Action urged on affordable housing for the Gulf Coast

We wanted to pass along the following message from the folks at the Katrina Information Network:

The House of Representatives passed a domestic supplemental spending bill, but it did not include much needed funds for affordable housing in the Gulf states. On May 22, the Senate voted for a domestic spending amendment that included Gulf States funding by a vote of 75-22.

Advocates in the Gulf Coast have worked long and hard to secure these additional funds for affordable housing. They have succeeded in convincing the Senate Appropriations Committee and full Senate of the immense need that still exists in areas affected by the 2005 hurricanes. Now they need your help to make sure the full House of Representatives follows suit.

Please use this toll free number, 1-877-210-5351, for the congressional switchboard and ask to be connected to the housing staffer for your representatives' offices. Or send them an email: http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2114/t/2612/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=24693

Thanks for your continued support,

Katrina Information Network

As we've reported here before, homelessness in New Orleans has doubled since Katrina, and thousands of families across the Gulf Coast still live in temporary housing -- including FEMA trailers containing dangerous levels of toxic formaldehyde. More than two and a half years after the disaster, the region's lack of affordable housing remains one of the most pressing problems facing the recovery effort.