TROY – Nearly 19 million households across the United States are spending at least half of their income on a place to live, often forgoing basic necessities such as food and health care to make ends meet.

In Miami and Shelby counties, the stability that housing should bring continues to remain out of reach for many people.

On June 12, Habitat for Humanity of Miami & Shelby Counties joined Habitat organizations across the country to launch a new national advocacy campaign aimed at improving home affordability for 10 million people in the U.S. over the next five years.

Marking significant growth in Habitat’s commitment to ensuring that everyone has a safe and decent place to call home, the Cost of Home campaign seeks to identify and improve policies and systems through coordinated advocacy efforts at the local, state and federal levels.

Cost of Home focuses on improving housing affordability across the housing continuum in four specific policy areas: increasing supply and preservation of affordable homes, equitably increasing access to credit, optimizing land use for affordable homes and ensuring access to and development of communities of opportunity.

Habitat for Humanity of Miami & Shelby Counties already has taken several steps toward these goals.

“We are interested in working with the various local governments, non-profits, service organizations, churches and interested residence who share the belief that everyone deserves a decent place to live” Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer William Horstman said.

More details about Habitat’s Cost of Home policy platform and campaign activation are available at habitat.org/costofhome. For more information or to speak to HFHMSCO about the campaign, contact Horstman at [email protected] or 937-332-3763.