NLIHC Interim President and CEO Renee Willis Statement on the Reintroduction of the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act
Apr 30, 2025
NLIHC Interim President and CEO Renee Willis Statement on the Reintroduction of the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act
Washington, D.C. — The National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) applauds the reintroduction of the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act (AHCIA) by Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Todd Young (R-IN). A House companion bill was introduced on April 8 by Representatives Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), Darin LaHood (R-IL), Randy Feenstra (R-IA), Claudia Tenney (R-NY), Don Beyer (D-VA), and Suzan DelBene (D-WA). The AHCIA would expand and reform the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, the largest affordable housing production program in the U.S., and includes provisions to better facilitate the creation of rental homes for renters with the greatest needs.
“Our nation continues to experience a severe affordable housing supply crisis, with extremely low-income renters facing significant challenges, and more families than ever experiencing or at risk of homelessness,” said NLIHC Interim President and CEO Renee Willis. “Congress must take action to increase accessible, affordable housing stock for the lowest-income renters. Reforms included in the AHCIA will help create more homes that are affordable to those with the greatest needs, including low-income seniors, people with disabilities, families with children and low-wage workers.”
According to NLIHC’s report The Gap: A Shortage of Affordable Rental Homes, there is a national shortage of 7.1 million affordable and available rental homes for America’s lowest-income seniors, people with disabilities, families with children, and other individuals. Nationwide, there are only 35 affordable and available rental homes for every 100 extremely low-income renter households. Without affordable housing options, three out of four extremely low-income households are severely housing cost burdened, spending more than half their limited income on housing. Extremely low-income renters are more likely to be severely housing cost-burdened than any other income group, accounting for 68% of all severely housing cost-burdened renters in the U.S. These families are one financial shock away from the risk of eviction or worse.
LIHTC is the primary source of financing for the construction and preservation of affordable housing, but homes financed solely with the tax credit are often too expensive for renter households with the lowest incomes.
“If enacted, the AHCIA would reform the tax credit to provide additional incentives to developers to build homes affordable to the extremely low-income households who are most impacted by the housing crisis, as well as underserved rural and Native American communities,” said Willis. “These improvements to the LIHTC program are a necessary step toward addressing our nation’s affordable housing crisis.”
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