Low-Income Voter Participation Restricted as Condition of New Housing Grant Program

[dissention]

News Conference on House Leadership Plan to Restrict Low-Income Voter Participation as Condition of New Affordable Housing Grant Program
http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=55222

A coalition of national organizations concerned with housing, community development, people who are elderly or disabled, child welfare, civil rights, voter participation, and rights of non-profits will hold a news conference to voice opposition to provisions in a compromise on H.R. 1461, the Federal Housing Finance Reform Act of 2005, reached by the House Leadership. These provisions will disqualify a non-profit organization from receiving grants from the Affordable Housing Fund (AHF), created by the legislation to develop new affordable housing for low income people, if the organization has engaged in any voter registration and other non-partisan voter participation work in the 12 months prior to application. Any non-profit organization that does receive a grant to develop affordable housing is also prohibited from engaging in these activities, even using private funds. These restrictions are not imposed on for-profit companies. The legislation is slated to go to the House floor next week.