Across the country, housing costs are rising as more families lack access to a safe, affordable and decent place to call home. Here in Alabama, one in eight households pays more than half of their income on housing.
Along with hundreds of local Habitat organizations and affordable housing advocates from across the country, an 11-person delegation from Alabama Habitat for Humanity met directly with U.S. Sen. Katie Britt and U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers in Washington, D.C., this week. They held talks and encouraged action and policy prioritization. The number of affordable housing units will increase, especially for homeowners. The Alabama delegation also had the opportunity to meet with legislative committee members and staff from the offices of Senator Tuberville and Representatives Sewell, Aderholt, Strong, Palmer, and Kahl.
Congress can address this need by supporting critical housing and community development programs in 2025 and passing the bipartisan Neighborhood Housing Investment Act.
Alabama Habitat leverages a number of federal solutions to help increase the number of affordable housing units across the state. These solutions include appropriations for the Self-Help Homeownership Opportunities Program (SHOP), the HOME Investment Partnership Program, the USDA Section 502 Single-Family Home Direct Loan Program, and Community Development Block Grants.
“I traveled to Washington, DC to share my family's story of how Habitat for Humanity provided a path to homeownership and helped change our lives during a very difficult time. I am so honored to have been invited. By sharing my story, I hope to bring insight to decision-makers in Washington, D.C., and provide a path for others to receive the housing security that I am experiencing now. We hope it's open,” Morgan County homeowner Kathleen Moore said of Habitat for Humanity.
Alabama Habitat for Humanity is part of a global nonprofit housing organization that operates on Christian principles and seeks to put God's love into action by building homes, community, and hope. . Alabama Habitat is dedicated to eliminating substandard housing locally and around the world through the construction, restoration, and preservation of homes. By advocating for fair and just housing policies. It also provides training and access to resources to help families improve conditions in shelters. Habitat for Humanity believes that every man, woman, and child should have a simple, durable place to live in dignity and safety, and that a decent shelter in a decent community is a place for every man, woman, and child to live in dignity and safety. It was founded on the belief that it should be a matter of conscience and conduct.
