Representative Keith Ellison (D-MN) sent a new “Dear Colleague” letter to the House of Representatives on June 25 seeking co-sponsors of his legislation H.R. 1213, the Common Sense Housing Investment Act. Representative Alan Lowenthal (D-CA) co-sponsored the legislation on June 28, becoming the second member of the California delegation to do so.H.R. 1213 would modify the mortgage interest deduction (MID) in a manner consistent with the United for Homes campaign proposal. The bill would apply the majority of the revenue raised through the changes to the MID to the National Housing Trust Fund (NHTF) (see Memo, 3/15). The letter was sent just in advance of the House Committee on Appropriations’ mark-up of the FY14 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD) appropriations bill (see article elsewhere in Memo). The FY14 THUD bill, constrained by an austere allocation to the Subcommittee, cuts nearly every rental housing program intended to assist extremely low income households. Mr. Ellison said in the letter, “Experts estimate that an additional 7 million homes affordable to extremely low income households are needed immediately. We are losing ground with this appropriations bill.” Mr. Ellison also said, making the case for a balanced approach to housing policy, “At a cost of $70 billion a year, the mortgage interest deduction receives more than $10 billion more than HUD. Nearly 80% of the mortgage interest deduction benefits families in the top-income quintile.”The United for Homes campaign encourages advocates to let their Members of Congress know that they support the campaign proposal to fund the NHTF through modifications to the MID, and to urge their Representatives to co-sponsor H.R. 1213. Learn more about United for Homes at www.unitedforhomes.org.The Dear Colleague is available at: http://bit.ly/14AbPO3