The Opportunity Starts at Home (OSAH) campaign released an issue brief detailing the potential impacts on affordable housing of budget cuts that could be enacted as part of negotiations regarding the raising of the debt ceiling. The first section of the brief provides context, giving a brief history of the idea of a debt ceiling, the function of the ceiling, and how the ceiling is used for political leverage. The section also addresses the “Budget Control Act of 2011” (BCA), which was enacted during the last standoff regarding the debt ceiling. The second section of the brief focuses on the impact of the BCA, which led among other things to significant cuts to HUD’s budget. The third section looks to the future, urging members of Congress to reject any proposal that would impose caps on domestic spending, cut housing assistance, or raise harmful barriers to housing assistance access. Read the issue brief here.