Public Policy Priorities

Mercy Housing has four decades of experience developing, financing, and managing affordable housing. We serve over 45,000 residents in 20 states. Safe affordable rental apartments are critical to alleviating poverty, improving health outcomes, meeting workforce needs, supporting veterans, and helping seniors to age in grace. As part of our dedication to serving those in need, Mercy Housing advocates for issues affecting our organization and the residents within our communities.

Increase HUD Funding

These programs support millions of low-income families and we seek an increase in funding for multifamily affordable housing and community development programs.

• Expand existing subsidized-housing programs including project-based Section 8 Rental Assistance, Section 202 Senior Housing, HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH), and McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance grants.
• Make Housing Choice Voucher program available to all households under 50% AMI.
• Accelerate the repositioning and preservation of public housing through expansion of Choice Neighborhoods Initiative and Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) conversions.
• Expand Family Self-Sufficiency program to all HUD subsidized programs, including funding to nonprofits for case management services.

Champion the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC)

LIHTC has been a foundation for the nation’s affordable housing for nearly four decades – annually financing over 3 million affordable rental homes and creating and sustaining 140,000 jobs, while spurring millions of dollars in increased community income and tax revenues.

• Pass the Affordable Housing Tax Credit Improvement Act.
• Restore the 12.5% housing credit allocation increase and increase the housing credit allocation by 50%.
• Lower the “50 percent test” bond financing threshold to 25% to allow states to finance twice as much affordable housing with their existing bond cap.

Pioneer Affordable Housing as a Platform for Improved Health

Combining healthcare partnerships with preventative health and wellness programming reduces hospital visits, increases longevity, and improves quality of life. Housing-healthcare models keep communities stronger and more resilient.

• Support our healthcare partners’ advocacy efforts to continue robust funding for Medicare and Medicaid.
• Advocate for expansion of service-enriched housing vouchers between HUD and Health and Human Services (HHS), modeled on the HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program.

Improve Federal Support for Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs)

We advocate for more resources, participation and access, and improvements to CDFIs by partnering with CDFI Coalition and Opportunity Finance Network (OFN).

• Increase no-cost/low-cost funding for the CDFI program.
• Support funding for the Capital Magnet Fund.
• Partner with OFN during appropriations collective advocacy efforts.
• Advocate for CRA reform that supports the expansion of the CDFI industry.

Advocate for More Racially Equitable, Diverse, and Inclusive Housing

To end systemic racism and housing segregation, legislation and operational reinforcements are needed to support renters and rental housing providers.

• Demand equitable investments in communities of color to create healthy, vibrant, and resilient communities.
• Increase wealth-building strategies for low-income communities of color.
• Work toward ending systemic racism in housing by reforming zoning to allow mixed-income communities and increasing the mobility of families with vouchers.