HUD launched on September 20 “House America,” a national initiative to address the nation’s homelessness crisis. The initiative encourages state, local, and tribal leaders to pledge to reduce homelessness in exchange for federal resources and support to increase the supply of deeply affordable housing and to permanently house people experiencing homelessness.
HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge, along with Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough and Special Advisor to the President Gene Sperling, provided opening remarks at a launch event. “[House America] is an all-hands-on-deck effort to address our nation’s homelessness crisis,” said Secretary Fudge. “House America brings together leaders from across the federal government, and from communities in every corner of our country, to forge a historic new partnership.”
The initiative encourages state, local, and tribal governments to use the significant resources provided in the American Rescue Plan Act – including 70,000 housing vouchers, $5 billion for the construction of affordable housing, and $350 billion in state and local relief funds – to transition at least 100,000 people experiencing homelessness into permanent housing and to construct at least 20,000 deeply affordable housing units.
So far 25 state, local, and tribal leaders have joined “House America,” including Governor Gavin Newsom of California, Governor Janet Mills of Maine, Mayor Libby Schaff of Oakland, CA, and Mayor John Giles of Mesa, AZ.
Learn more about the initiative at: hud.gov/house_america