carolina, we currently administer 414 hud ventures for Homeless Veterans. How many veterans do you have left over . Probably four times as many. Program could be expanded. It could utilize those vouchers to meet the needs of people that served our country . Absolutely. This is for anyone who wants to enter this. As the Ranking Member pointed housing issues with Affordable Housing throughout this country. I would say that in montana, its probably the biggest inhibitor for Economic Development that we have. Because there is simply not any housing. If you are in a very small town, the housing is dilapidated. What is the best way to encourage what can we do to encourage more housing to be built that people can afford . Is there any certain programs you guys look at and say this is really effective this is good it does the job if there was more emphasis put on this program it would make a difference . Anybody can answer. Being able to utilize the low income tax credit and the national Housing Trust fund, those are two places where investment and being able to develop Housing Units is critically important for you as i said earlier, the national Housing Trust fund. Thoseoing reedit two programs alone cannot make sure that housing is affordable for the lowest income people. Ask i am going to be too manufactured housing in a minute. Have either of you utilized the low Income Housing tax credit . Mr. Yost yes. Utilized the tax credit and the bonds. Has your utilization resulted in positive impacts of the Housing Market . It certainly has. Do you fully utilize the credits that are available or could you use more . We could use more. You can put them to work immediately . Absolutely. Thank you very much. There is a big problem. Yost, i almost bought a manufactured home. They are pretty impressive. The numbers you put forth are amazing. You can build it for half what you can build, not have to one quarter of an onsite stick built home. I have to ask. Those figures are almost too good to be true. When you put forth those figures, are you putting them forth within the same region because a house in montana, because the price of land is in most cases far less, we comparing apples to apples . You are comparing the stick built onsite homes in a place like california versus montana. Montana, theple in figures i am quoting our National Averages. In montana, for example, the National Average for a home is 294,000. No land. Just a house itself. For a multisectioned meaning a larger home in montana it is about what hundred 26,000 for a comparable home. Day, it isof the about 50 per square foot because of the process, techniques and automation versus site built which is 111 per square foot. Gain efficiency and workforce. Efficiency and i assume you have different plans but probably not one for every house to build. We have a lot of plans. Do several thousand models. You also gain efficiency in bulk buying everything from shingles to steal to lumber. I have a request. If you guys could put one of your plants in Indian Country where they dont have enough housing and they do have a hell of a workforce, it would be great. It can be a winwin deal and there are Tax Advantages for you to do that. I would be more than happy to help you out. Thank you sir. I want to thank the chairman and Ranking Member for prioritizing the hearing on the desperate need for Affordable Housing. I am in nevada and this is the number one issue. Whether you live in a rural or urban area in the state of how do welking about bring Affordable Housing . On of the areas i am focused is the manufactured housing modernization act. I want to talk about that. I want to thank senator scott and smith and kramer and my colleague senator tester for joining me on that. I want to place into record support for senate bill 1804 four three now, National Housing coalition and next step without objection. No objection. I am a cosponsor of mr. Scott and mr. Menendez bill the co will bect and supporting hr 4300 as well. Let me jump back to Affordable Housing because after my discussions in my state so many stakeholders about the need for a formal housing, we need to pass the Affordable Housing credit improvement act. We should expand the low income tax credit by 50 helping to additionalthan 3500 homes and nevada over the next 10 years and millions more nationwide. I have to say thank you so much for putting into perspective the distinction between a low income tax credit and the htf reedit everything has to work in conjunction. What i find after talking to the stakeholders is there is not one single financing piece. You have to cobble it together and work with local government, the private sector, the builders everyone to get that done and it requires stakeholders coming together to make that happen. I appreciate the conversation today. Mr. Yes, thank you for being here. Ost thank you for being here. Onttended a hearing recently mortgage lending in native american communities. The witnesses mentioned the importance of manufactured homes as an affordable and sometimes only housing source for tribal lands. You talk about the cost of a manufactured home. Can you please speak to the quality of manufactured homes . I have seen many attractive i amactured homes and sometimes concerned about the quality and durability. Could you talk about that . Course. of the durability and sustainability of manufactured homes is lightyears more advanced than it was decades ago just like Computer Technology has advanced. Right now today, they are built in factories with exacting standards. They are not exposed to the elements, mold and mildew, all of the materials are indoors. They go through a production process with exacting tables and measurements. Are houses for our industry shipped on the freeway at 50 miles per hour. They are built to withstand the shipping and moving of the road system. They are very wellbuilt overall. They are more energy efficient. Andou go to our plants factories, what you will see is the amount of scrap and waste is minimized versus onsite construction which generally has him stir after dumpster going to landfills. Overall, the sustainability of our product is more moreeffective and effective in aggregate for the quality. It units in the pictures and written testimony. We put two homes on the National Mall just recently. We had thousands of people come through and i was standing in a home and a young lady came up to me and she said they directed me over here to see the manufactured house. Do you know where it is . I said you are standing in it. They were like my god this is beautiful. Thats what i mean. Or we can give someone a beautiful home they are proud of for the price point we are talking thats what its all about. I that is the reason why wanted to make sure and i introduced the bill to make sure we are including manufactured identifying areas for Affordable Housing because it has come a long way. I dont think that we ignore any type of manufactured home housing, every manufactured housing and i have several in my communities, we should be ensuring they have all the resources they need to maintain them, update them, make sure that they are also a part of our concern and get the funding that is necessary at the federal level. Thank you for supporting the bill. Would like to clarify a couple of things with respect to the bill. It does not require participating jurisdictions to allocate hud funds for manufactured homes. It requires the apartment hud to consider manufactured housing when putting together their consolidated plans. The bill asks all jurisdictions to consider the role that manufactured housing plays for the very reason we are talking about today. Question, does it make sense for Community Leaders to consider the millions of families living in manufactured housing when they consider housing policy decisions in their community . Ms. Bailey absolutely. As we have said continually today, there is a huge Affordable Housing crisis. Every option should be on the table. , the author highlights the People Living in manufactured housing and the need to make it affordable and high quality and safe for people. Manufactured housing plays a vital role in many communities in the Affordable Housing space. Know my time is up. Thank you for the hearing. This is such an important issue across the country particularly in nevada. We appreciate our ability to highlight the Affordable Housing crisis and highlight the ways to fix it. Dittom inclined to say for everything my friend said. I want to follow up with what one senator asked about manufactured housing. Alabama has a significant percentage of our housing is manufactured. On theto follow up modernization but specifically with regard to safety. That is a huge issue in a state like alabama that sees any number of natural disasters that come through every year. Could you talk about that a little bit and the improvements of the safety of manufactured housing over the last couple of decades . Mr. Yost yes you are very familiar with manufactured housing. You have 15 factories in your state and it is 70 said 17 manufactured housing. Overall the safety and improvements have been monumental. With the new codes that have been out there, manufactured housing has built is built to stronger wind zones and now with the stronger regulations and flood requirements that have elevated the homes, for flooding and window zone issues, they are a nonevent. We have seen manufactured housing withstand hurricanes and natural disasters much more standardsn to greater than site built homes. Ms. Bailey, i want to follow up on the Carbon Monoxide. Senator i appreciate scott and senator menendez for this legislation and how important it is. Alabama also has, like many states, a fairly aging Housing Stock. As important and as dangerous as Carbon Monoxide is, theres probably a fair amount of other dangers in these Housing Stocks as well. I wonder if you could address that and give us a little bit of a discussion about how healthy the Housing Market is these days and are you concerned about any other threats other than Carbon Monoxide that they are facing federally assisted households . Ms. Bailey absolutely thank you for the opportunity. One issue in older housing is mold and we are worried about that for children with asthma, vermin and roaches and other infestations. Lead is also a huge issue. We know that lead poisoning harms children especially Young Children and we need to do more to help abate led in housing. Another issue that we are concerned about his neighborhoods overall. We have done work to show that people receiving federal assistance even within the Voucher Program that is made to be able to be used wherever someone should be able to choose where they live, they are overly concentrated and high poverty neighborhoods that are often disinvested which means they dont have parks, grocery stores, and other amenities that we know help keep people safe. People in high poverty neighborhoods are also overexposed to air pollution and other environmental hazards. Thank you for that. I take it from your testimony that while all these bills are wonderful and i support them all, we still have a long ways to go in the Housing Market and Affordable Housing and safe housing in the United States. Most definitely create a menu to spur the energy that has been created and the work lately to increase the availability of Affordable Housing itself then and best in housing whether it is private housing or Public Housing, to make sure that everybody has the safe, Affordable Housing to live and thrive in in the future. Thank all of you for being here and thank you for the chairman and Ranking Member. Gone. Pologize for being we got into a tussle in the Judiciary Committee. [laughter] thats not unusual either. [laughter] before we wrap up, senator brown thehank you for all of comments you all made. This is a very important hearing. I appreciate senator tester toing asking what we do provide Affordable Housing for people. Cover like to enter into the therd letter of support for fostering stable housing opportunities act including action ohio. Organization representing ohio foster youth, we may have additional letters as well for the record worried x without objection. Without objection. That wraps up the questioning and i will forgo my questions. You may get some additional questions from some of the senators. They will be due from the senators on thursday, november 14 and we ask if you get additional questions to please respond to them as quickly as you can. I believe it is clear we have a strong bipartisan support here on each of these pieces of legislation. It is my hope and expectation that we will be able to move expeditiously to get them to the floor. With that, this hearing is adjourned. This afternoon at the white house, President Trump will present the president ial citizens medal to several recipients. Heres a look at our primetime schedule on the cspan networks. Starting at 8 00 on cspan, remarks from Vice President mike pence. On cspan2, a hearing reviewing a law for oil and gas leases on federal lands with gulf coast states. And on cspan3, it is American History tv with programs on past president ial impeachment hearings. Tomorrow, secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert Wilkie discusses oversight issues at his department and what is being done to ensure the care of u. S. Veterans. He will be speaking at the National Press club at 1 00 on cspan3. Campaignay, cspans 2020 coverage continues with joe biden holding a Campaign Rally in new hampshire. He also plans to file his candidacy paperwork at this eight house in concord. It can watch that live on 1 00 dash at one 00 on cspan. And President Trump will visited linda where he plans to launch his black voices for prompt coalition. Coalition. P sunday night on book tv at 9 00 eastern on after word, former speaker of the house Newt Gingrich with his latest book trump versus china. I dont think china has any planning to take us on in a traditional sense but i do think they are trying to build the kind of Cyber Capabilities and weis is part of where hua is an Extraordinary National asset for them. And they are trying to build their space capability. At 10 00 eastern, journalism professor pamela talks about her nc. Book diversity i not optimistic about is white americans ability to see past the fiction of africanamericans, the centuries images of people and how that has as much to do with the lack of diversity. Watch book tv every weekend on cspan two. Networksthe cspan live next week as the House Intelligence Committee host the first public impeachment hearings. The committee is led by chairman will start and it wednesday at 10 00 eastern on cspan3. William taylor and Deputy Assistant secretary of state testified. Will on friday on cspan2, former u. S. Ambassador to ukraine will appear before the committee. Follow the impeachment inquiry live on the cspan networks cspan. Org or listen live with the free cspan radio app. Next scum of the fbis general counsel talks about National Security legal issues. This event was held at the American Bar Association earlier today