A Resource Center devoted to information on H.R. 1461, the Federal Housing Finance Reform Act of 2005, a bill originally intended to reform Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which passed the House on Oct. 27. The bill now contains a provision that would disqualify nonprofits from receiving money from a new affordable housing fund if they have engaged in voter registration and other nonpartisan voter participation activities or lobbying for certain groups within 12 months of applying for the money. They would also be barred from these activities during the grant period, even if non-federal funds were used to pay for it. More specifically, the bill would sweepingly restrict any group that affiliates with an organization that engages in such activities from applying for funds under the affordable housing fund.

A bill that will likely reach the House floor within the next two weeks has a provision that would disqualify nonprofits from receiving money from a new affordable housing fund if they have engaged in voter registration and other nonpartisan voter participation activities or lobbying for certain groups within 12 months of applying for the money. They would also be barred from these activities during the grant period, even if non-federal funds were used to pay for it. More specifically, the bill would sweepingly restrict any group that affiliates with an organization that engages in such activities from applying for funds under the affordable housing fund.

On September 27, Sens. Rick Santorum (R-PA) and Joe Lieberman (D-CT) introduced S. 1780, the Charity, Aid, Recovery and Empowerment Act (CARE). The legislation includes charitable giving incentives such as tax-free charitable contributions from Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA), and partial deductions of charitable contributions for taxpayers who do not itemize their tax returns. In an attempt to neutralize the charitable reform package expected to come from the Senate Finance Committee, Santorum also included accountability provisions designed to improve oversight of charities.

Supporters of H.R.1461, the Federal Housing Finance Reform Act of 2005, are optimistic it will go to the House floor soon, without nonprofit anti-advocacy language proposed by a group of conservative Republicans. The language would have disqualified any nonprofit that lobbies or carries on other advocacy activities from applying for grants under a proposed new affordable housing program.