Building
the Capacity of Low-Income Housing Policy Institutions
Housing
advocates must be able to analyze and respond to policy proposals
quickly if they are to participate in the national policy debate.
This capability is underdeveloped among groups working on
low-income housing. The few national organizations that articulate
the housing needs of the poor are generally underfunded.
Organizations
such as the Low Income Housing Information Service
(lihis) and the
Housing Assistance Council
(hac) are primary
information links between federal policy makers and neighborhoods.
Community groups rely on the newsletters and studies of these
organizations for analyses of pending legislation and to gain
perspective on new issues and events in the housing field. Many
advocacy organizations, such as the Children's Defense Fund and the
Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, depend on these housing
organizations for analysis of policy developments that affect the
poor. Yet their budgets are small and must cover a wide range of
activities, including research, analysis, and information
dissemination. As a result, their ability to share information is
constrained. Foundation support enhances the policy analysis and
information dissemination of these groups, and increases their
contact with community-based housing developers. The Ford
Foundation and other philanthropies play an important role in
strengthening these small but vital groups.