Young Leaders in Affordable Housing members gathered Thursday in person and by phone at Enterprise Community Partners in Washington, D.C., to learn about the federal appropriations process. They gathered for the third monthly YLAH speakers series session, entitled “Federal Budget 101 – How does HUD get its money every year?”
What made this session different from the previous two was that the speakers were young professionals, not seasoned veterans. The goal of the peer-to-peer learning sessions is for YLAH members to share their specialized knowledge with their peers so that all YLAH members can gain a more holistic understanding of the affordable housing field.
At the May 19 session, Mindy La Branche of the National Council of State Housing Agencies and Amanda Roberts of Enterprise Community Partners shared their knowledge of federal appropriations with their peers. La Branche began with an overview of the usual annual appropriations process—starting with the President’s budget request and ending with signed appropriations bills. Roberts followed with an overview of the unusual appropriations processes of the past two years, from the 2009 stimulus to the current debate over raising the debt ceiling. Participants asked questions and came away with a thorough understanding of how federal housing and community development programs receive funding. Stay tuned for future peer-to-peer learning sessions on affordable housing finance and development.