Call your Senator and Representative and ask them to fund NHTF!

Thanks to all of you who signed on to the national letter asking Congress to fund the National Housing Trust Fund. The National Housing Trust Fund campaign hand-delivered its national sign-on letter urging immediate NHTF funding to every Senator and Representative during the week of May 10. The letter was signed by more than 2,250 organizations representing each of the 435 Congressional districts as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico -- a scope that is considered unprecedented in federal housing advocacy!

Now, we expect that funding for the National Housing Trust Fund could be considered by Congress THIS WEEK. Please take one more step to ensure the National Housing Trust Fund becomes a reality.

Call 877-210-5351, the toll-free number for the Congressional switchboard, and ask to be connected your Senators' offices. (To find your Members of Congress, click here.) Once connected, please ask for the housing staff person and relay the following message:

Our community needs a National Housing Trust Fund to help build, rehabilitate and preserve housing for people with the lowest incomes. I understand that H.R. 4213, the tax extender bill, is expected to include $1 billion for the initial NHTF funding and $65 million for project-based vouchers to support NHTF homes. Please work to ensure that this much-needed funding for the National Housing Trust Fund is included in the bill, and please support H.R. 4213 when it comes up for a vote.

After calling your Senators, call your Representative with the same message.

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Details

Funding for the National Housing Trust Fund is expected to be included in H.R. 4213, the American Jobs, Closing Tax Loopholes, and Preventing Outsourcing Act, which will be brought to the floor of the House of Representatives during the week of May 17. The bill will include $1 billion as the initial NHTF capitalization and $65 million for project-based vouchers to be coupled with capital grants. If funded at this level, the NHTF could provide an additional $23 million to support the development of affordable housing in North Carolina in 2011.

The Senate could take up the bill this week as well; if not, the Senate is expected to complete the bill before the Memorial Day recess.

For More Information

Need to learn more about the National Housing Trust Fund before signing on? Click here for background information. To see the NHTF sign-on letter and list of signatories, click here. Organizations can continue to sign the letter at www.nlihc.org/sign/.

Thank you for your support of affordable housing and the NC Housing Coalition.

Sincerely,

Carley Ruff

Policy and Outreach Coordinator
North Carolina Housing Coalition
Educating and Advocating for Change
www.nchousing.org