Housing Trust Makes a Comeback

Last fall, this blog carried a story on the Missouri Housing Trust. The issue is back this year with a vengeance. Senator Jolie Justus introduced a new compromise bill that will ensure that the funding from the real estate filing fee goes directly to preventing foreclosures and evictions.

The same groups are in favor of the bill as last year – Senior and Disability Groups, Social Welfare Organizations, Poverty Groups, and a whole host of faith-based groups including Catholic Charities and Salvation Army. A new addition was the Kansas City Chamber of Commerce.

Former Senator Pat Dougherty now with Catholic Charities laid out the need for these funds throughout the state – even giving each member of the committee the requests that went unfunded from their districts and the community groups that would have benefited.

Each proponent made the case that and increase of $7 in the cost of purchasing property certainly wouldn’t prevent anyone from purchasing a house.

The same groups are opposed to the bill as last year as well – Realtors, Mortgage Brokers, Bankers, and Home Builders.

The members of the Senate Progress and Development Committee asked several pointed questions of the opponents to the bill about why they support massive tax credits for purchasing a home, but oppose a $7 increase in fees that would go towards protecting their bottom line. Senator Jason Crowell was particularly interested in why they supported another fee increase on real estate filings but opposed this one. The answer seemed to be that they would benefit more directly from the other fee increase.

The issue certainly received a friendly reception this year than it has in years past. Perhaps this year the General Assembly will finally take action to adequately fund this worthwhile program.