The National Council of State Housing Agencies (NCSHA) has launched "The Faces of Home," a public awareness campaign to showcase the important work performed by housing finance agencies (HFAs) such as VHFA.
The Faces of Home Web exhibit features stories of people from every state who've received housing help from their HFA. Stories are searchable by state or by program, and offer a glimpse into the larger story of the integral role HFAs play in affordable housing, and why that role matters so much — to the people whose lives are changed, to the communities they live in, and to the economy.
VHFA's contribution to the campaign is the story of Chris and Autumn Patton (pictured) of Danville. Read about how VHFA helped the Patton family.
The stories told as part of the campaign, "along with the hard facts on the country's scarce supply of affordable housing, are what HFAs will carry with them as they petition Congress this week to support and protect the vital federal housing programs HFAs administer," according to NCSHA Executive Director Barbara Thompson.
Barbara's referring to NCSHA's annual Legislative Conference that takes place this week in Washington, D.C. VHFA Executive Director Sarah Carpenter and Policy & Planning Manager Maura Collins are attending the event, along with approximately 200 others.
Future funding levels and tax incentives for a wide range of housing programs could be in jeopardy as Congress debates budget cuts and considers tax reform, the future of the housing finance system, and long-term deficit reduction strategies.
"Housing bonds, Low Income Housing Tax Credits, HOME, and Section 8 are time-tested programs that effectively provide affordable housing around the country," Barbara says.
“HFAs have successfully administered these programs for decades, and nothing demonstrates the importance of that work like the powerful stories of transformation and hope chronicled in the 'Faces of Home' campaign.”
NCSHA is a national, non-profit organization created by state HFAs to assist them in increasing housing opportunities for lower income and underserved people through the financing, development, and preservation of affordable housing.