Sec. 601. Congressional findings

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The Congress finds the following: Two principal Federal housing goals are to increase the rate of home ownership and make rental housing affordable for low-income families and individuals. Much more progress has been achieved on the first goal than on the second goal. The Federal Government devotes more than three times the amount of budgetary resources to supporting home ownership than it devotes to making affordable rental housing available. The burden of housing costs is more pronounced among renters than among owners.

There is a shortage of more than 7 million homes affordable to families in the bottom 20 percent of income, meaning that there are only 30 affordable units for every 100 families. Only one in four families that qualify for rental housing assistance receives benefits. Housing assistance waiting lists can be 10 years long and in many communities are closed. The shortage of rental homes that are affordable for extremely low-income households to be the principal cause of homelessness in the United States.

Public housing facilities in the United States have more than $26 billion in deferred maintenance after decades of neglect which results in a loss of 10,000 units each year. The low-income housing tax credit successfully provides 100,000 units of affordable housing every year. Every tax reform commission has recommended capping the mortgage interest deduction and converting it to a fairer and simpler credit. More than 75 percent of the value of the mortgage interest deduction inures to the benefit of the top 20 percent of earners.

Fewer than half of tax filers with a home mortgage claim the mortgage interest deduction. Only 9 percent of rural tax filers claim the mortgage interest deduction. Ninety-six percent of homes sold between 2005 and 2011 sold for less than $500,000. A better approach that provides equitable benefits for families who buy homes, enables more low- and moderate-income homeowners to receive a benefit, and invests in affordable rental housing to assist those who used to be homeless or who have extremely or very low incomes is needed to strengthen families and communities.