Dear Mr. President,

As the President & CEO of Mercy Housing, the nation’s leading affordable housing nonprofit, I reach out to you as a partner in hope. We share your belief that America’s success depends not on any one of us but on all of us. The need for affordable housing is at a historic high, homelessness continues to rise, and access to healthcare has never been so important. This is a critical time for our nation. Mercy Housing and our partners in the affordable housing industry stand ready to work with you to protect the housing stability of families impacted by the health and economic crisis of our time and to grow the supply of affordable homes for those who need it most.

Mercy Housing was founded four decades ago by the Sisters of Mercy of Omaha in response to the housing needs of vulnerable families living on low incomes. Today, we own and manage over 350 properties across 20 states. With a resident-centered mission and a service-enriched housing philosophy, we currently serve over 45,000 families, veterans, seniors, and people with special needs that get by on low incomes. The health and economic challenges facing families that call Mercy Housing home have never been so dire. And the demands for social and racial justice have never been more important. We must make housing more racially equitable, diverse, and inclusive. Housing justice is social justice.
There is much work to be done, and as you have said, it is time for boldness. We support the housing policies which you have prioritized, including:

• Create fair and equitable access to vaccinations for vulnerable individuals and communities of color
• Work toward ending systemic racism in housing
• Direct immediate and equitable funding of rental relief for households living on low incomes
• Preserve the housing stability of families at risk of eviction or foreclosure
• Expand funding for the Housing Choice Voucher program
• Grow broadband access for residents living with low incomes by updating guidance so that owner-provided broadband is more feasible
• Expand the Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program

The nation faces more challenges than we have seen in living memory, but Mercy Housing remains optimistic. Daily, we witness the power of stable affordable homes and what this vital resource can do for people in need. When families have a reliable place to call home, their children can do homework, seniors age in grace, and fears turn to hope.

I believe in your vision for a brighter future. We offer our time-tested, national expertise to create more homes for hard-working Americans with low incomes. We thank you for your service to the United States of America and look forward to the opportunity to do our part to help improve the quality of life of residents living in affordable housing and create neighborhoods where generations to come can live vibrant, healthy lives.

Yours in Hope,

Ismael Guerrero

President & CEO
Mercy Housing, Inc.