NETWORK calls for passage of national housing trust fund bill

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March 2003

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NETWORK calls for passage of national housing trust fund bill
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NETWORK calls for passage of national housing trust fund bill
Sister Kathy Thornton, RSM, National Coordinator of NETWORK, A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby, issued a statement on March 4 calling for quick passage of newly introduced legislation to establish a National Housing Trust Fund.

She said, "Access to safe, affordable housing is a fundamental right according to both the Catholic social justice tradition and the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights. We all know that there is a critical—and growing—shortage of housing available to people living in poverty.

Representatives Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Robert Simmons (R-CT), and Barbara Lee (D-CA) are reintroducing the legislation to establish a National Housing Trust Fund on March 5, 2003, at a Press Conference at the Capitol.

Legislation creating a National Housing Trust Fund (HR 2349) to provide funds to build, rehab and preserve 1.5 million affordable homes by the end of the decade, was introduced in the House of Representatives in the last session by Rep. Bernie Sanders (I-VT). It had 200 co-sponsors and over 3,000 Endorsements from national, religious and local organizations when the session ended. This truly has been a grassroots effort by the thousands of people across the country who know that something must be done in response to the great need for affordable housing, says NETWORK.

In June, 2002 the trust fund bill was approved as an amendment to an affordable housing bill (HR 3995) in the Financial Services Committee. It was later rejected in that same committee and replaced with a more limited proposal that would instead provide substantially fewer dollars only to states and localities with existing housing trust funds.

"NETWORK, representing more than 12,000 groups and individuals working for social justice, is proud to be a working member of a coalition of almost 4,000 organizations, religious leaders and elected officials who have endorsed the National Housing Trust Fund campaign," said Thornton. "Genuine ‘homeland security' means that we provide our families with the security of stable and affordable housing, which is foundational to healthy, safe communities. NETWORK will do everything possible to ensure that the U.S. Congress passes this important piece of legislation as quickly as possible."

For more information:
The National Affordable Housing Trust Fund Campaign

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