Support Arise!
Stay Informed!ShortcutsPublications |
HousingHome at Last: The Alabama Housing Trust FundFor tens of thousands of low-income Alabamians, a home of their own is an unaffordable, inaccessible dream. Decades of stagnant earnings, combined with the rising costs of food, medicine, clothing and other essentials, have left safe, affordable housing out of financial reach for many low-income families, seniors, veterans and people with disabilities. The deadly tornadoes that swept across the state in April 2011 displaced thousands more from their homes. A new state law will provide Alabama with greater ability and flexibility to satisfy many of its unmet housing needs. This fact sheet examines how the Alabama Housing Trust Fund will enhance the state's efforts to promote affordable housing and how the fund could obtain resources with which to meet those needs. Opening the Door -- the Alabama Housing Trust FundAlabama has a large shortfall of affordable housing for low-income families, seniors, veterans and people with disabilities. The state lacked more than 90,000 affordable and available homes for people with extremely low incomes, even before last year-s deadly tornadoes added that figure, according to the National low Income Housing Coalition. Legislators are considering a bill that would help Alabama address those unmet needs. Opening the Door: The Alabama Housing Trust FundLow wages affect Alabama families in many ways, and one of the most basic is housing. Almost half of Alabama renters can't afford the monthly fair market rent for a two-bedroom apartment. And nearly half of the state's households don't make enough to buy a median-priced home. HB 512, a bill to establish the Alabama Housing Trust Fund, would help Alabama begin to turn these discouraging housing statistics around. Locked Out: Low Wages and Affordable Housing in AlabamaThis 2008 report examines the shortage of appropriate, adequate and affordable housing in Alabama. Stable Foundation: A Housing Trust Fund for AlabamaOn the final day of the 2008 Regular Session, the Alabama House approved a House joint resolution establishing the Interim Alabama Housing Trust Fund Task Force. This fact sheet describes the function of housing trust funds and outlines options the task force could pursue in developing sources of revenue to support affordable housing. A Decent Place to LiveAlabama's Landlord-Tenant Law spells out what makes a rental dwelling livable and lists the basic rights and duties of both tenants and landlords.
Past Due: An Alabama Landlord-Tenant LawTenants' rights have been an Arise legislative priority since 1993. At that time, Alabama was one of only two states that failed to provide any protection to residential renters; by 2005, we were the only state denying all such protection.
Alabama's 2006 Landlord-Tenant LawPassage of the Alabama Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act of 2006 capped a 13-year effort by Arise and other advocates to define the rights of renters in the state.
|
This pamphlet