Campaign for Housing and Community Development Funding Working to Ensure Maximum Federal Resources for Housing and Community Development
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Campaign for Housing and Community Development Funding Working to ensure maximum federal resources for housing and community development March 13, 2019 The Honorable Richard Shelby The Honorable Nita Lowey Chair Chair Senate Appropriations Committee House Appropriations Committee U.S. Senate U.S. House of Representatives Washington, DC 20510 Washington, DC 20515 The Honorable Patrick Leahy The Honorable Kay Granger Ranking Member Ranking Member Senate Appropriations Committee House Appropriations Committee U.S. Senate U.S. House of Representatives Washington, DC 20510 Washington, DC 20515 Dear Chair Shelby, Ranking Member Leahy, Chair Lowey, and Ranking Member Granger: We, the 3,574 undersigned organizations, stand in support of vital federal programs that provide housing assistance and community development resources to aid low income Americans, and help improve our roads, bridges, and transit. These programs strengthen our country and economy by creating millions of jobs and offering a safety net to our most vulnerable households. With more families struggling to make ends meet, and our nation’s affordable housing and transportation infrastructure deteriorating, federal investments are ever more critical to sustain our communities and ensure families thrive. We represent national, state, and local business, transportation, housing and community development, faith-based, disability, and civil rights organizations, as well as officials in municipal, tribal and state governments. We urge Members of Congress to work together to provide relief from the austere spending caps required by the Budget Control Act of 2011 and to ensure affordable housing, community development, and transportation programs receive the highest allocation of discretionary funds possible in fiscal year (FY) 2020. While we must work to reduce our nation’s deficit over the long-term, balancing our budget should not be done on the backs of the low income families in our nation. Many of these families are already straining to get by; they should not be made worse off by deficit reduction. Today, one in four renters in America is spending more than half of their income on rent, and homelessness rates are rising in many communities across the country as growing numbers of people are unable to afford a place to call home. Housing costs are rising faster than wages, our nation’s affordable housing stock is deteriorating, and the supply of affordable and accessible housing and rental assistance has not kept pace. Access to accessible affordable housing has broad, positive impacts on families, seniors, people with disabilities, and the economy. Increasing and preserving access to affordable housing—especially in areas of opportunity—helps families climb the economic ladder, leads to greater community development, and bolsters economic productivity. Additionally, community development assistance is vital for rural, urban and suburban areas to revitalize distressed neighborhoods, address urgent community needs, and to provide for critical public services and economic development. 1 Meanwhile, 15 million people in this country have difficulty getting the transportation they need. Declining funding in recent years has exacerbated this problem. Transportation is second to housing as the largest expense for American households, costing more than food, healthcare, and clothing. Transportation systems are a lifeline to opportunity, connecting low income people to jobs, schools, affordable housing, healthcare, grocery stores, and other vital community resources. Modern, well- funded transportation systems make our nation stronger by allowing Americans to connect and contribute to our economy. Congress must ensure that affordable housing and transportation programs receive the highest allocation of discretionary funds possible, rather than letting further cuts go into effect. Each dollar invested in affordable housing infrastructure boosts local economies by leveraging public and private resources to lift resident earnings and local tax revenue, as well as to support job creation and retention. In fact, building 100 affordable rental homes generates $11.7 million in local income, $2.2 million in taxes and other revenue for local governments, and 161 local jobs in the first year. Research has also shown that expanding public transit by 10%, increases a city’s economic output by 1-2%. State and local governments and the communities they serve rely on the resources provided by DOT and HUD to meet the most basic infrastructure needs of their communities. These infrastructure needs—including for transportation, community development, and accessible affordable housing—exist in every community across the country. Providing additional federal resources through proven, effective DOT and HUD programs will allow America’s neighborhoods to thrive and for the needs of more of our most vulnerable residents to be met. We urge you to provide relief from the low budget caps required by sequester and ensure affordable housing, community development, and transportation programs receive the highest amount of funding possible in FY 2020. Sincerely, National Organizations Acria African American Health Alliance African American Ministers In Action America Walks American Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists American Association of Service Coordinators American Association on Health and Disability American Heart Association American Planning Association American Society of Landscape Architects Americans for Transit Arthur Morgan Institute for Community Solutions Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-Based Violence Association of Programs for Rural Independent Living Blacks in Law Enforcement B'nai B'rith International Bread for the World Bright Horizons Foundation for Children 2 Casa de Esperanza: National Latina Network for Healthy Families and Communities Center for Community Change CFED - Corporation for Enterprise Development CLEARCorps USA Coalition on Human Needs Community Housing Partners Community Solutions Congregation of Our Lady of the Good Shepherd, US Provinces Consortium for Citizens With Disabilities Housing Task Force Corporation for Supportive Housing Council for Affordable and Rural Housing Council for Health & Human Service Ministries, United Church of Christ Council of Large Public Housing Authorities Council of State Community Development Agencies Credit Builders Alliance Enterprise Community Investment, Inc. Enterprise Community Loan Fund Enterprise Community Partners Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society Funders Together to End Homelessness Global Green USA Grace Lutheran Communities Green & Healthy Homes Initiative Grounded Solutions Network Guidewell Financial Solutions Fahe Habitat for Humanity International Healthy Teen Network HEAR US, Inc. HIGH IMPACT Mission-based Consulting & Training Hispanic Leadership Fund HIV Medicine Association Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters in the USA Homes for America Housing Assistance Council Housing Partnership Network Housing Works, Inc. Hudson Housing Capital International Center for Appropriate & Sustainable Technology Justice for Families and Children LeadingAge LIFT Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) 3 Love Funding Low Income Investment Fund Lutheran Services in America Disability Network Mercy Housing Mercy Housing Management Group Mercy Loan Fund NAACP National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd National Affordable Housing Management Association National Affordable Housing Trust National AIDS Housing Coalition National Alliance of Community Economic Development Associations National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors National Alliance on Mental Health National Alliance to End Homelessness National Association for Black Veterans, Inc. National Association for Latino Community Asset Builders National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials National Association of Housing Cooperatives National Association of Local Housing Finance Agencies National Association of Social Workers National Black Justice Coalition National Center for Transgender Equality National Church Residences National Coalition Against Domestic Violence National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development National Coalition for the Homeless National Community Development Association National Community Reinvestment Coalition National Council of Jewish Women National Council on Independent Living National Development Council National Disability Rights Network National Domestic Violence Hotline National Fair Housing Alliance National Foundation for Affordable Housing Solutions National Health Care for the Homeless Council National Housing & Rehabilitation Association National Housing Conference National Housing Resource Center National Housing Trust National Initiative on Mixed-Income Communities National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty National League of Cities 4 National Leased Housing Association National Low Income Housing Coalition National Network to End Domestic Violence National NeighborWorks Association National Rural Housing Coalition National Women's Law Center NeighborWorks Capital Network for Developing Conscious Communities NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice NMAC Parent to Parent USA PathStone Corporation Planning4Health Solutions PolicyLink Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign Poverty & Race Research Action Council Practitioners Leveraging Assets for Community Enhancement Preservation of Affordable Housing Public