On Monday, March 10th, 2008, The Arizona Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the Arizona Coalition to End Homelessness, Local Initiatives Support Corp. (LISC), & the Tucson Planning Council for the Homeless will hold a press conference at 12:30 pm at the Arizona Legislature to illustrate the consequences of proposed cuts to the state Housing Trust Fund.
Over the last 3 weeks, housing providers all over the state have been collecting keys as part of The Housing is "Key" Campaign to demonstrate the overall impact of cuts to the state Housing Trust Fund (HTF) in Arizona. Over 45,000 keys have been collected in this timeframe from a variety of HTF recipients that will be delivered to Legislative Leadership & members of the House & Senate Appropriations Committee following the press conference. Collection sites have included homeless shelters, domestic violence shelters, apartment complexes, private homes. In addition, keys were collected by those who have benefited from the support of the Housing Trust Fund over the years.
"The aim of this campaign is to show that the Housing Trust Fund is an economic stimulus for the state, representing 45,000 units of housing over the last 5 years in Arizona," reports Paul Harris of LISC. "During an economic downturn, it is penny wise & pound foolish to sweep money from a fund that helps stabilize Arizona's economy."
The Housing Trust Fund is the only dedicated fund source in Arizona for foreclosure assistance, eviction prevention, & homeownership promotion. Also, without the HTF, many of the state's homeless & domestic violence shelters would not have facilities or the money to expand their capacity. Furthermore, according to the Arizona Dept. of Housing, the return on investment of the HTF is an impressive 5 to 1, helping to boost the state's economy & lessening the burden on other systems that are impacted by families becoming homeless.