Working for a home within reach for EVERY Pennsylvanian

1. Working for a home within reach for EVERY Pennsylvanian

2. Today’s Agenda • 1. Welcome and WHY Home Matters Day? • 2. Preparing… What will happen BEFORE? • 3. Doing… What will happen ON THE DAY? • 4. Following Up… What will we do AFTER? • 5. Next Steps and Questions

3. Why Home Matters Day? …. Because increasing state resources will benefit your community and your clients. …. Because advocacy works when it is done right.

4. Our Focus This Year • Advocating to create a new State Housing Tax Credit program • Advocating to expand PHARE Realty Transfer Tax funding • Sharing stories of how these resources could expand and improve affordable housing in your community

5. Our Focus This Year • Policy Opportunities We request that our Senators: • To support and vote forcreating a State Housing Tax Credit (SB30) to increase affordable housing opportunities • To support and vote for FundingPHARE (SB31) to remove the $25M cap on the Realty Transfer Tax funding stream

6. Why a State Housing Tax Credit • A State Housing Tax Credit will infuse new funds into affordable housing by providing a dollar for dollar state tax credit to private investors.  • Vibrant regional economies rely on teachers, firefighters, and service sector employees, many of whom make too little to afford quality housing. • Employers such as hospitals, retailers and other businesses need strong affordable housing options to keep and retain vital portions of their workforces.  • Most people who live in affordable housing are in the workforce. • Fifteen (15) states and the District of Columbia currently have some form of a State Housing Tax Credit.

7. Why Expand PHARE • Almost 400 projects have been funded in 60 of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties since the creation of the dedicated funding stream in 2012. • Supports a variety of housing needs ranging from new construction to help for first time homebuyers to blight remediation and homeless assistance. • Because of its flexibility, local communities determine and then use funds to address the most pressing needs. • Affordable housing is an economic driver. It creates jobs and new opportunities for working families, disabled individuals, and veterans. • PHARE is working but oversubscribed.

8. Before The Day The Housing Alliance will: • Schedule Appointments with Senators • Prepare Packets for Meetings • Organize Teams and Identify Team Leaders

9. Contents of Packets -DRAFT • Legislative Meeting Guide/ Talking Points  • Econsult Economic Impact Data  • PHARE & SHTC Fact Sheets • Co-Sponsor List for PHARE and/or SHTC  • Report out sheets  • Capitol Maps  • Team Schedules  • Day Schedule 

10. Before The Day What you will do: • Prepare to have a few sentences on how housing resources are implemented in the district: • How do you use PHARE funding in your community? • What would you do with more resources like a state housing tax credit? • And Remember- You do not need to become an expert on Tax Credits or PHARE

11. Schedule of the Day • 9:30 to 10:00 a.m.Check-In in the Rotunda • 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. Legislative Visits • 11:30 to 12:00 pm Press Conference in the Rotunda • 12:00to 1:00 p.m. Lunch & Debrief • 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. Additional Legislative Visits

12. How to Have an Effective Legislative Visit • Team Leader opens the meeting with the reason you are visiting their office today • Everyone goes around, introduces themselves, and states why they are at the meeting • The Team Leader tells the staff or legislator what the group is asking for the legislator to support/do • Hold a conversation around these issues • Team Leader closes the meeting, restates the asks of the group, and thanks the staff/ legislator for their time and support

13. Messaging Framework for the Conversation • Even with great programs and policies in place like PHARE and the federal Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC), we can and should do more. • With only 42 affordable units available for every 100 extremely low income renter households, too many Pennsylvanians are having to make the impossible choice of paying rent/mortgage or buying food, medicine, or other basic necessities. • These programs and policies are making it possible to help people like ___ to get back on their feet. INSERT YOUR STORY HERE. • We know the solutions that work. INSERT YOUR STORY HERE. We need more resources to bring them to scale.

14. Home Matters Day • Team Leaders will send thanks you notes to legislators and meeting notes to Housing Alliance • Heads Up…We are not done! Would Like To Partner with You for: • Phone Calls • Letters to the Editor • In-District Visits

15. Next Steps • Prepare your story • Please feel free to bring informational materials about your organization • Please feel free to bring a client or resident • Questions?

16. Contact Gale Schwartz Associate Director, Policy & Strategic Initiatives Western Office 412-281-1137 Gale@housingalliancepa.org Levana Layendecker Deputy Director Eastern Office 215-576-7044 Levana@housingalliancepa.org • Harrisburg • 610 N. Third StreetHarrisburg PA 17101Ph: 717-909-2006 • Eastern PA • 309 Florence Ave. 914 NJenkintown, PA 19046Ph: 215-576-7044 • Western PA • 710 Fifth Avenue, Suite 1000Pittsburgh, PA 15219Ph: 412-281-1137