Mercy Housing is only one of many groups trying to influence Congressional opinions, so it’s not often that we can point to someone increasing their support for housing and community development programs and say “that was definitely us.” As always, this example comes to you courtesy of the hard work in the community that you all exhibit every day.

Yesterday, Mercy Loan Fund celebrated the grand opening of their first New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) project, a 30-bed orthopedic hospital in Hattiesburg, MS. That day, 12 freshman House Republicans published a letter in support of the economic revitalization activities made possible by the NMTC. The list of supporters included Hattiesburg representative Steve Palazzo, whom we had been educating about the positive impact of the credit in his district. WA Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, another target, also signed on. Overall, the letter represents a considerable increase in bipartisan support for the credit, separating it from the knotty issue of tax reform by focusing on issues like jobs and economic recovery that everyone can agree on.

Read the Congressional letter of support for this project…