May 3, 2013 the Honorable Barbara Mikulski Chair Committee On
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May 3, 2013 The Honorable Barbara Mikulski The Honorable Richard Shelby Chair Ranking Member Committee on Appropriations Committee on Appropriations U.S. Senate U.S. Senate Washington, D.C. 20510 Washington, D.C. 20515 The Honorable Harold Rogers The Honorable Nita Lowey Chair Ranking Member Committee on Appropriations Committee on Appropriations U.S. House of Representatives U.S. House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20510 Washington, D.C. 20515 Dear Chair Mikulski, Vice Chair Shelby, Chair Rogers, and Ranking Member Lowey: The organizations signed below - a list that includes 2,422 national, state, and local business, transportation, housing and community development, faith-based and civil rights organizations, as well as state and local officials in municipal, tribal and state governments - urge you to increase the 302(b) allocation to the Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD) to the highest possible level in fiscal year (FY) 2014. The THUD allocation uniquely promotes the well-being of our home communities by providing essential seed capital and program funding that enables public and private partners to build critical transportation infrastructure, spur economic development in communities, and help more than 5 million seniors, people with disabilities, and other families to afford stable housing. Through these investments, Congress supports small- business job creation, expands our nation’s infrastructure capacity, supports economic recovery and growth, reduces homelessness and housing hardships, and promotes lasting community and family economic success. In these tight times, the THUD bill’s investments yield high rates of social and economic return, and an adequate THUD allocation should be a high priority. Yet these investments have been cut sharply in recent years. Even before sequestration, the FY 2013 302(b) allocation ($51.8 billion in budget authority) was 24 percent less than the FY 2010 enacted level ($67.9 billion). Because of these cuts, more than 140,000 road, bridge, and transit projects have been put in jeopardy at the cost of hundreds of thousands of jobs; federal support for the production and preservation of affordable housing has been slashed, which is likely to result in more than 100,000 low-income families losing rental assistance and recent progress in reducing chronic homelessness being reversed. To support an increased THUD 302(b) allocation, we urge the Committees to continue the practice of directing revenues generated within the Department of Transportation and revenues generated within the Department of Housing and Urban Development to programs administered by those departments. Each undersigned organization recognizes that to build economically vibrant, healthy, and stable communities that families of all income levels can call home, no single aspect of the THUD budget can be ignored. As members of the Appropriations Committees, and more importantly as elected representatives of your hometowns, we urge you to take a stand for investing in the success of America’s communities by increasing the 302(b) allocation to the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee to the highest possible level in FY 2014. Sincerely, National Organizations ACCSES Actors Fund Housing Development Corporation Adventure Cycling Association Affordable Housing Investors Council Affordable Housing Tax Credit Coalition AFL-CIO Housing Investment Trust Alliance for Biking & Walking Alliance for Retired Americans Amalgamated Transit Union, AFL-CIO-CLC America 2050 America Bikes American Association of Service Coordinators American Planning Association Amtrak Association of Jewish Family and Children's Agencies Association of Programs for Rural Independent Living Baitul Salaam Network, Inc. Bipster B'nai B'rith International Boston Private Bank Brophy & Reilly, LLC Campaign for Community Change Center for Disability Rights Center for Neighborhood Technology ChangeLab Solutions Christian Church Homes CLEARCorps USA Coalition on Human Needs Coalition to End Childhood Lead Poisoning Community Action Partnership Community Affordable Housing Equity Corporation Community Economics, Inc. Community Solutions, Inc. Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities Housing Task Force Corporation for Enterprise Development Council of Large Public Housing Authorities Council of State Community Development Agencies Covenant House International CSH CTI Energy Services, LLC Disciples Justice Action Network Dominium Easter Seals Elderly Housing Development and Operations Corporation Enterprise Community Investment 2 Enterprise Community Partners EPIC Journey Episcopal Relief Fund Equity Trust, Inc. Evangelical Lutheran Church in America First Sterling Financial, Inc. Forsyth Street Advisors Foundation for Affordable Housing V, Inc. Franciscan Action Network Friends Committee on National Legislation Gary E. Hanes & Associates, LLC GHC Housing Partners Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Green & Healthy Homes Initiative Habitat for Humanity International Herman & Kittle Properties, Inc. HIV Prevention Justice Alliance Housing Assistance Council Housing Partnership Network Human Resources Development Institute, Inc. Innovative Housing Institute Institute for Community Economics Institute for Responsible Housing Preservation Integrity Housing Islamic Society of North America Jewish Council for Public Affairs JMC Consulting Jonathan Rose Companies Just Economics, LLC KB Consulting LeadingAge League of American Bicyclists Local Initiatives Support Corporation LOCUS: Responsible Real Estate Developers and Investors Low Income Investment Fund Lutheran Services in America McLoughlin & Associates, LLC Medical Mission Sisters Mental Health America Mercy Housing, Inc. NAACP National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd National Affordable Housing Management Association National AIDS Housing Coalition National Alliance of Community Economic Development Associations National Alliance of HUD Tenants National Alliance on Mental Illness 3 National Alliance to End Homelessness National American Indian Housing Council National Association for County Community and Economic Development National Association for State Community Services Programs National Association of Affordable Housing Lenders National Association of Area Agencies on Aging National Association of Counties National Association of Development Organizations National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials National Association of Housing Cooperatives National Association of Local Housing Finance Agencies National Association of Regional Councils National Association of Social Workers National Association of State and Local Equity Funds National Association of State Head Injury Administrators National Association of States United for Aging and Disabilities National Center for Healthy Housing National Center for Housing and Child Welfare National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development National Coalition for the Homeless National Community Development Association National Community Land Trust Network National Community Reinvestment Coalition National Complete Streets Coalition National Congress of American Indians National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare National Council of State Housing Agencies National Development Council National Disability Rights Network National Environmental Health Association National Equity Fund, Inc. National Fair Housing Alliance National Health Care for the Homeless Council National Housing Conference National Housing Law Project National Housing Resource Center National Housing Trust National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty National League of Cities National Leased Housing Association National Low Income Housing Coalition National NeighborWorks Association National Network for Youth National Network to End Domestic Violence National Nursing Centers Consortium National Women's Health Network NCB Capital Impact 4 NeighborWorks Capital NETWORK, A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby Partners for Livable Communities PolicyLink Poverty & Race Research Action Council Practitioners Leveraging Assets for Community Enhancement Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Preservation of Affordable Housing, Inc. Public Housing Authorities Executive Directors Association Rails-to-Trails Conservancy Rebuilding Together Reconnecting America Regional Plan Association Resources for Human Development Retirement Housing Foundation Rural Community Assistance Partnership Safe Routes to School National Partnership Smart Growth America Smart North America, Inc. South Asian Americans Leading Together Southeast Asia Resource Action Center St. Vincent de Paul Society Stewards of Affordable Housing for the Future Strategy Group, Inc. Synchronous Energy Solutions Technical Assistance Collaborative The Arc of the United States The Community Builders, Inc. The Community Development Trust The Inspection Group, Inc. The Jewish Federations of North America The National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors The Partnerships for America The Summit Group The True Colors Fund Urban Land Institute The Valued Advisor Fund Transportation for America Travelers Aid International U.S. Conference of Mayors U.S. Green Building Council Union for Reform Judaism United Way Worldwide Urban Land Conservancy Veteran Villages of America 5 VetsFirst, a Program of United Spinal Association Volunteers of America WRT YWCA USA State and Local Organizations, Public Officials,