On this week’s PreserveCast, listeners have an opportunity to take action and make a difference, and Merrill Hoopengardner is leading the charge. As President of NTCIC and Chair of the Historic Tax Credit Coalition, Merrill joins PreserveCast host Nicholas Redding to discuss enhancements to the Historic Tax Credit currently under discussion and presently included within the emerging infrastructure legislation.
Click below to listen to the full episode:
Why Does it Matter? What is Changing and How Does it Impact Historic Preservation Projects?
“We are asking for five ‘mores,'” says Merrill. “5 more things that will benefit [historic preservation initiatives] if our bill provisions pass. We will get more credits, more value for the credits that we get, more buildings will be eligible, you’ll have more uses for buildings particularly supporting nonprofits, and there will be more simplicity in the way the credit is administered.”
In mid-September, House Democratic-led committees approved a more detailed $3.5 trillion package of bills with HTC enhancements similar to the HTC-GO (H.R. 2294). Next in the legislative process, the bill must move to the House floor, pass the House, pass the Senate, and be signed into law. Washington insiders believe that a final bill will be negotiated with the Senate before it goes to the House floor and is likely to be significantly reduced in both size and scope. If passed, the infrastructure bill would include the most substantial enhancements to the Historic Tax Credit in a generation.
To support the efforts in getting these provisions across the finish line, please reach out to all Democratic Senators and ask them to support the HTC enhancement provisions included in the House infrastructure bill. To learn more about how you can contact your representative, click here.
About PreserveCast
PreserveCast brings you stories from around the world about the people who are doing the work to preserve, interpret, and save our past. Each weekly episode makes the case for the value, relevance, and importance of history in our lives. PreserveCast is hosted by Nicholas Redding, President, and CEO of Preservation Maryland, a non-profit organization that believes the future is richer when it understands the past.