The United State’s Housing Finance Agencies (HFAs) created the National Council of State Housing Agencies (NCSHA) as a nonprofit organization

Non-profit organization

Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...

 more than 30 years ago to coordinate and leverage their federal advocacy efforts for affordable housing

Affordable housing

Affordable housing is a term used to describe dwelling units whose total housing costs are deemed "affordable" to those that have a median income. Although the term is often applied to rental housing that is within the financial means of those in the lower income ranges of a geographical area, the...

. NCSHA is the principal advocate in Washington for both MRBs

Mortgage revenue bond loan

A Mortgage Revenue Bond Loan or bond loan is a type of mortgage loan where the cost of borrowing is partially subsidized by a mortgage revenue bond. Although details differ between programs, mortgage revenue bond loan programs are in general designed to lower the cost of homeownership for low to...

 and the Housing Credit and the principal state advocate for HOME

HOME Investment Partnerships Program

The HOME Investment Partnerships Program is a type of United States Federal assistance provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to States in order to provide decent and affordable housing, particularly housing for low- and very low-income Americans...

.

NCSHA’s members are the HFAs of every state, the agencies that allocate the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit

Low-Income Housing Tax Credit

The Low Income Housing Tax Credit is a dollar-for-dollar tax credit in the United States for affordable housing investments. It was created under the Tax Reform Act of 1986 that gives incentives for the utilization of private equity in the development of affordable housing aimed at low-income...

 (Housing Credit) in the two states where an HFA does not, and approximately 350 profit and nonprofit firms in the affordable housing field.

NCSHA represents its members in Washington before Congress, the Administration, and several federal agencies concerned with housing, including HUD

United States Department of Housing and Urban Development

The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, also known as HUD, is a Cabinet department in the Executive branch of the United States federal government...

 and the Treasury, and with other advocates for affordable housing.

At the center of HFA activity within the states and NCSHA’s work in Washington are three federally authorized programs: the Mortgage Revenue Bond

Mortgage revenue bond loan

A Mortgage Revenue Bond Loan or bond loan is a type of mortgage loan where the cost of borrowing is partially subsidized by a mortgage revenue bond. Although details differ between programs, mortgage revenue bond loan programs are in general designed to lower the cost of homeownership for low to...

 (MRB); the Housing Credit

Low-Income Housing Tax Credit

The Low Income Housing Tax Credit is a dollar-for-dollar tax credit in the United States for affordable housing investments. It was created under the Tax Reform Act of 1986 that gives incentives for the utilization of private equity in the development of affordable housing aimed at low-income...

; and the HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) program.

NCSHA is the principal advocate in Washington for both MRBs and the Housing Credit and the principal state advocate for HOME.