Congressman Cohen Votes for Affordable Housing Legislation
Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Steve Cohen voted for H.R. 2895, the National Affordable Housing Trust Fund Act of 2007. This legislation passed the U.S. House of Representatives by a vote of 264-148.
“With rising housing costs throughout the country, securing affordable housing becomes increasingly challenging for low-income Americans,” stated Congressman Cohen. “I am proud to cosponsor and vote for this legislation, which establishes a National Affordable Housing Trust Fund to provide assistance to states and participating local jurisdictions to increase the supply of quality affordable housing for low-income families.
“The federal definition of ‘affordable housing’ is paying no more than 30 percent of a household’s income for housing costs. Unfortunately, there are about 5.4 million families nationwide who dedicate more than half of their incomes towards paying rent. Consequently, this legislation will also make great strides in addressing what is considered the single most unfortunate consequence of the lack of affordable housing – homelessness.
“The National Alliance to End Homelessness reports that 3.5 million people across the nation experience homelessness each year. Of these, 400,000 are veterans, 600,000 are families and 1.35 million are children. According to Partners for the Homeless, Memphis is home to more than 7,600 individuals with no place to call home, over 1,600 of whom are children. Expanding homeownership opportunities for our nation’s less fortunate is a pivotal step in fostering prosperity and economic equality in our communities.”
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Contact:
Marilyn Dillihay, Press Secretary, Congressman Cohen (202) 225-3265/(202) 368-9275