February is shaping up to be a critical month for the Livable Communities Act: U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-Colo.) is expected to introduce the bill in the House, while the Banking Committee in the Senate – where the bill originally was introduced by U.S. Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.) – will review the bill.
Why does this bill matter to MPC – and you? There are many reasons, including that the bill could help support more employer-assisted housing (EAH) programs in metropolitan Chicago and nationwide. EAH is a public-private partnership proven to help people live near their jobs and public transportation, and reduce their top two household expenses, housing and transportation. In Illinois, public investment of $2.5 million has leveraged more than $8 million from employers – and resulted in approximately $400 million in home sales since 2000. More than 3,500 employees in Illinois have received free homeownership counseling through EAH programs, and approximately 2,000 have bought homes with their employer’s assistance. In short, the numbers add up.
The National Housing Conference, MPC, and other partners around the country have proposed including employer-assisted housing incentives in this bill to engage business partners and support more affordable living for American families. During this crucial month of February, please contact your U.S. senators and representative and ask them to support the Livable Communities Act and include the proposed EAH incentives.
Extra credit points to those who contact lawmakers on the following committees, which have or will review the Livable Communities Act:
More information about the Livable Communities Act
More information about employer-assisted housing
Sample letter of support for the Livable Communities Act
