Affordable Housing: The Home is the Foundation

Our Position

The century-old commitment of Catholic Charities to safe, decent, affordable housing rests upon the Church’s teaching on the dignity of the human person and the value of the family.

Catholic Charities agencies across the country have worked to develop safe, affordable housing for families at every level on the housing continuum from homeless shelters and affordable housing development, to home purchasing.

In 2007, the broader Catholic community provided housing assistance to nearly 800,000 people.

Protecting Those on the Brink of Homelessness

America faces a growing affordable housing crisis, one that converts over 3 million individuals into homelessness each year. Millions of others live on the brink of homelessness or in severely substandard homes as they struggle to meet enormous increases in housing and utility costs which have largely outpaced wages.

In 2006, more than 9 million renter households spent over 50 percent of their income on rent. This affordable housing shortage has placed over 750,000 Americans at risk of being homeless on any given night.

Our work to provide a seamless continuum of safe and affordable housing options for the poor requires full and flexible funding from various federal programs. It also requires a comprehensive plan to address the current housing foreclosure crisis which has forced more families into dangerous housing conditions.

Making a Difference on Capitol Hill

Catholic Charities agencies rely on partnerships with government, public housing authorities, private business, and community groups to leverage resources and provide housing services for the poor and the vulnerable.

The non-profit community cannot do this work alone. Government must be an equal partner.

Catholic Charities USA urges Congress to:

• Develop a balanced approach to the reauthorization of the McKinney-Vento Act to address homelessness in America;
• Allow local flexibility for communities to address identified housing needs appropriate to their areas;
• Allow funds to be used to prevent homelessness rather than focus on more costly remediation strategies;
• Pass a comprehensive plan that addresses the foreclosure crisis and keeps more families in their homes;
• Provide more resources to expand housing counseling;
• Maintain homeownership as a core public policy goal;
• Provide tax incentives to help non-profits develop safe and affordable housing; Expand the Section 8 Voucher program; and
• Provide safe, affordable housing for seniors and other vulnerable populations.