In 1999, THC founded Housing America, a project designed to increase federal funding for affordable housing. Housing America teamed up with the Boston-based Doc4Kids to release a national study “There’s No Place
Like Home–How America’s Housing Crisis Threatens Our Kids.” The study focused on the health, education, and economic impacts of the housing affordability crisis and received nationwide publicity.

Housing America followed this by joining with National People’s Action and Center for Community Change in a campaign to create a National Housing Trust Fund. THC Director Randy Shaw co-authored a study showing how FHA surpluses could fund the Trust Fund, which passed years later.

Housing America also partnered with Religious Witness with Homeless People in a National Religious Call to Action on Housing. Religious Witness leader Sister Bernie Galvin organized the largest group of religious leaders ever to weigh in on a housing issue; the Clinton Administration credited our efforts as helping secure 50,000 additional Section 8 vouchers from Congress. In 2000, Housing America also partnered with Religious Witness With Homeless People on a sign-on letter from over 400 religious leaders in support of allocating $5 billion in FHA surpluses to affordable housing.

In order to boost national organizing efforts, THC created Justicecorps, a project that recruited college students into full-time organizing jobs. Many of those we selected went on to long-time organizing careers.