From the National Low Income Housing Coalition (http://www.nlihc.org):
The White House announced today that it has reached an agreement with key senators on an infrastructure package that could pass with bipartisan support. The bipartisan deal does not include any investments to make housing affordable to America’s lowest-income and most marginalized households, despite calls for these investments by President Biden, HUD Secretary Fudge, and key members of Congress. Democratic congressional leaders insist that any bipartisan deal must be paired with a larger economic recovery package that would include housing investments.
Call your senators and representatives TODAY and demand that any bipartisan infrastructure package be paired with a larger economic recovery package that includes the HoUSed campaign’s top housing priorities: an expansion of rental assistance for every eligible household; $70 billion to repair public housing; and at least $45 billion for the national Housing Trust Fund to build and preserve homes affordable to people with the lowest incomes. Find contact information:
- Senator Robert Casey: http://casey.senate.gov
- Senator Pat Toomey: http://toomey.senate.gov
- Your Representative: http://www.house.gov
Background
The infrastructure deal agreed to by the White House and a bipartisan group of senators does not include the major investments in affordable housing needed for the millions of households with the lowest incomes who struggle to pay rent and make ends meet. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi stated that the bipartisan deal will only advance in the House of Representatives if it is accompanied with a larger economic recovery package. Moderate Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) affirmed that both bills need to advance at the same time. Democrats plan to use a “budget reconciliation” process to enact the economic recovery bill, a process that requires the approval of all 50 Democratic senators.
If the HoUSed campaign’s top priorities are not included in the bipartisan infrastructure package, Congress must pass these investments in a separate economic recovery bill with the remaining pieces of President Biden’s “American Jobs Plan.” President Biden’s proposal calls for $318 billion in housing investments, including two of the HoUSed campaign’s top three priorities: significant resources for public housing and the national Housing Trust Fund. The opportunity to enact robust housing investments may be lost if congressional leaders do not tie the passage of the bipartisan infrastructure bill with a much larger economic and housing recovery package.
Take Action
Advocates should contact their representatives and senators and urge them to include in any economic recovery package the HoUSed campaign’s top priorities: an expansion of rental assistance for every eligible household; $70 billion to repair public housing; and at least $40 billion for the national Housing Trust Fund to build and preserve homes affordable to people with the lowest incomes.
Call your senators and representatives today to demand that any bipartisan infrastructure bill is paired with a larger economic recovery package that includes the HoUSed campaign’s top priorities! You can find your members of Congress here.
Join nearly 1,000 organizations supporting these priorities by signing onto the national letter calling for the national HoUSed campaign’s solutions needed to end homelessness and housing poverty once and for all.
Thank you for your advocacy on the #HoUSed Campaign!
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