United for Homes Steering Committee Takes to the Hill

Members of the United for Homes campaign completed more than 30 visits to Capitol Hill on July 16 and 17 in conjunction with the quarterly meeting of the United for Homes Steering Committee. The Steering Committee is composed of leaders of national and state organizations that have endorsed the campaign to fund the National Housing Trust Fund with revenue raised from modifications to the mortgage interest deduction.In meetings with members of the House of Representatives and their staff, Steering Committee members requested co-sponsorship of H.R. 1213, the Common Sense Housing Investment Act. The Common Sense Housing Investment Act, introduced by Representative Keith Ellison (D-MN), would modify the mortgage interest deduction and apply the majority of the revenue raised through the changes to the National Housing Trust Fund (see Memo, 3/22).On Senate visits, Steering Committee members asked that Senators include the United for Homes proposal in their “blank slate” letters due to Senate Committee Finance Chair Max Baucus (D-MT) and Ranking Member Orrin Hatch (R-UT) by July 26 (see Memo article above).