Letter from Habitat for Humanity of Michigan to House Commerce and Tourism Committee, August 27, 2020

Summary

Letter dated August 27, 2020 from Habitat for Humanity of Michigan to Chair Marino and the House Commerce and Tourism Committee, supporting House Bills 5820 and 5821, which create the Michigan Community Investment Pilot Program and Michigan Community Investment Tax Credit. Writing for fifty-four local Habitat for Humanity affiliates, the letter says the bills would maximize the donor dollar and serve as an incentive for more giving. It states that the state budget does not include funding for housing or community development and that the Housing and Community Development Trust Fund is not funded. The signature block names the President & CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Michigan.

Summary drafted by a model from the document's text below and checked by script against that text before publication. It is a navigation aid, not a reading of what the document proves. Where AI is used

Full text

Text recognized from a scanned document; may contain errors.

$i¥ Habitat for Humanity”

of Michigan

August 27, 2020

Dear Chair Marino and Distinguished Members of the House Commerce and Tourism Committee,

On behalf of our fifty-four loca! Habitat for Humanity affiliates throughout the State of Michigan, | wish
to express our support of House Bills $820 and 5821 which create the Michigan Community Investment
Pilot Program and Michigan Community Investment Tax Credit.

Individual donors and corporate giving continue to fue! the mission of Habitat for Humanity. House Bills
5820 and 5821 would maximize the donor dollar and serve as an incentive for more giving. Our state
budget does not include funding for housing or community development and the Housing and
Community Development Trust Fund is not funded. These bills represent a proactive approach and
partnership with the government, individuals, and corporations to increase needed donations to not-
for-profit housing, service, and community development organizations responding to the needs
expressed in the community.

We all know now more than ever that where we live, work, school, and play matters to our health and
stability as people and community. Those of us in support of these bills represent community-based
organizations that people turn to in times of need and the business and government sectors also turn to
us to respond and be their connection to community. Please strengthen our ability to respond te needs
in our communities by passing these bills. We with Habitat for Humanity build lives, communities, and
hope through financial education, coaching, counseling, and attainable, healthy housing. “Home is
where one starts from.” — T.S. Eliot

Additionally, the more we do, the more we stimulate the economy. The homes we build and renovate
and sell to our partner families involve hiring contractors and subcontractors, purchasing building
materials, reversing dilapidated and vacant properties into properties that again generate property
taxes and improve the neighborhood. All of our families pay on a mortgage and all of our families pay
property taxes. We also repair homes to help keep peopte in their homes and improve the quality of the
housing stock. We make sure that ail people and families we partner with have healthy, quality homes
they can afford with fair lending of mortgages and home repairs. We also coach and counsel people to
help them achieve their finance, budget, and housing goals, Additionally, each affiliate and ReStore is a
small business making major contributions to the economy. All said, we annually generate multiple
millions of dollars for the economy as small businesses in the business of housing development, financial
education, ReStore sales, and generating property taxes.

Again, on behalf of the thousands of people who make up the vast network of Habitat for Humanity
throughout the state, we thank you for your service and for your consideration to support HBs 5820 and
5821. Thank you! Be safe and well!

In partnership,

President & CEO - Habitat for Humanity of Michigan
517-526-3534 - spearson@habitatmichigan.org

NeighborWorks: Habitat for Humanity of Michigan * 6185S Creyts Road, Suite A * Lansing, MI 48917

P: 855-422-6424 ¢ F: 517-485-1509 * www_habitatmichigan.org
CHARTERED MEMBER QUAL HONGING


File and source

File

2020-09-02_testimony_comm-2019-sandra-a-pearson_43142.pdf

Size

53,936 bytes

SHA-256

fd18479112d1c14eae57a4f813810d2cf1afdf8e7167d506c97b87e6cb875aa6

Our copy

2020-09-02_testimony_comm-2019-sandra-a-pearson_43142.pdf

Original

No public link identified.