Ask President Obama to make housing programs a priority.

Ask President Obama to make housing programs a priority.

<b><em>My signature here indicates that I have signed this petition.</em></b>

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<b><i>Habitat 4 Humanity EDITABLE PETITION TEXT: </i>

Protect taxpayers and families: Make housing a priority </b>

Dear [Decision Maker],

I am a constituent of yours, and a supporter of Habitat for Humanity. I'm writing today to urge you to protect taxpayers and families by making decent housing a priority in the FY 2012 federal budget.

No one better understands the reality of working with a tight budget than Habitat affiliates and the families they serve. But Habitat affiliates and partner families also understand that not all short-term cuts have long-term benefits. In fact, protecting funding for federal affordable homeownership programs creates jobs, promotes family self-sufficiency, increases responsible homeownership and local tax bases, and protects taxpayers from the fallout of escalating foreclosures.

Funding for the Self-Help Homeownership Opportunity Program (SHOP) not only helps Habitat affiliates build houses and infrastructure, it also creates local jobs and supports local tax bases through contracts for streets, utility and sewage hookups, site development and other critical services that support Habitat's construction work.

And both SHOP and Section 4 provide cost-effective value to the taxpayer by leveraging significant private investment in local communities. Section 4 funding enables Habitat affiliates to leverage an average of $10 in private investment for every $1 of grant funding received, multiplying the impact of limited federal housing investments and resulting in improved access to affordable homeownership and associated increases in local tax bases.

Perhaps most importantly, as the nation works toward recovery from the foreclosure crisis, Habitat families are significantly more likely to succeed as homeowners than buyers of all income levels who took out sub-prime loans. It's clear that investing in Habitat programs produces benefits far beyond just the families we directly serve. We're working to improve communities and local economies by increasing responsible homeownership.

The bottom line is that properly executed affordable homeownership strategies benefit American taxpayers and local communities alike. During the budget battle this year, please prioritize programs that are successful and cost efficient -- programs like SHOP and Section 4.

If you'd like to learn more about Habitat's work and the programs that help support it, please contact Christopher Ptomey, Habitat for Humanity International's director of federal relations, at (202) 628-9171 ext. 4911 or at cptomey@habitat.org.

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[Your name]