Exhibit (a)

                     Fox Strategic Housing Income Partners

                                                              August 28, 1997


Dear Limited Partner:

                  Enclosed is the Schedule 14D-9 which was filed by Fox
Strategic Housing Income Partners (the "Partnership") with the Securities and
Exchange Commission in connection with an offer (the "Offer") by IPLP
Acquisition I LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the "Purchaser"),
Insignia Properties, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership ("IPLP"), Insignia
Properties Trust, a Maryland real estate investment trust ("IPT"), and
Insignia Financial Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation ("Insignia," and
together with IPLP, IPT and the Purchaser, the "Bidders"), to purchase limited
partnership units ("Units") of the Partnership.

                  The Partnership's sole general partner (the "General
Partner") is Fox Partners VIII, a California general partnership and an
affiliate of the Bidders. Due to the affiliation between the General Partner
of the Partnership and the Bidders, the General Partner is subject to certain
conflicts of interest in connection with the response to the Offer.

                  AS A RESULT OF THE EXISTING AND POTENTIAL CONFLICTS OF
INTEREST, NEITHER THE PARTNERSHIP NOR THE GENERAL PARTNER EXPRESSES ANY
OPINION AS TO THE OFFER AND EACH IS REMAINING NEUTRAL AND MAKING NO
RECOMMENDATION AS TO WHETHER UNIT HOLDERS SHOULD TENDER THEIR UNITS IN
RESPONSE TO THE OFFER.

                  Limited partners are advised to carefully read the enclosed
Schedule 14D-9.


                                         Fox Strategic Housing Income Partners