Thursday, March 30, 2017

We Need Affordable Housing!

Advocating for more Affordable Housing in Washington DC with the California Housing Consortium


There are a lot of hot topics in DC right now, the most important to us?  Affordable Housing, and the continued financial support of the federal government.  There are many advocating and working to make sure our US Congress will continue to protect, strengthen and expand the low-income housing tax credit program. 

*To break it down: the low-income housing tax credits are given out by the government.  They give a certain amount of the tax credits to affordable housing developments.  These tax credits are then bought by the big banks to write off taxes.  In doing so, they fund affordable housing.  The government is currently weighing the value of the tax credits which could hurt affordable housing (specifically, the banks will NOT need the tax cuts anymore- therefore vital funding for affordable housing is kaput)

The Housing Credit is our nation’s most successful tool for encouraging private investment in the production and preservation of affordable rental housing. The Housing Credit has financed nearly 3 million apartments since 1986, which have provided roughly 6.7 million low-income families, seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities homes they can afford. It has provided affordable housing to all 50 states and all types of communities, including urban, suburban, and rural.

One of these advocating groups is the California Housing Consortium.  A collected authority of California’s leaders in the affordable housing industry, the CHC has been active since 1997.  The organization recently celebrated their annual “lobby days” event in Washington DC.  A prime time to be in the political capital, CHC is active in raising awareness of the LIHTC program, its importance, necessity, and the devastation canceling the program would cause. 

The Housing Credit is our nation’s most successful tool for encouraging private investment in the production and preservation of affordable rental housing. The Housing Credit has financed nearly 3 million apartments since 1986, which have provided roughly 6.7 million low-income families, seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities homes they can afford. It has provided affordable housing to all 50 states and all types of communities, including urban, suburban, and rural.


At a time when nearly 11 million Americans are strapped to pay rent each month, join us and advocate groups like the California Housing Consortium in urging congress to support the LIHTC program.   To learn more about CHC click here




Pictured above: CHC annual lobby days in Washington DC.

Photos include:   Jim Silverwood, Marina Wiant, Elizabeth Bluhm, Sheela Jiuan, Michael Gaber, Rebecca Clark, Jonathan Klein, Ray Pearl, and Richard Shea