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Press Release: Kinder calls for MHDC to release funds low-income housing credit projects

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo – Missouri Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder today called for a special meeting next week of the Missouri Housing Development Commission to release funding for low-income housing projects approved by the commission.

At the MHDC’s Dec. 6 meeting, Kinder was the only commissioner to oppose a motion to delay final approval of $13.7 million worth of low-income housing tax credit requests. The motion was part of a deal Governor Jay Nixon said he made with a handful of state senators, supposedly to ensure passage of the recent bipartisan bill to try to lure Boeing to St. Louis for production of its next generation 777X airliner. Boeing decided to keep the airliner production in Washington state.

“The news from Boeing shows that the unprecedented back room deal the governor made was unwise and ineffective,” Kinder said. “There was never any reason to tie the Boeing incentives bill to these MHDC projects, which are crucial to low-income families and seniors in Missouri. Now that Boeing has made its decision, the MHDC should meet as soon as possible to release the funds for these needed projects.”

Sen. Jamilah Nasheed, D-St. Louis, chairwoman of Missouri’s Legislative Black Caucus, joined with Kinder last month in a bipartisan call to release the MHDC money for the low-income housing projects. She supports the special meeting.

“The funds should be released,” Sen. Nasheed said.

Kinder asked that the Missouri Housing Development Commission meet via teleconference early next week.

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