Support Fair Housing Access and Choice
- Provide fair housing assistance and funding for implementation of the Fair Housing Act by strengthening and expanding local fair housing oversight and administration capacity to ensure housing and community development investments are administered equitably.
- Provide incentives for state and local zoning and land use reforms to eliminate restrictive zoning and land uses to advance fair housing and support the creation of diverse housing options while retaining local land use authority.
Expand the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program (LIHTC)
- The LIHTC program is the single largest driver of affordable housing production and preservation in the region. Congress should pass the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act (AHCIA) to expand the program, and ensure inclusion of a provision to lower the 50% bond test to 25% in order to receive 4% tax credits. Doing so would allow the region greater opportunities to preserve existing housing and finance new long-term affordable housing.
Fully Fund and Expand Federal Housing Assistance Programs
- Federally subsidized housing programs are the backbone of much of the affordable housing in this region. Core programs include the Housing Choice Voucher, Public Housing, and other Project-Based Rental Assistance programs. The HUD budget also includes funding for core community development (including CDBG and HOME) and homelessness response programs (McKinney Vento Homeless Response Grants) that give localities the resources to respond to local needs.
- Congress must fully fund existing subsidy programs to keep existing participants housed in safe, affordable, and quality homes. SKHHP supports expanding these proven, core programs, by adding incremental Housing Choice Vouchers, and increasing funding for the HOME, CDBG, and Homeless Assistance Grants programs.
- SKHHP also supports the creation of new funds that give states and localities additional capital dollars to direct to affordable housing projects.
Supportive Services
- Housing on its own is not always sufficient for long-term success and support services are often necessary to obtain and maintain housing. SKHHP supports policies and programs that link housing investments with robust supportive services and the health, education, and workforce development sectors.
Support SKHHP's Housing Capital Fund
- Provide direct funding to the South King Housing and Homelessness Partners (SKHHP) Housing Capital Fund in order to provide much needed investment for preservation and production of affordable housing in South King County.