NLIHC endorsed two proposals acknowledging the fundamental necessity of affordable, stable housing. The first, the “Inalienable Rights Constitutional Amendment,” was introduced on January 28 by Representatives Alma Adams (D-NC), Janice Schakowsky (D-IL), and Ilhan Omar (D-MN) as a joint resolution proposing to amend the Constitution to recognize peoples’ fundamental right to life, liberty, and property, including housing, health care, education, and nutrition.
Second, Senators Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and Susan Collins (R-ME), with Representatives Tom Malinowski (D-NJ) and Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL), introduced on February 24 the “National Coronavirus Commission Act of 2021.” If enacted, the bill would create an independent, non-partisan commission charged with investigating the economic response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including the impact of rental and mortgage assistance, eviction moratoriums, and foreclosure relief. The commission would also consider the disproportionate impact of the economic crisis on underserved communities, rural populations, communities of color, older adults, people with disabilities, and other populations who have experienced health or economic disparities related to the pandemic.