Support $20 million Annual Allocation for VA Housing Trust Fund
Governor Ralph Northam
We know that housing is the platform upon which individuals and households achieve greater self-sufficiency. Research tells us that place matters, and that the quality and affordability of housing can impact a person’s health, a family’s stability and a community’s economic sustainability. These are issues that matter to Virginians.
Yet, for every 100 low-income households in the Commonwealth, only 37 housing units are available to them that are affordable. These include our seniors and people with disabilities, our workforce, young families and new graduates. From the rural communities in southwest Virginia to the metro areas of Northern Virginia-Richmond-Norfolk, thousands of people struggle to afford housing based on their incomes. And the tragedy of evictions plagues our state, with three cities in Virginia on the top ten list of evictions nationwide.
To address our housing crisis, we must invest more in our State Housing Trust Fund to expand affordable housing opportunities for Virginians. Now is the time to do what’s right for our residents and the Commonwealth.
In a single year, the average state contribution to housing trust funds is $16.45 million. Virginia's allocation is $5 million, roughly 70 percent below average. Are Virginians 70 percent less deserving of affordable housing than other Americans?
Now is the time to invest in housing! To end the costs and disruptions of evictions, we need more affordable housing. To provide appropriate housing for those Virginians newly enrolled in healthcare through Medicaid expansion, we need more affordable housing. To ensure that hard-working families can pay their rent or mortgage, and still have money left for food, transportation and childcare, we need more affordable housing. To attract and retain a workforce for the 21st century, and to keep our economy growing, we need more affordable housing.
Please join us in building a broad-based coalition of supporters, and sign the petition asking Governor Northam to include an annual allocation of $20 million to the Virginia Housing Trust Fund in his biennial budget for FY2020 - 2021.
Michelle Krocker, Executive Director
Northern Virginia Affordable Housing Alliance
Sponsored by
To:
Governor Ralph Northam
From:
[Your Name]
Dear Governor Northam,
We, the undersigned request that you include an annual allocation of $20 million for the State Housing Trust Fund in your biennial budget. These critical funds will leverage local and federal funding programs, and have a significant impact on addressing the unmet housing needs of the residents of the Commonwealth.
Now is the time to invest in housing! To end the crisis of evictions, we need more affordable housing. To provide appropriate housing for those Virginians newly enrolled in healthcare through Medicaid expansion, we need more affordable housing. To ensure that hard-working families can pay their rent or mortgage, and still have money left for food, transportation and childcare, we need more affordable housing. To attract and retain the workforce for the 21st century, and to keep our economy growing, we need more affordable housing.
Every Virginian deserves a safe, decent, affordable place to call home.