| Advocacy for Affordable Housing Funding—How you can help |
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Spring is the time of year when the Governor and the Legislature are deeply engaged in negotiations over Minnesota’s budget for FY 2008-2009. Governor Pawlenty has proposed a $43.9 million increase in the budget of the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency. This proposed budget is good news for affordable housing advocates and for Habitat and a great first step in the budget process. Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity (TCHFH) would like to see some of this budget increase allocated to buy land to build more Habitat homes in the Twin Cities. TCHFH serves on the Minnesota Housing Partnership (MHP) Board, a coalition of public and non-profit affordable housing providers and market rate housing developers. MHP has four key legislative priorities this session, two that are of particular interest to TCHFH: expand resources for affordable housing by a minimum of $100 million; and create a Charitable Tax Credit of $10 million in state income tax credits to companies and individuals for charitable contributions for affordable housing. To learn more about MHP and its legislative priorities, visit: www.mhponline.org. Today at TCHFH, we turn away 10 qualified families for every one family we serve. The need for safe, decent and affordable housing in the Twin Cities is staggering. The Metropolitan Council projects that over 50,000 additional units of affordable housing will be required by 2020 to address the housing gap. The MHP request for an additional $100 million of State resources in the next two years will begin to set the stage to chip away at this remarkable need. You can help by letting the Governor and your legislators know that affordable housing is important to you and that it is the foundation for a life of well being for hard working, low income families. Children who live in safe, stable housing do better in school. Parents who have safe, stable housing can succeed at work. And, families can thrive when they purchase a Habitat home. If you want to see more state funds invested in resources for affordable housing, please call, email or write your legislators and Governor Pawlenty to let them know you support expanding resources for affordable housing by appropriating $100 million for the FY 2008-2009. Not sure who represents you? Visit www.leg.state.mn.us/leg/Districtfinder.asp to find contact information for your elected officials. Contributed by Susan Haigh, President of Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity |
