Statement from National Low Income Housing Coalition President and CEO Diane Yentel— “Advocacy Works”

Washington, DC – (RealEstateRama) — Advocacy works. Over the last year, people throughout the country urged their members of Congress to not only reject harmful cuts to HUD, USDA and Treasury programs, but to provide much-needed increases in funding for them. With this spending bill, Congress has sent a clear message to President Trump that it will not stand for his attempts to cut housing benefits that help struggling seniors, people with disabilities, families with children, and other populations keep roofs over their heads, especially at a time when the housing crisis has reached historic heights. Advocates, resident leaders and Congressional champions achieved a 10% increase in federal investments in HUD’s programs and targeted those resources, in large part, to address the needs of the lowest income people through additional housing vouchers, desperately needed funding to repair public housing, and homeless assistance grants. Together we also achieved increased allocations and program improvements for the Low Income Housing Tax Credit.

While much more needs to be done, this spending bill puts our nation back on the right path towards ending housing poverty for the nearly 8 million extremely low income families without an affordable place to call home. NLIHC applauds members of Congress for recognizing the urgent need to expand the affordable housing investments that help families and communities thrive, and thanks the tens of thousands of advocates and resident leaders for their relentless and effective advocacy.

For an overview of the bill’s impact on affordable housing programs see: https://bit.ly/2IKpk91 Also see our updated chart for selected HUD and USDA programs: https://bit.ly/1SowzjU

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Established in 1974 by Cushing N. Dolbeare, the National Low Income Housing Coalition is dedicated solely to achieving socially just public policy that assures people with the lowest income in the United States have affordable and decent homes.

PRESS CONTACT
Renee Willis
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(202) 662-1530 x247