October 18, 2005
The Honorable Salvatore DiMasi
Speaker of the House
State House, Room 356
Boston, MA 02133
Dear Speaker DiMasi:
United Disability Housing Partnership is a coalition of groups and individuals dedicated to expanding housing opportunities for persons with disabilities. United Housing has 45 member organizations representing a wide range of disability constituencies from across Massachusetts.
We are writing to you today to express our strong support for an amendment to the supplemental budget offered by Representative Kay Khan that would allocate an additional $5 million for the Affordable Housing Trust Fund and would set aside at least $3 million of that funding for housing for persons with disabilities.
As you know, our state is facing a severe affordable housing crisis. Recent studies have found that Massachusetts is the second most expensive state in the nation. The problem is more acute for persons with disabilities, many of whom face additional challenges in finding employment and affording appropriate housing. Increasing funding for the Affordable Housing Trust Fund is an important step in increasing the Commonwealth’s stock of housing.
United Housing and its member organizations respectfully ask you to consider cosponsoring this amendment and to support its passage when it is considered by the full House of Representatives.
Enclosed, please find a copy of the amendment. For more information, or to have your name added to the list of cosponsors, please contact Sarah Blumenthal with Representative Khan at 617-722-2140.
For more information about United Housing, you can contact Matt Noyes at 617-927-0088 x26 or visit our website at www.unitedhousing.org.
Sincerely,
The Undersigned Members of United Disability Housing Partnership
cc: Members, Joint Committee on Housing