We work closely with our federal partners at the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC), National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH), National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC), and the A Call To Invest in Our Neighborhoods (ACTION) Campaign, to name a few, to help leverage our state dollars by expanding federal housing and homelessness resources that will help Arizonans struggling to find stable housing. These national partners help outline the Coalition’s policy agenda; then we rely on our Board and members to help narrow and localize our federal advocacy requests.
Current Priorities
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• preserve and increase FEDERAL HOUSING INSTABILITY PROGRAMS
The ability to serve low-income people in need depends on federal appropriations. The Arizona Housing Coalition monitors the federal budget process and advocates for the highest possible allocation of resources at HUD, SAMHSA, and the USDA Rural Housing Service to support affordable housing, ending homelessness, and community development. • STRENGTHEN THE LIHTC PROGRAM
The Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) is our nation's most successful tool for encouraging private investment in affordable rental housing. It has financed 53,444 homes in Arizona since 1986, providing 128,668 low-income households with homes they can afford. Without the Housing Credit, it would be financially infeasible for the private sector to build affordable homes for the families that need them most. However, the LIHTC program needs to be expanded to make a meaningful dent in our state's severe shortage of affordable housing. * ensure EQUITABLE ACCESS TO HOUSING and housing counselors
People of color are significantly more likely than white people to experience evictions and homelessness in the United States, the result of centuries of structural racism that continues today and that has systematically and purposefully excluded Black, Indigenous and People of Color from equal access to housing, community supports, and opportunities for economic mobility. In addition to furthering fair housing, resources must be made available for housing counselors to help households manage financial decisions on their way to affordable homeownership. |
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Advocacy is the heart of what we do.
At the direction of our Board of Directors and our Advocacy Committee, we closely monitor issues and policies in Washington, DC, and are ready to act to advance sound policies and laws that stem the root causes of homelessness and create more affordable housing opportunities throughout Arizona. We are proud of the power the Coalition’s voice holds at our nation's Capitol, our state Capitol, and in our communities.
