Senators Warren (D-MA) & Warnock (D-GA) and Representative Cleaver (D-MO) Introduce American Housing and Economic Mobility Act

Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), ranking member of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, together with Senator Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Representative Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO), reintroduced the “American Housing and Economic Mobility Act” to tackle the affordable housing crisis facing millions of Americans across rural, suburban, and urban areas. If enacted, the bill would leverage federal funding to build nearly 3 million new housing units, invest billions in the Housing Trust Fund and Capital Magnet Fund to support low-income and middle-class families, and strengthen anti-discrimination laws. The bill is introduced with strong support – eight cosponsors in the Senate and 23 cosponsors in the House. NLIHC endorsed the bill.  

Additionally, the legislation seeks to rectify historical inequities by extending VA-guaranteed loans to descendants of Black veterans excluded from GI Bill benefits and creating programs to assist economically distressed communities. The bill also promotes land use reform by incentivizing local governments to eliminate unnecessary restrictions that drive up construction costs and limit affordable housing development. By limiting the role of private equity in distressed housing and expanding obligations under the “Community Reinvestment Act” (CRA), the bill would hold financial institutions accountable for providing credit to underserved communities. With substantial investments in public housing, Native American housing, rural housing programs, and accessibility, the legislation represents a comprehensive response to the nation’s housing affordability and economic mobility challenges. 

“The ‘American Housing and Economic Mobility Act’ has the power to transform lives and communities,” said NLIHC Interim President and CEO Renee Willis. “By significantly expanding investments in proven solutions, like the national Housing Trust Fund and Public Housing, this legislation provides resources at the scale necessary to help those most harmed by America’s housing crisis. I applaud Senator Warren, Senator Warnock, and Representative Cleaver for their leadership in advancing bold solutions to address an underlying cause of America’s housing crisis: the severe shortage of rental homes affordable to our nation’s lowest-income and most marginalized households.” 

Find a list of organizational endorsers in the press release.  

Read the Senate bill and see if your Senator has cosponsored the bill here.  

Read the House bill and see if your Representative has cosponsored the bill here.