Name __________________________
Address__________________________
City and State__________________________
E-mail__________________________

<<Date>>
Alderman address

Dear <<Alderman>,

My name is ________________.  I am a <<participant group>>. Chicago Coalition for the Homeless spoke with group of us today.

Between 1995 and 2007, only 4% of Tax Increment Financing (TIF) funds were targeted for the development of affordable housing.  Sweet Home Chicago Ordinance proposes that the city use 20% of the TIF funds collected each year for affordable housing.   If this was in effect in 2008, $110 million would have gone towards affordable housing.

We need to make sure that people in our neighborhoods, such as childcare providers, janitors, etc can afford to stay in Chicago.  Building affordable housing with TIF funds can provide economic stimulus in our neighborhoods at a time when no other development is taking place.  It creates jobs and can also help to address the foreclosure crisis by rehabbing foreclosed properties.  TIF funds are our tax dollars and we should be seeing the benefits when they are spent.

I urge you to support the Sweet Home Chicago Ordinance because
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Respectfully,

Signature___________________________________