FYI: More than half of 800 people surveyed nationally by the National Low Income Housing Coalition said they or someone they knew had trouble meeting monthly housing costs last year. That familiarity with housing finance trouble held for all income groups except those making over $80,000 year, in which 45 percent said they or someone in their lives couldn’t pay rent, mortgage or utilities last year. NLIHC conducted the poll as a lobbying tool–it’s a survey of “likely voters”–to wit: 57 percent of respondents said securing access to affordable housing is a more important goal for Congress than cutting taxes. [7/1/03]