Enterprise: Community Developments: New Report Urges Lawmakers to Simultaneously Address Climate Change and Housing Challenges

• A report from the Center for American Progress urges lawmakers to address the nation's affordable housing challenge as part of a larger effort to prepare communities against the rising effects of climate change. The national shortage of affordable housing disproportionately affects vulnerable communities that also have the fewest resources to recover from natural disasters linked to climate change. Therefore, the report calls for undertaking actions that can help us create healthy, accessible and affordable communities that are resilient to climate change impacts. These actions include supporting equitable evacuation and disaster recovery, expanding investments in rental and homeless assistance programs, prioritizing equitable housing policies and increasing funding for disaster mitigation and climate change adaptation. (Scientific American, August 7) Enterprise strongly supports and will continue to advocate and build support for the permanent authorization of HUD's Community Development Block Grant - Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program, an action that would strengthen administration and oversight of the CDBG-DR Program to ensure disaster recovery funds are distributed more efficiently and fairly.

• The Urban Institute has released a report titled “Affordable Housing Investment: A Guide for Nonprofit Hospitals and Health Systems.” The report suggests that “while nonprofit hospitals and health systems may be increasingly aware of and involved in addressing housing concerns of their patients and communities, few invest in construction and rehabilitation projects.” This report describes concrete ways in which nonprofit hospitals and health systems can provide invaluable support and financing for affordable housing projects, including providing capital (as a grant or a direct loan) to cover construction or rehabilitation costs and providing in-kind resources like land to support affordable housing development. (Urban Institute, August 8) Earlier this year Enterprise launched Health Begins with Home, a $250 million, five-year national initiative to harness the power of affordable homes to create healthier families and stronger communities. This effort includes an $85 million Enterprise-managed Housing for Health Fund serving the San Francisco Bay Area and a $100 million national loan fund, both established jointly with Kaiser Permanente.
  

Courtesy of Enterprise