Poll Finds Candidates' AH Stance Important

A nationwide Zogby poll commissioned by a coalition of advocacy groups has found that nearly 70% of Americans would be more likely to vote for a presidential candidate in 2008 "who articulated his or her detailed plan for providing affordable housing."Nearly 75% of those polled said a presidential candidate's stand on "how to provide more affordable housing" is important in determining whom they would vote for. Moreover, over 50% of the respondents believe the current national policy on affordable housing is on the wrong track. Findings confirm concerns about an affordable housing crisis that housing experts have been warning about in recent years. The Mortgage Bankers Association stressed that despite an unprecedented national homeownership rate of 69%, "Affordable housing in quality communities is becoming more and more difficult to find." The poll was part of a nationwide affordable housing awareness campaign, entitled "Housing America 2007," spearheaded by the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials.