[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 151 (Friday, August 28, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E797-E798]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    HONORING THE DEVELOPMENT OF GARDNER HOUSE FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. ADAM SMITH

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, August 28, 2020

  Mr. SMITH of Washington. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Mercy 
Housing Northwest's Gardner House in Seattle, Washington for receiving 
the 2020 Charles L. Edson Tax Credit Excellence Award from the 
Affordable Housing Tax Credit Coalition. The Charles L. Edson Tax 
Credit Award recognizes excellence in the affordable housing industry 
and projects that have demonstrated the most impactful use of the Low-
Income Housing Tax Credit.
  The Gardner House provides 95 new affordable homes and quality 
services for families, formerly homeless individuals, and people with 
disabilities in the Mount Baker neighborhood. It was developed with the 
use of the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, which is an enormously 
important tool to increase the development of affordable housing for 
families in Washington state and across the country.
  The COVID-19 pandemic continues to threaten our economy, jobs, and 
our constituents' ability to afford rent. Projects such as the Gardner 
House help to ease the burden of rent and provide critical services 
when it is needed most. It provides resources for residents and people 
in the community at risk for homelessness and much-needed family-sized 
housing and services near transit and schools. This includes 
educational services for children, out-of-school activities, and 
community development. In addition, two units are designed to be 
licensed in-home childcare units to provide affordable, convenient 
childcare for residents.
  The Gardner House is a great example of the use of public and private 
funding to benefit the community and increase the desperately needed 
supply of affordable housing. I applaud Mercy Housing Northwest, the 
Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, U.S. Bancorp Community Development 
Corporation, the City of Seattle, and everyone that made the 
development of Gardner House in Seattle possible and congratulate them 
on this much-deserved award.

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