Home ownership is at the core of American aspirations

What does "home" mean to you? In your own words, think about: "To me, home is … ." We all have our own answers, but they can be summarized in a new national initiative, Home Matters. Home Matters is building public support for the essential role that home plays as the bedrock for thriving lives, families, and a stronger nation.

Home is at the core of all of the aspirations that we have as individuals, neighborhoods, communities — and as a nation. Home is where we as individuals dream, study, plan, and recharge for the day ahead. Home is the core building block of neighborhoods. Strong stable homes are essential to thriving communities and local economies. Our national prosperity is dependent on the talent, drive and inspiration that strong stable homes nourish.

NeighborWorks Montana understands the fundamental power of home. It's a power that fuels prosperity at all levels. It's a power that molds individual, community, and national asset-building. Home doesn't matter just to those who benefit directly from affordable housing; it matters to all of us who care about the future of our communities and our nation. It matters to education, because children in stable homes learn and achieve more in school. It matters to health, because healthy habits take root more easily in stable, affordable homes. It matters to public safety, because stable homes make communities safer. It matters to our economy, because strong homes are essential to a thriving, job-generating economic climate.

Last week, I listened to 14 community agencies present their applications for Low Income Housing Tax Credit projects to the Montana Board of Housing. Folks from Eastern Montana oil impact areas, folks from small rural Montana towns, folks from cities in desperate need of senior and family housing pleaded for their projects. Out of these 14 projects, perhaps MBOH will be able to fund 5 or 6, leaving 8 or 9 communities without any means of addressing their housing needs.

This year, the Montana Legislature has the opportunity to help the communities in desperate need of more housing, by approving the Montana Housing Incentive Fund, House Bill 611. The Housing Incentive Fund provides funds for housing throughout Montana by gathering contributions from individuals and companies who want to see Montana communities have more and better homes. The contributors will get a 40 percent tax credit for their contributions, so for every dollar that goes into the fund, the state will be paying 40 cents out in a tax credit, but the other 60 cents will come from the private sector — the contributor. A $2 million dollar state investment becomes a $5 million dollar housing incentive fund.

Home construction is an incredible leveraging tool — each Housing Fund dollar will leverage an additional $10 in construction expenditures. New construction of apartments and homes means more construction jobs, putting our carpenters back to work. New homes mean hospitals can hire emergency medical staff, law enforcement has more officers, and schools can hire needed teachers.

Please take the time to let your legislator know that Home Matters to you. Urge their support of House Bill 611, the Montana Housing Incentive Fund.