The National Housing Trust Fund Campaign

c/o National Low Income Housing Coalition • 1012 Fourteenth Street, NW, Suite 610 • Washington, D.C. 20005 • (202) 662-1530 phone • (202) 393-1973 fax • www.nhtf.org
 

June 2002

 

Dear Advocate,

 

As someone who cares about housing issues, we’re sure you are well aware of the housing crisis facing America’s communities.  Across the country, a worker must earn an average of $13.50 per hour—more than twice minimum wage—to afford a modest two-bedroom rental. 

 

Something can—and must—be done. 

The National Housing Trust Fund Campaign is a coalition of more than 2760 organizations working to establish a National Housing Trust Fund as a key part of the solution.  Building on the success of the more than 170 state and local housing trust funds nationwide, the National Housing Trust Fund would:

 

·         invest billions of dollars in new federal resources

·         to establish an ongoing, permanent DEDICATED source of revenue (a trust fund)

·         to BUILD, rehabilitate and PRESERVE at least 1.5 million units of primarily rental housing (up to 25% of the funds could be used for homeownership activities)

·         that is deeply targeted (75% of the funds would support households below 30% of area median income, and the other 25% would support households at up to 80% ami.)

 

A National Housing Trust Fund would also be economic stimulus. 

When leveraged, a $5 billion investment in affordable housing production and rehabilitation would create as many as 1.8 million jobs and produce as much as $50 billion in wages. 

 

We need your support to make the National Housing Trust Fund a reality. 

With legislation introduced in both the House and the Senate, we anticipate that the National Housing Trust Fund Act will be the major housing production legislation Congress will consider this year.  The idea is beginning to generate interest in Congress—27 Senators and 181 Representatives support the bills to date—but we still have a way to go.

 

A significant endorsement list is one of the Campaign’s most powerful tools in generating legislative support.  To date, more than 2760 national, state and local organizations have endorsed the creation of a National Housing Trust Fund.  By taking just a minute to add your name to the list, you can help us reach our goal of 4000 endorsements.   If you support the idea of more federal resources for housing, please fax back this form, send an email with your organization’s contact information to harry@nlihc.org or endorse at www.nhtf.org. 

 

Thank you in advance for helping to make this unprecedented campaign a success. 

 

Sincerely,

Sheila Crowley, President, National Low Income Housing Coalition

Donald Whitehead, Executive Director, National Coalition for the Homeless

 

 

SIGN ON INFORMATION

 

Are you endorsing the campaign as an      ____Individual    or    ____Organization

 

 

Organization/Elected Official                                                                                                                 

 

Your Name/Primary Contact                                                                                                                

 

Mailing Address                                                                                                                                               

 

City                                                                  State                                         Zip                              

 

Email                                                                                        Phone                                                  

 

Fax or Email to the National Low Income Housing Coalition

Mail: see above email: harry@nlihc.org   fax: (202) 393-1973   phone: (202) 662-1530 x243

A full policy proposal is available at www.nhtf.org.  Please tell others you work with about the Campaign.