News Public PolicyHistoric Tax Credit

HTC-GO Advocacy Update

Written By: NTCIC

Join HTC Advocates at 2 Upcoming Virtual Events!

Saving Places Webinar: Historic Preservation Advocacy Requests in 2022
February 24th, 2022 | 3pm (Eastern)

Learn about the 2022 federal preservation legislative priorities! Join the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s government relations and policy staff, along with historic preservation colleagues, to discuss historic preservation advocacy during the second half of the 117th Congress. Hear about efforts to fund and reauthorize the Historic Preservation Fund, strategies to enhance the Historic Tax Credit, key opportunities to protect cultural places, and tactics for effective federal engagement by preservation partners. Click here to register.

Advocate for the HTC Virtually at Preservation Advocacy Week 2022
March 7th – 10th, 2022

Advocate on the behalf of the HTC during this virtual advocacy conference hosted by Preservation Action and the National Conference of SHPOs. This virtual conference will feature policy briefings, advocacy training, and networking opportunities (March 8th) related to preservation policy issues, including the Historic Tax Credit. Participants will attend virtual Capitol Hill visits with members of Congress and their staff (March 9th) from their home state. The conference will provide an ideal forum to ask your members of Congress to cosponsor the Historic Tax Credit Growth and Opportunity Act (H.R. 2294/S. 2266) and discuss challenges encountered with HTC projects to justify long-overdue improvements to the HTC.

Registration is now live (cost of $50). To participate in Capitol Hill virtual visits for your home state, click here to register as an “Advocate.” Advocates will be connected to a state coordinator who will be scheduling and facilitating the virtual Hill visits. For assistance, please feel free to email Michael Phillips to help direct your questions to conference organizers.

ICYMI: As BBB Stalls, Encourage Cosponsorship of HTC-GO

February 2, 2022 – In December, Congress left Washington without a deal on the “Build Back Better” (BBB) bill. Negotiations stalled due to moderate Senator Joe Manchin’s (D-WV) objections on the size and scope of the bill, as well as news of worsening inflation. Presently, Senate Leadership is trying to recalibrate conversations with Sen. Manchin on BBB, and Congress is focusing on funding the federal government beyond February 18, when the current stop-gap funding measure expires.

At the moment, there is no clear path forward for legislation to enhance the Historic Tax Credit in the short term. However, building support for the Historic Tax Credit Growth and Opportunity Act provisions (HTC-GO-S.2266/H.R. 2294) will go a long way toward success later this year when legislative vehicles begin to move. Please remain in contact with your federal representatives to keep HTC improvement provisions top of mind.

There are several business tax provisions that expired in 2021 or will expire in 2022, which could set up a revised version of the BBB or other moving legislation later this year. There is also a possibility of a busy lame-duck session, especially if Republicans gain the majority in the House or Senate through the 2022 elections. Both Democrats and Republicans may be open to year-end bipartisan deals under this scenario.

In this lull, HTC advocates should continue to educate their members of Congress about the benefits of the federal Historic Tax Credit, the challenges faced in rehabbing historic buildings, and the critical need to improve the credit.

Take Action:

Please review the State of the Historic Rehabilitation Industry document and ask your House Representative and Senators to cosponsor the Historic Tax Credit Growth and Opportunity Act (HTC-GO) bills (HR 2294/S. 2266). To see if your Members of Congress have already cosponsored and to review the bill fact sheets, please click the links below.