A Home and A Job

Posted on 08/24/2011 @ 10:30 AM

Tags: Budget, Domestic, Statements, Diane

By Executive Secretary Diane Randall

There may be no greater sign of the devastating problems that face the 43 million Americans living in poverty than the high costs of renting or owning a home, particularly for families who have lost income due to unemployment or disability. While the specter of people who are homeless isn’t readily apparent in every neighborhood, we don’t have to look far in our urban or rural communities to know families and individuals who have lost their homes to foreclosure and are living doubled up or to see people living out of their cars or in emergency shelters.

There is a solution to homelessness. It’s a home. And there’s a solution to unemployment. It’s a job. Our elected officials can take action that will not only prevent homelessness and address substandard low-income housing, but they can act to put people to work by investing in affordable housing.

This week, FCNL joined 44 organizations in a letter circulated by the National Low Income Housing Coalition to White House officials charged with developing President Obama’s jobs creation strategy. Specifically, the request is for $10 billion for the National Housing Trust Fund, a program created to preserve and develop affordable housing for the lowest income households—but never funded. According to the National Home Builders data, a $10 billion investment would put 122,000 people to work in construction jobs, and create another 30,000 permanent jobs.

As the country’s 9% plus unemployment rate holds steady and the number of homeless families, veterans and people with disabilities climbs, one bright light for creating jobs and preventing and ending homelessness is investing in the National Housing Trust Fund.

As the 9% plus unemployment rate throughout the country holds steady and the number of homeless families, veterans and people with disabilities climbs, one bright light for creating jobs and preventing and ending homelessness is investing in affordable rental housing that creates jobs and homes.