Senator Padilla Announces Legislation to Address Affordable Housing and Homelessness Crisis

Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) introduced the “Housing For All Act of 2022” on February 25. The bill would address the severe shortage of 6.8 million affordable homes for renters with the lowest incomes by investing in proven solutions to housing instability among the lowest-income households, including the national Housing Trust Fund, supportive housing programs for the elderly and people with disabilities, Housing Choice Vouchers, Project-Based Rental Assistance, the Eviction Protection Grant Program, and other measures.

“Every person has a right to the dignity and security of housing,” said Senator Padilla during a press conference announcing the bill. “This legislation is an opportunity to invest and align resources in expanding affordable housing and strengthening proven solutions. Affordable housing is essential infrastructure, and that’s why I am proud to introduce the Housing for All Act of 2022 to ensure that every person has a place to call home.”

“The pandemic has magnified and accelerated the country’s affordable housing crisis, a central cause of housing instability, eviction, and homelessness,” said NLIHC President and CEO Diane Yentel in a press release addressing the bill. “More than ever, bold policies are needed to significantly expand federal investments in affordable, accessible housing for the nation’s lowest-income households. I applaud Senator Padilla’s Housing for All Act, which provides the robust investments in deeply affordable, accessible housing, housing vouchers, and homelessness response services needed to end homelessness and housing poverty once and for all.”

The bill has been endorsed by organizations and stakeholders including NLIHC, the National Alliance to End Homelessness, California Governor Gavin Newsom, California Housing Partnership (an NLIHC state partner), the California Big City Mayors coalition, the California State Association of Counties, Matt Desmond of Princeton University’s Eviction Lab, LeadingAge, and the American Library Association.

View a recording of Senator Padilla’s conversation with Diane during NLIHC’s March 1 National HoUSed Campaign call here.

Read Senator Padilla’s press release here.

Read the Housing for All Act of 2022 one-pager here, as well as a section-by-section breakdown of the legislation here.