Abstract
The diminishing role of the federal government in the development of low-income housing has had severe implications for lowincome citizens. As the quotations above indicate, opinions about how large that role should be vary greatly. While the debate continues, however, homeless people are evident on the street corners of cities and towns throughout the United States. In Connecticut, approximately 20,000 people stayed in shelters or temporary housing in 1986.3 Nationally, between 250,000 and 350,000 people are homeless on a given night.4 While homelessness has many causes,5 it cannot be eliminated without the creation of affordable housing. According to the federal