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.

NLIHC Releases 2013 Out of Reach Report

The 2013 Out of Reach report confirms what many of us already know - that Alabama rents are too high for many of our working families, seniors, and persons with disabilities. For additional information, please read LIHCA's press release or view the report here.

ALHousingSearch.org Is Live!

LIHCA has partnered with Disability Rights & Resources, the Montgomery Center for Independent Living, and Collaborative Solutions, Inc. to bring this valuable resource to Alabama!

ALHousingSearch.org is a new service that provides access to information about rental housing opportunities in Alabama. Alabamians can search for FREE to find rental housing! Property providers can use this FREE service to advertise properties in great detail. Listings include pictures, map links and even information about nearby amenities like parks, schools and hospitals.

The service can be accessed online or via toll-free phone and fax and is supported by a toll-free, bilingual call center that assists individuals who lack access or don’t feel comfortable using the Internet.

* Add and update listings with a quick, toll-free phone call or via the Internet.
* Include details and photos to highlight your listings
* Help avoid extra calls by removing listings from public view immediately when rented.
* Have trained call center staff assist potential tenants with locating your listings.
* Easily manage a detailed online inventory of units.

The ACDD Advocate released an article about the public launch of ALHousingSearch.org. To access this article, please click here.

ACTION ALERT: CALL ATTORNEY GENERAL STRANGE AND URGE HIM TO COMMIT THE REMAINING MORTGAGE SETTLEMENT FUNDS TO CAPITALIZE THE HOUSING TRUST FUND!

Office of the Attorney General
P.O. Box 300152
Montgomery, AL 36130-0152
(334) 242-7300

GROUPS URGE ATTORNEY GENERAL TO COMMIT REMAINING MORTGAGE SETTLEMENT FUNDS TO CAPITALIZE ALABAMA HOUSING TRUST FUND

A new report from Enterprise states that Alabama is not using its mortgage settlement funds for housing-related activities. LIHCA and Alabama Arise have issued a joint press release urging Attorney General Strange to commit the remaining mortgage settlement funds (approximately $3.5 million) to capitalize the Housing Trust Fund. To read the full press release, please click here.

To link to the full report from Enterprise, click here.

Please join LIHCA in urging the Attorney General to commit the remaining mortgage settlement funds to capitalize Alabama's Housing Trust Fund. To send Attorney General Strange a recommendation, click here.

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

The 2013 Alabama Statewide Housing & Homelessness conference was a huge success! Thanks to everyone who joined us at the Grand Hotel in Point Clear! Below please find the PowerPoint presentations from the conference.

10 Minute Innovations in Rural Homelessness Services

Building Tools to Expand Housing Opportunities in Alabama

From Service Provider to Housing Provider

HMIS Data Quality and Performance Measurement

Homes for Heroes

Housing Affordability Challenges and Solutions for an Aging Alabama

Increasing the Power of your Organization to Provide Homelessness Services

Mental Health First Aid

Moving Beyond Continuum of Care-Maximizing Your Community's Resources

Opening Plenary - Michael German, Birmingham Field Office Director, HUD

Planning and Implementation of a Centralized-Coordinated Assessment with ESG Grantees

Strategies to Prevent Eviction for Your Clients

The Olmstead Decision - Implications for Housing Providers

Transforming a Community One Neighborhood at a Time

What Can the Housing Trust Fund Do For Alabama Communities?

Capitalize the Alabama Housing Trust Fund with
Mortgage Settlement Funds!

Alabama Arise released a new Housing Trust Fund Fact sheet yesterday and urged the Alabama Attorney General's office to commit any available mortgage settlement funds to the Housing Trust Fund. LIHCA supports this as a way to capitalize the Housing Trust Fund. To read the Arise news release and the fact sheet, please click on the links below.

Alabama Arise News Release
Home at Last: The Alabama Housing Trust Fund (fact sheet)

Here are several articles referencing the news release and the Housing Trust Fund.

Anniston Star 5.29.12: Heart's in right place; money's not
Gadsden Times 6.19.12: Mortgage settlement helps balance Alabama budget
The Republic 6.18.12: National mortgage settlement helps balance Alabama's state budget
Bloomberg Businessweek 6.19.12: Mortgage settlement helps balance Alabama's budget
MortgageOrb 6.19.12: Alabama Diverts Settlement Funds Away From Housing Assistance
Gadsden Times 6.20.12: Our view: Found money for states?
Nonprofit Quarterly 6.21.12: Ala. Redirects Some Mortgage Settlement Funds to State Budgets

If you read an article about the Alabama Housing Trust Fund, please let us know! Email ashley@collaborative-solutions.net.

Alabama has a Housing Trust Fund!

LIHCA is excited to announce that, as of May 14, 2012, Alabama has a housing trust fund! Many thanks to all of our members who reached out to their legislators during the session. Thanks also go to Representative Patricia Todd, the sponsor of the bill and our legislative champion, Senators Arthur Orr, Linda Coleman, and Jimmy Holley for helping move the bill through the Senate, and LIHCA's partners Alabama ARISE, Alabama Association of Habitat Affiliates, ALAEH, AARP, and the Alabama Asset Building Coalition.

Thank you!

To read LIHCA's press release, click here.
To view the final bill, click here.
To read an article about LIHCA's advocacy efforts, click here.

Click here to view LIHCA's Fact Sheet on Why Alabama Needs a HTF.

A special thanks to everyone who donated to LIHCA on Alabama Gives Day! We appreciate the support!

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

LIHCA Memberships now available Online!

+ Join Today using PayPal

NLIHC releases Out of Reach 2012

NLIHC released its annual rental housing report, Out of Reach, on March 2nd. The report highlights the rental housing rates in every county and state in the U.S. Alabama's housing wage is $12.50 (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.

To access the report, click here.

Housing Trust Fund Information

Until recently, Alabama was one of only 5 states that did not have some type of Housing Trust Fund. In 2012, LIHCA and its partners successfully advocated for the creation of a Housing Trust Fund for Alabama. Housing Trust Funds are an innovative way to fund the production, preservation, and rehabilitation of affordable housing units. Even though we have a Housing Trust Fund, it does not have any funding for housing activities. We need to capitalize the 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 Matt Knierim at 205-939-0411 Ext.208.

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 hosts an annual meeting for its members. Please check back for a date for the 2012 meeting.

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 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
November 9, 2011

TOWN HALL MEETINGS

LIHCA wants to go on the road! LIHCA is in the process of scouting locations for Town Hall meetings 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 Matt Knierim at 205-939-0411 Ext. 208 or matt@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>>

LIHCA Thanks Its Past and Present Supporters

Community Action Partnership of North Alabama
www.capna.org

Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham
www.foundationbirmingham.org

Daniel Foundation of Alabama
www.danielfoundationofalabama.com

Mike & Gillian Goodrich Foundation

Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation
www.mrbf.org

Southern Poverty Law Center
www.splcenter.org