*********ACTION ALERT*********** National Housing Trust Fund

Action on The National Housing Trust Fund hoped for and expected before the July 4th recess -- NOW is the time to call and URGE your senators!

And then, pass this info on to all!

The National Affordable Housing Trust Act of 2007, S. 2523, led by Senators Kerry (D-MA) and Snowe (R- ME), was introduced in the Senate on December 19. In an effort to move the legislation forward quickly, advocates are calling on Senators to co-sponsor the legislation.
http://www.endhomelessness.org/content/general/detail/1936

In an effort to move S. 2523 forward in the Senate as quickly as possible by demonstrating that it has strong bipartisan support, please ask your Senators, who have not yet done so, to co-sponsor S. 2523. For more information, see the Alliance’s Advocacy Update sent Thursday, February 27.

Please use this toll free number, 877-210-5351, for the congressional switchboard and ask to be connected to the housing staffer for each of your senators. Please email us at outreach@nlihc.org to let us know the outcome of your call. (If you use that toll-free number to reach your own senators, PLEASE remember to tell them you're a constituent!
http://capwiz.com/nlihc/callalert/index.tt?alertid=11522471&queueid=

National Housing Trust Fund
Updated June 9, 2008

Legislation that would establish a National Housing Trust Fund is currently being negotiated between Representative Barney Frank (D-MA), the Chairman of the House Committee on Financial Services, and Senator Christopher Dodd (D-CT), the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. The Federal Housing Finance Regulatory Reform Act of 2008, which was passed out of the Senate Banking Committee by a bipartisan vote of 19-2 in May of 2008, supports the basic tenets of the Senate’s National Affordable Housing Trust Fund Act, S. 2523, by identifying dedicated funding sources to produce and preserve housing for the nation’s lowest income households. Similar legislation passed the House of Representatives by a 313-104 vote, with broad bipartisan support.

This housing trust fund, drafted by Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), would be a stand-alone fund that, in addition to the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac resources identified in the bill, could also accept other sources of revenue. This provision will allow the housing trust fund to continue to grow over time so that more housing affordable to extremely and very low income people can be produced and preserved.

The bill would target at least 75% of the funds to be used for rental housing to people with income below 30% of area median. All of the funds would have to benefit people with incomes below 50% of area median. Furthermore, the bill places a cap on using housing trust fund resources for homeownership at 10%. This will help ensure that the housing trust fund focuses on the very lowest income households, which have the greatest housing affordability problems.

The initial source of funds would, of course, be the GSEs, but in the future other sources may be developed and will be needed to meet the goal of providing 1.5 million new affordable housing units. Simply developing a housing fund within the context of the GSE bill cannot accomplish this goal and will hamper efforts in the future to grow the Trust.

It is of the utmost importance that we continue to move towards establishing the NAHTF in this Congress to produce and preserve rental housing for the lowest income families who are suffering the most during this period of economic distress. A National Affordable Housing Trust Fund would also have the economic benefit of creating jobs in the building sector, which is struggling as new housing starts plummet.

The National Affordable Housing Trust Fund Act of 2007, S. 2523, was introduced by Senators John Kerry (D-MA) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME) in December of 2007. There are currently 21 tri-partisan cosponsors, in addition to Kerry and Snowe, on the Senate bill. House passage was a huge victory for the National Housing Trust Fund (NHTF) Campaign, its more than 5,700 endorsers and for low income people in the United States. The Campaign reached this milestone because of the hard work of thousands of low income housing advocates to educate elected officials about the critical shortage of affordable housing for the lowest income people in our country.

For a copy of the final version that passed the Senate Banking Committee, please follow think link: http://banking.senate.gov/public/_files/FinalGSEBilll.pdf
http://www.nlihc.org/template/page.cfm?id=40

If Barney is behind it - it's got to be good.

Thanks bobbie! I'm bookmarking this and will call my senators on Monday!

This isn't something that should be sitting on the back burner.

I'm calling my congresspeople tomorrow, and also other Senators who I feel will care.

Recommend!

Absolutely!

Some of us are hanging by a thread, badly needing housing.

Thank you so much for your support on this, and all those calls!

Much appreciated!

:yourock:

Hope this can help others. We just can't make it any more. No jobs, no help. Both in our early 60's. Military Vet retired and mother of 2 sons who served in Iraq. My family has been in US since the 1770's. Just nothing left for us in FL. We tried!

Blessings!

I really hate this country sometimes these days. May you find happiness and comfort in each others' embrace in the midst of heartbreaking turmoil. Shit, shit, shit!

anyone.

I WILL, however, say there is much more sympathy for middle-class people who have fallen, than there is for poor people who've struggled with this damned housing CRISIS for decades now.

That doesn't help you any, but I wanted you to know this is NOTHING NEW..... it's why there are so many homeless people in the US.

Please consider posting your story.... It's certainly much more important than reading about some congresscritter who takes his dog to work!

I'll be thinking of you...

:hug:

We have family and that helps. I wanted to live in my home until my final days but it wasn't meant to be. We had a son who had some major medical issues and we helped him out with our savings. It is just one of those things, you do what you have to in the name of love.

Take care!

Blessings ~

So sorry for you and your spouse. I am in th esame situation except that our landlord has been overlooking our not paying the rent.

Mark has a two month job starting in early July. We are hoping that by the time it ends - he has something permanent.

in the Banking committee's bill - that passed the committee 19-2.

This is a bill that Kerry has introduced many times since 2000 when it narrowly failed. It was a good idea in 2000 and could have eliminated some of the pain, but it does look like it will pass. This year he has far more co-sponsors, including some who voted against it in 2000. It was - introduced with a total of 23 sponsors and co-sponsors, including Dodd, the chair of the Banking committee and Reed, the chair of the Housing sub-committee of the Banking committee. The bill was sent to the Banking committee which has jurisdiction.

Here is a NYT article, which appears to follow the NYT stylebook's apparent rule never to credit Kerry what can be credited to others. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/17/washington/17reed.html?_r=2&scp=3&sq=Reed&st=cse&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

Thanks for the heads up!











"Man will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest." - Denis Diderot

This is a biggeeeeee!

:yourock:

this is a very important bill. Time to check where DiFi and Boxer are on this...

K&R

DiFi?.... well, that's another story.

:/

Thanks so much! AND.. if you belong to any organizations you can ask to ENDORSE, that would also be a HUGE help!

Code Pink? Church group? Civic group??

ETC....

:yourock:

I know some groups that might have some pull...I'll be doing some talking this week.

I haven't looked up California's yet... do you need me to locate that for you?

I really appreciate your willingness to roll up your sleeves on these things, and dig in!

:yourock:

Well I guess DiFi needs a phone call. I would like to know where she stands and if she doesn't support this bill, why the hell not!

I'm so low right now, and hearing that you and others are making these calls means the world to me!

:pals:

After November, things are going to improve! We are going to have SUPER MAJORITIES in both Houses and the White House! I will report here though what I hear from DiFi's office tomorrow.

WE are the ones we've been looking for.

What scares me is that the very little activism we see today will disappear *if* (and I stress that IF), the Dems win in Nov.

So many think that's all it will take, and will then party and go on about their business as usual, and forget all about those of us who need ADVOCATES.

It SCARES me.

and I don't intend to be. The lessons we should have learned (and didn't) from our forefathers said that we would only keep our liberty if we protect it. That has become obvious in the past 8 years. I do have high hopes for our Democratic government though.

:applause:

We could all do something about this. I'll write, and make some calls.

:yourock:

:)

I know I could just leave a message, but I think it important to talk to staffers.

And offer as much education as possible.

of the particular issue.. to keep reinvigorating that relationship.

They then become an ally, and have the ear of the congresscritter.

Thanks!

:yourock:

I'm glad to see that both of my senators are already co-sponsors. :)

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:SN02523:@@@P

Sen Sanders, Bernard - 12/19/2007
Sen Schumer, Charles E. - 12/19/2007
Sen Snowe, Olympia J. - 12/19/2007
Sen Collins, Susan M. - 12/19/2007
Sen Domenici, Pete V. - 12/19/2007
Sen Reed, Jack - 12/19/2007
Sen Kennedy, Edward M. - 12/19/2007
Sen Durbin, Richard - 2/25/2008
Sen Brown, Sherrod - 2/25/2008
Sen Boxer, Barbara - 3/11/2008
Sen Lautenberg, Frank R. - 3/13/2008
Sen Lieberman, Joseph I. - 4/2/2008
Sen Menendez, Robert - 4/2/2008
Sen Levin, Carl - 4/2/2008
Sen Stabenow, Debbie - 4/2/2008
Sen Wyden, Ron - 4/23/2008
Sen Leahy, Patrick J. - 5/2/2008
Sen Whitehouse, Sheldon - 5/2/2008
Sen Casey, Robert P., Jr. - 5/8/2008
Sen Landrieu, Mary L. - 5/14/2008
Sen Specter, Arlen - 5/14/2008
Sen Obama, Barack - 5/15/2008

Proud citizen of Illinois here.

:hi:

I'll never forget once calling Carolyn Kirkpatrick's office, just to thank her for the speech she gave.

As I talked to the aide, what I found out was that I was the FIRST call they'd had, appreciating her speech!

As we conversed, the aide whispered to me... "Bobbolink, we're getting death threats." I was in tears..... wanting so much to be there, and hold her hand... they were devastated.

What I did was call friends of mine and say, "Please call this number, and thank her for the speech, and let the staffers know you appreciate their efforts, too."

Well, a few days later a friend said, "The staffer said, are you a friend of Bobbolink's?" :rofl:

Just to get some positive calls meant a lot to them.

We need to remember that even though WE like their vote or their speech, that others don't, and can say so in very ugly ways.

If we want to keep their votes, and keep their speeches, we need to be sure to let them know how much we appreciate them!

I know that you know this.... I just feel the need to speechify, myself...

:rofl:

:pals:

just the same. I will do that.

That will be MY call on Monday am. :hi:

Hopeful!

I saw recently, can't remember where, that there are now 24 co-sponsors.

Neither of mine, of course. :grr:

Thanks for this!

added to the list!

Here's to a chance realized. :toast:
:kick: & R

:hi:

:pals:

We just have to KEEP piling on the pressure.

This stuff just won't stop. So we shouldn't, either.

I'll do what I can.

:hug:

Will spread this to all on my email list.

:kick:

It starts on page 130 (http://banking.senate.gov/public/_files/FinalGSEBilll.pdf).

Specifically this (from page 134):

3 ‘‘(1) to increase and preserve the supply of
4 rental housing for extremely low- and very low-in
5 come families, including homeless families; and
6 ‘‘(2) to increase homeownership for extremely
7 low- and very low-income families.

And ‘‘(3) DISTRIBUTION TO STATES BY NEEDS7
BASED FORMULA." starting on page 136 (http://banking.senate.gov/public/_files/FinalGSEBilll.pdf); too much to copy & past here, but it's GOOD.

Thank you, bobbolink, for posting this! I'll get on it Monday morning, and forward this info now.

We've got to get this passed!!!!!

:hug:

With a powerhouse like you forwarding this, SURELY we can get some more co-sponsors, and get the vote DONE!

You're such a heart-warmer..

:loveya:

Hi Bobbie!!:hi: :hug:

thanks for posting

Thanks, important action indeed!!

Thanks for this info.

When you call them, point out that it's supported by Domenici, Lieberman, & Specter - then maybe they'll listen.

I'll be calling on Monday with fingers crossed.

Thanks for this post/alert, Bobbie!!!

(Doo-Little - ca)

I;ll be sure to call on onday and also see what my housing office knows about it here in my county.

hugs, bobbie...thanks for keeping us informed!!!

oh...and a KICK & REC too!

Excellent idea... would you consider posting this as a separate thread?!

Really, this is such an important bill, and I don't think we can have too many threads on this... one more couldn't hoit.

smoochies...

:hug:

and forwarded for more help.

:)

Here's to Housing - the only solution for homelessness!

thanks bobolink.

important stuff!

Thank you for posting this bobbolink!

I'm not very excited about this if it only helps renters, and not people who want to actually own a home.

Unless I'm misreading this, it seems careful not to disturb the status quo between the "haves" (property owners) and the "have nots" the renters. Or, are poor people just so irresponsible that they need property owners snooping around?

I'd be more interested if this led to home ownership.

Or have we accepted this manufactured fact of life that poor people cannot and will never own their homes now?

Spending half ones income on rent and getting no closer to home ownership makes absolutely no sense to me -- but I'm sure the "owners" love it.

just Internet discussion mind you, is that the government give some land and limited sovereignty to the chronic homeless folks, think "reservation land", and a stipend, just as was done with the Indians so many years ago.

I remember some years ago there was a semi-wealthy sub-division built, sometime in the 1980s in Southern California IIRC, I won't use its name. It was for senior folks. Gated community. Golf course. More amenities than you can imagine. rich, well, maybe not uber rich, but probably upper 2%.

Anyway, it was widely reported the builders got HUD funds to help them build, but these "homes" cost quite a bit, poor working folks, or average middle class folks could never have afforded to retire there.

I understand the point you're making, it was a thought that crossed my mind, too. Actually, the thought was whether this had anything to do with housing prices falling but rentals remaining high. Another related one was when the laws are written to help buy new housing "for the poor", wealthier people that really don't need the help seem to get much of it.

That doesn't mean that not helping the poor is a solution, just that income limits and or tests don't seem to have been applied in the past. This bill seems to have that.

Sorry if that doesn't answer your question.

Just because home ownership assistance was abused in the past is no reason to abandon it.

The bill above is necessary to help people stay off the streets, obviously... if the streets were filled with homeless people, members of every political party would want to do something about it. But the approach mentioned above seems desperate, more like brushing the poor aside, rather than curing the actual problem.

(Edit: The poor of course are not just elderly and chronically ill folks, but can also include intelligent hard working people with decent jobs that don't happen to pay the money necessary to buy a home)

There are many people who couldn't care less about owning their home. Nevertheless, it is a moral imperative that if they are paying big bucks every month for their residence, that money is going toward ownership whether they care about it or not. It's the only socio-economically ethical approach to take. This bill doesn't seem to care about that, so I really don't care much for it.

It was probably built using FHA backed mortgages under the guise of community development. There may be many policy reasons why this sort of development may have qualified but the one that occurs to me first is that the addition of the subdivision enhances the economic opportunities in the local area.

There are many programs under the HUD umbrella that aren't earmarks for low and moderate income renters or owners. A large part of its mission historically is on the community development side of affairs.

I'm in California and I believe Boxer is already a co-sponsor. Feinstein as usual is the "iffy" one. I will call her office Monday a.m. and urge her to support this bill.

:)

Thank you for your efforts, and I hope you'll pass this on.

:yourock:

One ringy-dingy...

keep it ringing...

keep calling!

I'm getting antsy about the vote!

:hug:

And keep the faith! :pals:

That went bye-bye a long time ago.

Fingers I can cross, for whatever happens with that.

Faith? I don't have much of that left for Dems.

I wish we could get the Capitol Hill phone lines LIT UP!

:yourock:

:kick:

Homes for all!!

If this doesn't get passed and funded under a Democratic Congress and an Obama Presidency I'll be in front of the WH in March 2009 throwing rocks at it.