The National Housing Trust Fund: A Christian Ethical Defense

Abstract

This paper argues that the National Housing Trust Fund (NHTF) effectively addresses the rental housing shortage for extremely low income (ELI) households and moreover, is compatible with Evangelical Christian moral arguments. The rental housing shortage is particularly severe for households with incomes at or below 30% of their area median income, and constitutes an issue that private and faith-based charities cannot address alone. The National Housing Trust Fund, which dedicates 75% of its funds to increasing and preserving the supply of rental housing for ELI households, is compatible with Evangelical Christian conceptions of justice—both the mishpat of the Hebrew Scriptures and the dikaiosune of the Greek Scriptures—and the place of the church in modern society.