Statement from Diane Yentel, President and CEO of the National Low Income Housing Coalition, on President Trump’s Nomination of Pam Patenaude to Be HUD Deputy Secretary

WASHINGTON, D.C.- The National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) congratulates Pam Patenaude on her nomination as deputy secretary of HUD.  Ms. Patenaude is a strong leader with decades of experience cultivating bipartisan solutions to America’s affordable rental housing crisis. She has deep knowledge of, experience with and appreciation for the critical programs she will oversee.

An affordable place to call home transforms lives, giving people the stability they need to achieve economic mobility, improve their health, and allow children to do better in school. Investments in affordable homes create jobs and strengthen communities. Ms. Patenaude has worked throughout her career to advance solutions based on this fundamental understanding.

Ms. Patenaude’s nomination as deputy secretary of HUD comes at a critical time. NLIHC’s recently released report, The Gap: A Shortage of Affordable Homes, shows that the U.S. has a shortage of 7.4 million affordable rental homes available to the lowest income people. Every state and congressional district is directly impacted by the growing housing affordability crisis. Because of chronic underfunding of rental housing assistance programs, just one in four of the poorest people in America get the housing assistance they need.

NLIHC urges the Senate to confirm Ms. Patenaude. We look forward to working with her to preserve, improve and expand the critical programs necessary to end homelessness and housing poverty for the millions of families who struggle to pay their rent each month.                                                                

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Established in 1974 by Cushing N. Dolbeare, the National Low Income Housing Coalition is dedicated solely to achieving socially just public policy that assures people with the lowest incomes in the United States have affordable and decent homes.