National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) President and CEO Diane Yentel authored an op-ed in CityLab on March 14 calling attention to NLIHC’s newest research on the nation’s lack of affordable homes for those most in need, some soon-to-be-revealed national polling on how much Americans care about the issue, and bold new policy solutions.
NLIHC’s latest research shows there is a shortage of 7 million homes affordable and available to the lowest-income renter households nationwide and there are fewer than four affordable and available rental homes for every 10 of the poorest families. No state has an adequate supply of homes affordable and available to its lowest-income renters; as a result, 11 million renter households are severely housing cost-burdened, paying more than half of their limited incomes on rent.
But there is hope, Diane says in her op-ed. She cites the new NLIHC-led Opportunity Starts at Home multi-sector campaign which has grown to nearly 100 leading national organizations from education, health, mental health, anti-hunger, anti-poverty, faith-based, social work, civil rights, criminal justice and city government – all calling out for new federal investments in affordable homes. She cites a forthcoming public opinion poll that shows more than 8 in 10 Americans believe that ensuring everyone has a safe, decent, affordable place to live should be a “top national priority” and that Congress should “take major action” to make housing more affordable for low-income people, among other findings. And she cites that a number of congressional leaders—some of whom are running for president in 2020—are responding by introducing bold policy solutions.
“We can end homelessness and housing poverty: We have the data, the solutions, the public support and, as a country, the resources.” Diane writes. “A major federal reinvestment in solutions to make homes affordable for the lowest-income people is long overdue. We lack only the political will to fund the solutions at the scale necessary. It is time to act.”
Read Diane Yentel’s full CityLab op-ed at: https://bit.ly/2FlPOxW