Key housing programs are in serious jeopardy. Your elected officials will soon be back in your district for August recess and there’s no better time to reach out and show them the importance of the programs that support the development of affordable housing.
What’s at Stake: Bills Under Consideration
- Senate’s FY-2016 THUD funding bill threatens to decrease funding for HOME by 93%.
- House FY-2016 THUD funding bill would eliminate the National Housing Trust Fund and reduce funding for other key housing programs.
- Senate Committee Already Approved a Tax Extender Bill That Fixes 9% and 4% Credit Rate Floors. Now it heads to the Senate floor.
- Companion bills in the House and Senate Would Provide LIHTC, NMTC to Disaster-Hit Communities
- Companion bills in the House and Senate to set permanent LIHTC credit rates: H.R. 1142 and S. 1193.
- New Market Tax Credit Extension Act of 2015 was introduced both in the House and the Senate, and the bills have been referred to the House Ways and Means Committee and Senate Finance Committee, respectively. See our Advocacy Archive for more information.
How to Advocate for Housing Programs
Reach out to your elected officials and show them the important of these programs. Enterprise Community Partners breaks it down into three achievable options:
- Invite your members of Congress or their staff to visit properties in their district financed by federal programs like the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (Housing Credit), New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) and HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME).
- Schedule a meeting with your members of Congress or their staff to discuss programs that are critical to the work you do.
- Call your members of Congress and asking them to take action on an important issue.
For more suggestions, read the Enterprise’s blog post on summer advocacy.
