(from the National Low Income Housing Coalition) Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill (H.R. 4213) that includes $1.065 billion for the National Housing Trust Fund. This was a hard fought victory that was only possible because you made sure that Members of the House knew how important the National Housing Trust Fund is to your communities. Thank you.
Here is the Ways and Means Committee summary of the National Housing Trust Fund provision:
"National Housing Trust Fund. The bill would provide a one-time capitalization of the National Housing Trust Fund (NHTF), which will provide communities with funds to build, preserve, and rehabilitate rental homes that are affordable for very low income households. These homes will help address the serious shortage of affordable housing for lowest income families, including people who are unemployed or employed in the low wage work force, veterans, and elderly and disabled people on fixed incomes. It is estimated that an infusion of $1 billion in capital funds into the NHTF and $65 million for project-based vouchers to couple with NHTF capital grants will support the immediate production of 10,000 rental homes, creating 15,000 new construction jobs and 4,000 new jobs in ongoing operations. This provision is estimated to cost $1.065 billion over 10 years."
The margin of victory in the House was quite narrow (215-204). The difficulty in passing the bill had little or nothing to do with the National Housing Trust Fund provisions. H.R. 4213 was a very large bill ($200 billion) that was winnowed down ($115 billion) over the last week because of complaints that some provisions did not have offsets and thus will add to the federal deficit. Items that were cut include Medicaid payments to the states and extension of health insurance benefits for unemployed people.
While we can be pleased with today's outcome for housing, please remember that the House passed a '"jobs" bill last December that included $1 billion for the National Housing Trust Fund. The Senate did not take up that bill. Our challenge now is to get the funding through the Senate.
If the bill passes the Senate without changes, it will go to the President to sign. But the Senate is expected to allow amendments to be considered. If the bill is amended, it will have to go back to the House for another vote. The Senate has already gone on its Memorial Day recess until June 7.
Please reach out to your Senators when they are in your state over the recess. Once again, tell them how important the National Housing Trust Fund is to ending and preventing homelessness and to preserving and expanding affordable rental housing in your community.
