LIHCA is a coalition of Alabamians that joined together to address the housing crisis in our state and increase housing opportunities for those with the greatest financial need.

LIHCA's 2012 Legislative Day Is Scheduled!

Please join us on Tuesday, March 20, 2012 in Montgomery for our legislative day! More details will follow, but please let Ashley Kerr know if you plan to attend.

National report card ranks Alabama worst
for child homelessness
Action needed in State Legislature to fund
proven housing programs

A study by the National Center on Family Homelessness ranks Alabama the worst state in the nation for child homelessness. The study took into consideration the following indicators: extent of and risk of child homelessness, child well-being, and state policy and planning efforts.

LIHCA urges our state legislators to take action and end the tragedy of child homelessness in Alabama. Children deserve an opportunity to succeed in school and in life, which begins with a place to call home.

LIHCA is advocating that the State Legislature establish a housing trust fund, a strategy that 42 other states have in place to provide funding to housing programs proven to prevent and end family homelessness. Please join us by calling your legislators and asking them to support a housing trust fund in Alabama.

Click here for the National Center on Family Homelessness' state rankings on child homelessness.
Click here for the full report.
Click here for LIHCA's press release about the report.

2011 Housing Works! Rethinking Housing Stability In Alabama

Thank you for attending the Housing Works! Conference. It was a successful event and we look forward to planning the conference for 2012!

+ Click here for conference presentation information

Let's Get Ready for the 2012 Legislative Session!

We are quickly approaching the 2012 legislative session and wanted to touch base with all of you regarding the 2012 Housing Trust Fund bill. As you know, the bill passed unanimously in the House last year, but was tabled by the Banking & Insurance Committee in the Senate.

Representative Patricia Todd will once again be sponsoring this bill and we are looking to each of you for support. While we are not in the legislative session yet, there are several things that you can do to reach out to your legislators, especially your Senators, in advance of the session. Here are two suggestions:

1. Contact your local Representative and Senator (include contact information here) and thank him/her for their service; or
2. If you see your local Representative or Senator in your hometown, take a moment to thank him/her for their service and also mention how a Housing Trust Fund could benefit your local community/program/organization (see below for a list of benefits).

How a Housing Trust Fund Can Benefit Alabama
·A Housing Trust Fund provides increased housing opportunity for (pick one of these groups: hardworking Alabamians, young families, seniors and people with disabilities). Right now, too many (same group as above) are having to make choices whether to pay their rent, put food on the table or cover other basics like medicine. 
·Developing more affordable housing not only helps Alabamians in need, it creates new jobs and new tax revenue.  A Housing Trust Fund makes sense for Alabama.

LIHCA is in the midst of planning lots of activities for this year’s legislative session, so please visit our website frequently or friend us on Facebook. One thing that we would like to know from you is if you are willing to visit your local legislator(s) during the session and encourage them to support the Housing Trust Fund. We are looking for volunteers to make visits on Goat Hill and also to organize support in your community for the bill. Please email Ashley Kerr (ashley@collaborative-solutions.net) if you are able to help LIHCA in this way.

We will be sending out Action Alerts once the legislative session starts. Until then, please reach out to your legislators and let us know how you can help the Housing Trust Fund campaign.

Everyone deserves the opportunity to succeed in life; in Alabama, this begins with a place to call home.

Alabama Arise Has Chosen the Housing Trust Fund as One of Its 2012 Policy Priorities!

LIHCA is thrilled that the membership of Alabama Arise chose the Housing Trust Fund as one of its 2012 policy priorities! This will strengthen LIHCA's advocacy campaign to establish a Housing Trust Fund in Alabama. Arise joins LIHCA's other strategic partners the Alabama Alliance to End Homelessness (ALAEH), the Alabama Association of Habitat Affiliates, and AARP in their efforts to advocate for a Housing Trust Fund in Alabama.

Does your organization want to become a strategic partner and advocate for the establishment of a Housing Trust Fund in Alabama? Please contact Ashley Kerr at (205) 939-0411 x205 or ashley@collaborative-solutions.net for more details.

Do you want to learn more about our strategic partners?
Visit their websites by clicking on the links below.

LIHCA Memberships now available Online!

+ Join Today using PayPal

NLIHC releases Out of Reach 2011

NLIHC released its annual rental housing report, Out of Reach, on May 2nd. The report highlights the rental housing rates in every county and state in the U.S. Alabama's housing wage is $12.77 (minimum wage is $7.25). The Housing Wage is the hourly wage a family must earn – working 40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year – to be able to afford rent and utilities in the private housing market. Alabama’s Housing Wage has increased 46% since 2000.

For more information, please read LIHCA's press release here.

To access the report, click here.

2011 Advocacy Day

Thanks to all who attended LIHCA's 2011 Advocacy Day on Tuesday, April 5th to meet with legislators to urge them to support HB349, the Housing Trust Fund bill!

2011 Housng Trust Fund Bill

Representative Patricia Todd introduced House Bill 349 to the Alabama legislature on Tuesday, March 29th. HB349 calls for the establishment of an affordable housing trust fund for Alabama to produce and maintain rental and homeownership options for low income residents.

Everyone deserves the opportunity to succeed in life; in Alabama, this begins with a place to call home.

To read LIHCA's press release, click here.
To view HB349, click here.

For more information, please contact Ashley Kerr at ashley@collaborative-solutions.net or (205) 939-0411 x205.

Housing Trust Fund Information

Alabama is one of only 5 states that do not have some type of Housing Trust Fund. Housing Trust Funds are an innovative way to fund the production, preservation, and rehabilitation of affordable housing units. We need a Housing Trust Fund in Alabama to give working families, seniors, people with disabilities, and other Alabamians in need the opportunity to live in a safe, decent, and affordable home.

Want to learn more about what a housing trust fund is? Click on the links below.

Housing Trust Fund Information from Alabama Arise
Housing Trust Fund Project, Center for Community Change

Do you know who your legislators are? If the answer is NO, find out at the Alabama State Legislature's website.

Who we are:

The affordable housing crisis in Alabama has reached staggering proportions. Based on data from the National Low Income Housing Coalition, Alabama has an estimated shortage of 44,673 affordable and available housing units[1]. Compounding this problem is the fact there is no clear policy or statewide coalition designated to address this matter…until now.

A number of local and statewide advocates have created the Low Income Housing Coalition of Alabama (LIHCA) to address the housing crisis and increase housing opportunities for Alabamians with the greatest financial need.

Currently, the Board of Directors is comprised of 17 statewide advocates who are working together to implement LIHCA's mission to increase housing opportunities for Alabamians with the greatest financial need.

For more information about upcoming LIHCA events or to become a member of LIHCA, please visit the links below and to the left.

THE ALABAMA LANDLORD TENANT ACT

Click here to gain access to The Alabama Tenants’ Handbook and HB287, the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act. For a Spanish version of the handbook, click here>>.

Are you interested in ordering a paper copy of the handbook? If so, please contact Ashley Kerr at 205-939-0411 Ext.205.

WEATHERIZATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM IN ALABAMA

The Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) is designed to reduce energy costs for individuals by improving the energy efficiency of their homes. This program is available through a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy and is administered by the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs. Individuals are eligible if their income is below 200% of the federally established poverty level. For more information on this program, click here>>

GOVERNMENT UPDATES

HUD releases National Housing Trust Fund Proposed Regulations
HUD has released its proposed regulations for the National Housing Trust Fund and has a public comment period open until December 28, 2010. To read the proposed regulations, click here>>.

HUD releases "Worst Case Housing Needs" Report to Congress
HUD has released its latest study, Worst Case Housing Needs 2007: A Report to Congress. This is the 12th in a series of reports designed to measure the scale of critical housing problems facing low-income American rental households. To access this report, click here>>

National Housing Trust Fund Needs Funding
The National Low Income Housing Coalition is urging Congress to provide initial funding for the National Housing Trust Fund. For more information on how to sign on to this letter, please click here>>

National Housing Trust Fund signed into law on July 30, 2008.
President Bush signed into law the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 (H.R. 3221). This is the comprehensive housing bill containing the Housing Trust Fund and its initial dedicated source of funding. For more information about the National Housing Trust Fund, please visit the National Low Income Housing Coalition’s website at http://www.nlihc.org or the Center for Community Change’s website at http://www.communitychange.org.

A Report by Alabama Arise
Released: July 23, 2008

View Report >>

LIHCA has not yet scheduled any membership meetings in 2011. Please check back frequently for updates.

If you are interested in attending a membership meeting but are not yet a member, please fill out the membership form at the left of this page and send it in to LIHCA. For more information, please contact Ashley Kerr at 205-939-0411 Ext. 205.

Are you interested in reading the minutes from a previous quarterly meeting? Please click on the links below to access previous meeting minutes.

July 16, 2008
September 11, 2008
November 5, 2008
February 19, 2009
May 7, 2009
October 15, 2009
February 18, 2010
May 20, 2010
August 19, 2010
November 9, 2010

TOWN HALL MEETINGS

LIHCA wants to go on the road! LIHCA is in the process of scouting locations for Town Hall meetings in 2011 and would like to hear from you if you think your town can host a meeting. If you are interested in hosting a Town Hall meeting to introduce LIHCA to your community, please contact Ashley Kerr at 205-939-0411 Ext. 205 or ashley@collaborative-solutions.net.

Please check back periodically for an updated schedule.

MAKE A DONATION TO LIHCA

Together we are working towards ending the affordable housing crisis in Alabama. Join us in the fight today and make a donation to LIHCA>>


[1] National Low Income Housing Coalition Congressional District Profile Study, January 2007

LIHCA Thanks Its Past and Present Supporters

Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham
www.foundationbirmingham.org

Daniel Foundation of Alabama
www.danielfoundationofalabama.com

Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation
www.mrbf.org

Southern Poverty Law Center
www.splcenter.org