The multi-sector Steering Committee of the Opportunity Starts at Home campaign sent a letter on May 16 to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy urging them to include at least $5 billion for the national Housing Trust Fund (HTF) and at least $15 billion for public housing capital repairs in any potential infrastructure funding package.
The campaign’s Steering Committee consists of leading national organizations from an array of sectors – education, health, anti-poverty, civil rights, anti-hunger, child welfare, faith, anti-homelessness, social work, municipal governance, criminal justice, and more. It is a landmark development that these organizations, each with its own concerns and perspectives, are joining forces to advocate for greater affordable housing investments through emerging legislative opportunities like the infrastructure package.
Policymakers from both sides of the aisle agree that a significant investment in infrastructure should be a top priority. To maximize impact, a broad infrastructure package should contain resources to construct and preserve affordable housing for people with the lowest incomes. Investing in affordable housing infrastructure will not only help vulnerable people better afford a place to live, but will also address substandard housing conditions, reduce other public costs, create job opportunities, promote economic mobility, and stimulate economic growth.
Read the letter here.
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