Crapo Named National Housing Champion

Washngton, DC â?? Idaho Senator Mike Crapo today was named a 2006 â??Champion of Affordable Housingâ?? by the National Council of State Housing Associations. The Executive Director of the Idaho Housing and Finance Association (IHFA), Gerald Hunter, presented the award to Crapo at the national groupâ??s annual legislative conference in Washington, DC.The Champion award is given to members of Congress that advocate for affordable housing. As a member of both the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee and the Senate Finance Committee, Crapo has been instrumental in crafting and passing legislation aimed at funding and creating affordable housing.â??Our fiscal policy and favorable economic conditions have allowed for more Idahoans and Americans to realize the American dream of owning their own homes and for those who are not home owners, a way to find affordable rental housing,â?? Crapo said. â??This extends to those who are not home owners but may also be searching for affordable housing. I value the partnership between private investment, federal agencies and housing associations like the Idaho Housing and Finance Association, and Congress in expanding the availability of affordable housing.â??â??We greatly appreciate Senator Crapoâ??s leadership, nationally and in Idaho, on important housing issues,â?? said Hunter. â??His efforts to bring forward legislation to improve and enhance the Housing Credit and Housing Bond programs will help thousands of Idahoans.IHFAâ??s mission is to provide funding for affordable housing opportunities in Idaho communities where they are most needed and when it is economically feasible. IHFA is a self-supporting financial institution and administrator of affordable housing resources, governed by a seven-member Board of Commissioners, with four branch offices in Coeur dâ??Alene, Idaho Falls, Lewiston, and Twin Falls.