Bill Introduced in the Senate to Address Public Housing Capital Needs Backlog

Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), along with Senators Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Patty Murray (D-WA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Tina Smith (D-MN), introduced on March 4 the “Public Housing Emergency Response Act.” A companion to Representative Nydia Velazquez’s (D-NY) bill introduced on January 6, the bill would provide a one-time infusion of $70 billion to HUD’s Public Housing Capital Fund to fully address the public housing capital needs backlog.

"One clear lesson from 2020 is that housing is healthcare. Ensuring that public housing is safe, decent, and affordable for all current and future residents should be a top priority for Congress and the nation," stated NLIHC President and CEO Diane Yentel in Senator Warren’s press release for the bill. "For decades, Congress has turned its back from its obligations to public housing residents, forcing seniors, people with disabilities and families with young children to live in some public housing homes that are in severe disrepair – with mold, no heat or running water, or leaky ceilings and toilets. Senator Warren's bill to invest $70 billion in needed repairs would right this wrong. NLIHC looks forward to working with her and other members of Congress to get this bill enacted."

Read Senator Warren’s press release for the bill at: https://tinyurl.com/3juwn8n8

Learn more about the “Public Housing Emergency Response Act” at: https://tinyurl.com/25wcw6st