NLIHC Participates in Center for American Progress Summit on Housing Solutions
Jan 20, 2026
By Kim Johnson, NLIHC Senior Director of Policy
The National Low Income Housing Coalition joined the Center for American Progress’ (CAP’s) Summit on Housing Solutions on January 15. The Summit featured opening remarks from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), who unveiled Senate Democrats’ housing affordability agenda, “Opportunity Starts at Home.” The agenda outlines proposals to help spur affordable housing construction and bring down the cost of rent, including expanding rental assistance, investing in the national Housing Trust Fund, and preserving public housing. The agenda also highlights eviction prevention and protections, upholding tenants’ rights to organize, and cracking down on unfair practices that lock people out of housing, like algorithmic price setting and institutional investors buying up available homes.
Senators Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) also joined a panel moderated by CAP President and CEO, Neera Tanden. The senators discussed ways in which the federal government can help incentivize communities to reform local zoning laws to allow for the construction of more affordable homes, including multifamily housing, prefabricated and modular housing, accessory dwelling units (ADUs), and mobile homes.
The final panel featured insights from housing experts, including NLIHC Senior Vice President of Policy David Gonzalez Rice; Sean McGarvey, president of North America’s Building Trades Unions; Jim Parrot, nonresident fellow at the Urban Institute, Bharat Ramamurti, former deputy director of the White House National Economic Council, and Jared Bernstein, senior fellow at CAP, who served as the panel’s moderator. NLIHC’s comments focused on the importance of federal investments in programs that serve families with the lowest incomes, including the national Housing Trust Fund and rental assistance. In addition, David emphasized the role HUD plays in implementing and enforcing Fair Housing Act protections, and the necessity of ensuring the federal government can continue this vital work.
Learn more about the CAP event here.