The Housing Trust Fund is designed to expand rental and homeowner opportunities for working families, veterans, seniors, people with disabilities and other Alabamians at the lower end of the income scale. It also would create jobs in the construction industry by providing money to nonprofit developers, counties, cities and public housing for building and renovating low-income housing. The bill passed 82-0 in the House and 24-2 in the Senate, a rare show of bipartisanship in a legislative session characterized by political bickering.
Not to take anything away from this spirit of cooperation, but one reason so many were willing to vote for this bill was they knew there was no money to fund it.
Only in Alabama.
The Legislature created the Housing Trust Fund and left it to sit empty until the economy turns around. Then, supposedly, money will be put there — but when and from which part of the state’s small revenue pie is not entirely clear.
Nevertheless, look on the bright side. With the Housing Trust Fund in place, there is now somewhere to put federal funds and grant money that supporters of the bill say will be sought. This page hopes they will be successful, though Alabama is once again looking for ways to get someone else to pay for what we should be paying for ourselves.
