March, 22 2010, 12:53pm EDT
National Organizations Sign Letter to Senate Leaders Urging Funding for the National Housing Trust Fund in Senate Jobs Bill
WASHINGTON
The National Housing Trust Fund campaign sent a letter to Senate
leaders on March 19, 2010 expressing disappointment that the Senate had not yet
taken up proposals to capitalize the National Housing Trust Fund in either of
the two "jobs" bills that have been passed by the Senate and urging
that it be included in the next jobs bill that the Senate is working on now.
The third bill will focus on small business.
The letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Minority Leader
Mitch McConnell (R-KY) was signed by 36 national housing, civil rights, and
faith organizations. The letter was copied to 19 other Senators.
The organizations ask that the Senate act now to capitalize the NHTF by
providing $1.065 billion for the NHTF, including $1 billion for capital grants
and $65 million for project-based vouchers to assist NHTF-funded units, at the
soonest possible date. "These homes
provided by the NHTF will help address the serious shortage of housing affordable and available for the lowest income families
in the United States,
including people who are unemployed or employed in the low wage work force,
veterans, and elderly and disabled people on fixed incomes," the organizations
wrote.
The organizations also
reiterated the severity of the affordable housing shortage in the U.S.
today. "There are only 37 affordable and available rental homes for every
100 renter households with income at or below 30% of their area median ($19,620
a year in Las Vegas),"
the letter read. "This acute scarcity of housing that the poorest
families can afford is the principle cause of homelessness in the United States."
The House-passed "jobs" bill includes $1.065 billion for
the NHTF.
Read the Sign-on Letter at: https://www.nlihc.org/doc/march-19-sign-Reid-McConnell.pdf
See the new NHTF Job Estimates Analysis at: https://www.nlihc.org/doc/NHTF-state-estimatesw-jobs$1B.pdf
More
information about the National Housing Trust Fund is available at: www.nhtf.org
The National Low Income Housing Coalition is dedicated solely to ending America's affordable housing crisis. Established in 1974 by Cushing N. Dolbeare, NLIHC educates, organizes and advocates to ensure decent, affordable housing within healthy neighborhoods for everyone. NLIHC provides up-to-date information, formulates policy and educates the public on housing needs and the strategies for solutions.
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