By Dawn Van Dyke, RCAC communications manager

America’s housing crisis continues with no end in sight. As rents increase threefold over wages, more than 11 million families spend more than half of their pay for housing.

According to Huffington Post, nine foundations formed a partnership to fund policy, advocacy and organizing to increase access to affordable housing for low-income families and those facing homelessness. The nine foundations that form Funders for Housing and Opportunity include: Annie E. Casey Foundation, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, The Ford Foundation, The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation,  JPB Foundation, The Kresge Foundation, Melville Charitable Trust, and Oak Foundation.

The foundations pooled funds and granted nearly $5 million to four organizations including the National Low-Income Housing Coalition, which will launch a multi-sector housing campaign.

“The research that’s been building shows us that when people are struggling so much just to afford their homes, they’re suffering in a multitude of ways,” said Diane Yentel, president and CEO of the NLIHC. “They have poor health, their kids are unable to do as well in school as their peers who are affordable housed, they have lower lifetime earnings and they even have lower life expectancy.”

To learn more about this partnership, go here: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/affordable-housing-crisis-foundations_us_5a8d42bde4b00a30a250edc7