Policy & Advocacy
Affordable Housing and the National Housing Trust Fund (NHTF) Backgrounder
Affordable Housing and the National Housing Trust Fund (NHTF) Backgrounder, February 2011
In late 2007 a multitrillion-dollar housing bubble burst—driven by predatory mortgages, complex securitization, and unchecked greed—triggering a credit freeze, soaring foreclosures, paused construction, and widespread housing loss. As recession and unemployment deepened, affordable housing remained desperately scarce, especially for low- and moderate-income families.
The National Housing Trust Fund
- Enacted in 2008 with strong USCCB backing to build, preserve, and rehabilitate homes for the lowest-income households
- Despite authorization, Congress has yet to appropriate capital funding
- A $1 billion appropriation would finance 10,000 rental homes and create over 18,000 jobs nationwide
The Church urges a shared obligation—federal, state, local, private sector, nonprofits, and faith communities—to:
- Preserve and expand quality housing for low-income families, seniors, and people with disabilities
- Fully capitalize the NHTF and safeguard existing housing and community development programs