HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 03 2015 Housing American Month Proclamation2015 HOUSING AMERICA MONTH
PROCLAMATION
WHEREAS, for more than 70 years it has been the policy of this nation, under the US Housing Act to
promote the general welfare of the nation by employing its funds and credit to assist the several states and
their political subdivisions to remedy the unsafe and unsanitary housing conditions and the acute shortage of
decent, safe and sanitary dwellings for families of lower income;
WHEREAS, according to the State of the Nation’s Housing report, nearly 41 million households now pay
more than half of their income for housing, with more than four out of five with incomes below $15,000
paying more than 30 percent for housing;
WHEREAS, according to current estimates, on any given night, there are nearly 650,000 homeless
nationwide and up to 3.5 million persons who experience homelessness at some point throughout the year;
WHEREAS, according to the National Low-Income Housing Coalition’s 2015 Out of Reach report, in no
state can a full-time minimum wage earner afford either a one- or two-bedroom rental unit at Fair Market
Rate;
WHEREAS, according to the National Housing Conference, health care workers and many other working
professionals are priced out of homeownership in the majority of U.S. metropolitan areas nationwide;
WHEREAS, public housing is home to more than 2.3 million people, 37 percent of whom are children, and
faces an estimated more than $26 billion backlog in capital repairs;
WHEREAS, the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials; American Federation of
State, County and Municipal Employees; Council of Large Public Housing Authorities; Enterprise
Community Partners; Habitat for Humanity International, Housing Assistance Council; Local Initiatives
Support Corporation; Manufactured Housing Institute; Mortgage Bankers Association; National Association
of Counties; National Affordable Housing Management Association; National Association of Home
Builders; National Association of Realtors; National Council of State Housing Agencies; National Housing
Conference; National Housing Trust; National League of Cities; National Leased Housing Association;
National Low-Income Housing Coalition; Public Housing Authorities Directors Association; and U.S.
Conference of Mayors are united in an effort to raise public awareness of the importance of affordable
housing and community development programs and resources;
WHEREAS, the aforementioned groups have declared October Housing America Month, part of a year-long,
national campaign to inform the public and decision makers of the critical need to address the nation’s
housing and community development concerns;
NOW THEREFORE, I, Christine L. Lundberg, Mayor of the City of Springfield, Oregon do hereby
proclaim October 2015 as
“HOUSING AMERICA MONTH”
in Springfield, Oregon and encourage all citizens to commit themselves to meeting the affordable housing
and community development needs of the community.
____________________________
Christine L. Lundberg, Mayor
October 19, 2015