Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder has written letters to Attorney General Chris Koster and Treasurer Clint Zweifel calling for a special meeting of the Missouri Housing Development Commission to release funding for low-income housing projects approved by the commission.
Kinder says that at the commission’s Dec. 6 meeting, he was the only commissioner to oppose a motion to delay approval of $13.7 million worth of low-income housing tax credit requests. Kinder says the motion was part of a deal Gov. Jay Nixon made with a handful of state senators to ensure passage of a recent bill to try to lure Boeing to St. Louis County for production of its next generation 777X airliner. Boeing has since decided to keep the airline production in Washington state, which Kinder says prompted him to call for a special meeting of the commission to release the funds.
He says since Boeing decided to keep production in Washington, funding for the 99 development projects for low-income housing should be released.
“MHDC’s swift funding approval will ensure these projects are commenced, loan commitments are fulfilled, our laborers and contractors are working, and ultimately our poorest citizens find decent, affordable housing,” the letter said. “I am calling on MHDC to hold a special meeting at once to approve funding for the 99 delayed projects before they are stalled any longer. I ask that you join me in that call.”
