The House Financial Services Committee voted 30 to 22 on September 14 to invest $327 billion in affordable housing, including significant funding for the HoUSed campaign’s top priorities: $90 billion for rental assistance, $80 billion to preserve public housing, and $37 billion for the national Housing Trust Fund to build and preserve homes affordable to people with the lowest incomes.
The vote brings Congress one step closer to enacting President Biden’s $3.5 trillion infrastructure and economic recovery package. Negotiations over the package between the White House and congressional leaders continued last week, with President Biden meeting with Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), two centrist Democrats who have expressed opposition to the cost of the spending bill. The even split between Democrats and Republicans in the Senate means every Democrat in the chamber must vote in favor of the reconciliation package to see the bill enacted.
The president also met with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to lay out a potential timeline for a vote on the spending bill, the bipartisan infrastructure package, and a continuing resolution (CR) to keep the federal government funded beyond September 30, when the federal fiscal year ends. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) is reportedly holding a vote to raise the debt ceiling and enact a CR the week of September 20, which would provide level funding to federal government programs through December 3.
The House will then turn its attention to the $550 billion bipartisan infrastructure package the week of September 27, and plan to take up the reconciliation bill before the end of the month. Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) reportedly threatened to block the bipartisan infrastructure bill until the reconciliation package has passed both the House and the Senate, throwing the timeline into question.
Advocates should continue contacting their senators and representatives and urge them to prioritize the highest level of funding possible for rental assistance, public housing, and the Housing Trust Fund.
Take Action TODAY!
- Contact your senators and representatives and urge them to include full funding for the HoUSed campaign’s priorities in the infrastructure and economic recovery package. Educate your members of Congress on why investments in rental assistance, public housing, and the Housing Trust Fund are critical to your community.
- Join more than 1,400 organizations nationwide in signing the HoUSed campaign letter. This letter is one of the most effective ways to show congressional leaders the broad support for the HoUSed campaign’s priorities for the infrastructure/economic recovery bill. Sign on to the letter here.
Thank you for your advocacy!