On September, NPACH and a group of national and local partners wrote to Congresswoman Maxine Waters, asking her to include language permitting (but not requiring) project sponsors of HUD-funded Section 202 senior housing to establish a preference for homeless seniors in proposed legislation to reform the Section 202 program - H.R. 2930.

In response to the letter, Congresswoman Waters included NPACH's recommended language in the bill that was approved by the Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity of the House Financial Services Committee. The bill will now be considered by the full Financial Services Committee.

The letter was prompted by recent HUD denials of attempts by senior housing project sponsors to include preferences for homeless seniors in new project proposals. While we do not believe that these preferences should be required, we do believe that project sponsors should be permitted to target homeless seniors if they choose to do so. HUD's unwillingness to permit this is simply another unnecessary bureaucratic obstacle that calls into question the Administration's commitment to end homelessness for any population.

Read the letter