In February, we had the privilege of attending Habitat on the Hill in Washington, D.C., where Habitat for Humanity advocates from across the country gathered to meet with lawmakers and make our voices heard. It was an exciting and important opportunity to push for policies that will help make affordable homeownership a reality for more families.
This year, we introduced Voices in Action, a new platform that empowers people like you to take action and speak up for affordable housing. I’m reaching out today to share with you the three key asks we made to Congress, and why they’re so crucial to the future of homeownership in our country.
1. Funding Programs That Make Homeownership Possible
One of our top priorities was ensuring that Congress provides funding for critical housing programs that support families in need of affordable homes. We called for:
$20 million for the Self-Help Homeownership Opportunity Program (SHOP), which helps communities build affordable homes.
$1.5 billion for the HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) to fund housing projects across the country.
$1.25 billion for the USDA Section 502 Direct Loan Program, which helps low-income families in rural areas buy homes.
These programs make it possible for families to own a home, and without adequate funding, many families will continue to struggle.
2. Building More Starter Homes for First-Time Buyers
America is facing a severe shortage of affordable homes, 800,000 homes short, to be exact. This shortage makes it harder for people to find homes they can afford, especially for first-time buyers.
We urged Congress to support Habitat’s Homeownership Supply Accelerator, a policy initiative aimed at funding the construction and rehabilitation of affordable starter homes. This accelerator would help both nonprofit and for-profit developers overcome financial barriers and build more homes for families just starting their journey toward homeownership.
This idea is important because, right now, there’s no federal program focused on helping people overcome the financial hurdles of building affordable homes for first-time buyers. We need Congress to act to fix this.
3. Tax Policies That Support Housing Development
Finally, we called on Congress to include housing provisions in the upcoming tax package. Specifically, we asked them to:
Extend the New Markets Tax Credit, which helps fund economic development projects, including affordable housing.
Support the Neighborhood Homes Investment Act, a bipartisan bill that would use tax credits to build and rehabilitate homes for low- and moderate-income buyers.
These tax credits would encourage investment in affordable housing and help us create more homes for those who need them most.
How You Can Help
These ASKS are important, but we can’t make change alone. Your voice matters! If you want to help make affordable homeownership a reality for more families, I encourage you to use our Action Alert and send a message to your policymakers.
Together, we can urge Congress to take action and ensure that affordable housing is accessible to all.
