US Capitol
The National Housing Trust Fund campaign hand-delivered its national sign-on letter urging immediate NHTF funding to every Senator and Representative during the week of May 10. The letter was signed by more than 2,250 organizations representing each of the 435 Congressional districts as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico — a scope that is considered unprecedented in federal housing advocacy! We offer our sincere thanks to each organization that signed the letter and urged others to sign.
Now, we expect that funding for the National Housing Trust Fund could be considered by Congress THIS WEEK. Can you take one more step to ensure the National Housing Trust Fund becomes a reality?
Call 877-210-5351, the toll-free number for the Congressional switchboard, and ask to be connected your Senators’ offices. (To find your Members of Congress, click here.) Once connected, please ask for the housing staff person and relay the following message:
Our community needs a National Housing Trust Fund to help build, rehabilitate and preserve housing for people with the lowest incomes. I understand that H.R. 4213, the tax extender bill, is expected to include $1 billion for the initial NHTF funding and $65 million for project-based vouchers to support NHTF homes. Please work to ensure that this much-needed funding for the National Housing Trust Fund is included in the bill, and please support H.R. 4213 when it comes up for a vote.
After calling your Senators, call your Representative with the same message.
Details
Funding for the National Housing Trust Fund is expected to be included in H.R. 4213, the American Jobs, Closing Tax Loopholes, and Preventing Outsourcing Act, which will be brought to the floor of the House of Representatives during the week of May 17. The bill will include $1 billion as the initial NHTF capitalization and $65 million for project-based vouchers to be coupled with capital grants.
The Senate could take up the bill this week as well; if not, the Senate is expected to complete the bill before the Memorial Day recess.
H.R. 4213 is more commonly known as the tax extender bill. Both the House and Senate have previously passed extender bills. H.R. 4213 includes additional amendments, including the NHTF, and thus must be voted on by both chambers again.
The bill was developed by the Ways and Means Committee in the House and the Finance Committee in the Senate. The bill would extend unemployment benefits and more than 50 special tax breaks that expired at the end of 2009. The total cost will be around $100 billion. Some, but not all, of the cost will be offset by closing tax loopholes and increasing some taxes.
