The National Housing Trust Fund Saga.....
Those of you who have been following the National Housing Trust Fund story know that we came up one vote short on the final House of Representatives' Finance Committee effort to keep the NHTF in the omnibus housing bill. The Housing Bill (HR 3995) goes to the House floor without the Trust Fund, but with a new authorization for a dollar-for-dollar match to local housing trust funds instead.
We do anticipate that an amendment to establish a national housing trust fund will be debated on the House floor when HR 3995 comes to a vote in September.
When you meet with Members of the House of Representatives during this recess, please urge them to support the National Housing Trust Fund. The bill (HR 2349) provides funds (profits from the FHA Mutual Mortgage Insurance Program and Ginnie Mae) to build, rehabilitate, and preserve 1.5 million units of housing over the next 10 years for households with very low incomes (at or below 30% of area median income).
Thom Shellabarger
Policy Advisor
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
202.541.3189
tshellabarger@usccb.org