Senators Todd Young (R-IN), Angus King (I-ME), and Maria Cantwell (D-WA), along with 13 bipartisan senators, reintroduced the Task Force on the Impact of the Affordable Housing Crisis Act (S. 1772) on June 11. The bill would create a bipartisan affordable housing task force to better understand and respond to America’s housing affordability crisis.
This bipartisan task force would:
- Evaluate and quantify the impact the lack of affordable housing has on other sectors, including education, health, nutrition, transportation, and more.
- Evaluate and quantify the costs incurred by other federal, state, and local programs due to the lack of affordable housing; and
- Make recommendations to Congress on how to use affordable housing to improve the effectiveness of other federal programs and improve life outcomes.
The establishment of a congressional task force to study the country’s housing affordability challenges in a bipartisan way and to articulate robust solutions would be an important step in addressing the nation’s affordable housing crisis. In preparation for the bill’s reintroduction, the Opportunity Starts at Home multisector affordable homes campaign has been working to secure support for the legislation from its multi-sector partners. To see Senator Young’s full list of supporters, click here.
In 2018, Opportunity Starts at Home advocates sent 452 letters to Congress urging support for this legislation. Help us again spread the word and encourage your networks to send a letter of support to your elected officials.
“I’ve seen firsthand in Indiana how a lack of affordable housing has negative and lasting consequences,” said Senator Young. “The inability to access safe and affordable homes leaves Hoosier families with fewer dollars to spend on important expenses like health care and groceries. As part of my Fair Shot Agenda, I’ve made solving this crisis a top priority. Our bipartisan bill would assemble a group of experts to better understand the housing affordability crisis so that we can take legislative action and end the cycle of poverty for millions of struggling Americans.”
“Affordable housing isn’t just about keeping a roof over your head – it’s about making sure you have a solid foundation for every other aspect of your life,” said Senator King. “Housing uncertainty amplifies other challenges, making it harder to pursue an education, take care of your health, or seek out new economic opportunities. This isn’t a Democrat or Republican problem, nor is it an urban problem or a rural problem. It affects everyone, and requires a strong, coordinated, and bipartisan effort to seek out solutions. This task force will do just that, and find new ways for us to improve quality of life for Americans of all backgrounds.”
“The affordable housing crisis impacts every state and every community, both urban and rural alike,” said Senator Cantwell. “As I've traveled across the state of Washington, I've seen some of the most hard-hit areas for affordable housing and met the people it has affected, from returning veterans and aging seniors to young people unable to find an affordable home near their workplace. We need to act. I know that we can work in a bipartisan basis to both stimulate our economy and solve the affordable housing crisis.”
Other cosponsors of the bill include Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Doug Jones (D-AL), Cory Gardner (R-CO), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Chris Coons (D-DE), John Kennedy (R-LA), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Jon Tester (D-MT).
Be sure to follow the Opportunity Starts at Home campaign on all social media platforms: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Please also sign up for our e-newsletter to get the latest updates about the campaign, including new multi-sector partners, calls to action, events, and research.