Take Action to Advance Renter Protections before July 31!

July 25, 2023

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) is requesting input through July 31 on how the agency can create and enforce renter protections for the 12 million renters living in rental properties with federally backed mortgages. FHFA’s request for input (RFI) represents a key opportunity to advance a major priority in the HoUSed campaign’s policy agenda this year: strengthening federal renter protections to address the power imbalance between landlords and renters. NLIHC and our partner organizations are calling for robust responses to FHFA’s RFI from directly impacted people and tenant advocates.
Four actions to take before the July 31 deadline:

1. Add your organization to NLIHC’s letter calling on FHFA to create strong federal renter protections.
2. Submit a public comment to FHFA using NLIHC’s sample comment letter.
3. Join NLIHC’s working group on renter protections on July 26 at 4 pm ET to help strengthen NLIHC’s comment letter.
4. Share this opportunity with your networks!

Background

FHFA’s RFI comes as a result of the Biden-Harris administration’s Blueprint for a Renters Bill of Rights, which was released in January after a months-long effort to gather input from stakeholders. In meetings with senior White House officials, NLIHC President and CEO Diane Yentel and NLIHC’s Tenant Leader Cohort urged the administration to take decisive action, including to establish renter protections for households living in properties with federally backed mortgages.

NLIHC’s top four priorities for federal renter protections include:

1. Source-of-income protections to prohibit landlords from discriminating against households receiving housing assistance and to give families greater choice about where to live.
2. “Just cause” eviction standards and the right to renew leases to help protect renters from housing instability.
3. Anti-rent gouging protections to stop landlords from dramatically raising rents.
4. Requirements to ensure housing is safe, decent, accessible, and healthy for renters and their families.

• NLIHC urges FHFA to ensure these efforts are informed by people with lived experience throughout the process, advance racial and social equity, include strong enforcement, and are mandatory for all landlords and all properties. Learn more here.

House Republicans Propose Cuts of More Than 25% to HUD Programs – Take Action on June 16 with NLIHC and CHCDF! 

June 15, 2023

Republican appropriators in the U.S. House of Representatives released yesterday topline allocations for fiscal year (FY) 2024 spending bills. The House is proposing to cut more than $22.12 billion from the Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development (THUD) bill, which funds crucial HUD rental assistance, homelessness assistance, and community development programs – a cut of more than 25% from FY23-enacted levels. 
 
Take action tomorrow, June 16, with NLIHC and the Campaign for Housing and Community Development Funding (CHCDF) to tell Congress that cuts to affordable housing and homelessness programs are unacceptable! NLIHC and our partners at CHCDF are hosting a national Day of Action on June 16 during which advocates around the country can contact their members of Congress and demand they protect – not cut – federal funding for HUD’s and USDA’s affordable housing and homelessness programs. 
 
Use this CHCDF call-in script to help create your message to Congress, and urge your representatives to reject calls for steep program cuts and instead provide significant funding for HUD programs, including NLIHC’s top priorities: 

• Implementing full funding for the Tenant-Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) program to renew all existing contracts.
• Providing full funding for public housing operations and repairs.
• Fully funding homelessness assistance grants.
• Providing $100 million for legal assistance to prevent evictions.
• Funding a permanent Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) program.
• Maintaining funding for competitive tribal housing grants for tribes with the greatest needs.

You can also use these other NLIHC resources to call, email, and tweet your members of Congress: 

• Federal, state, tribal, and local organizations can join over 2,000 other organizations on CHCDF’s annual 302(b) letter, calling on Congress to provide the highest possible funding for HUD’s and USDA’s affordable housing, homelessness, and community development programs.
• Use NLIHC’s Legislative Action Center to send a personalized email to your members of Congress highlighting NLIHC’s priorities in the FY24 budget.
• Check out NLIHC’s advocacy toolkit, “Oppose Dramatic Cuts to Federal Investments in Affordable Housing,” for talking points, sample social media messages, and more. 

Background

Just days after Congress passed and the President signed into law an agreement to raise the federal debt ceiling in exchange for holding FY24 spending at FY23 levels and capping growth for domestic spending in FY25 at a mere 1%, Republicans have announced they will mark up FY24 spending bills to FY22 allocations. 
 
Caving to the demands of far-right House Freedom Caucus members, Republican leaders in the House – including House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and House Appropriations Chair Kay Granger (R-TX) – agreed to mark up FY24 spending bills to FY22 levels, imposing significantly deeper cuts to domestic programs than the already austere caps in the debt ceiling agreement. This proposal will lead to increased poverty and hardship, especially for people with the lowest incomes. 
 
House Republicans pushed for cuts to FY22 funding in their “Limit, Save, and Grow Act,” which passed the House along party lines on April 26. According to HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge, such cuts would “represent the most devastating impacts in HUD’s history” and “make it impossible to stave off mass evictions.” Nearly 1 million households could lose HUD rental assistance, and nearly 120,000 fewer people experiencing homelessness would be served. USDA also released a statement stating that up to 63,000 rural households would lose rental assistance if spending in FY24 were capped at FY22 funding levels. 
 
This proposal comes at a time when poverty, housing instability, and homelessness are increasing across the nation, as families continue to navigate the economic fallout of the pandemic and pandemic-era assistance runs dry. According to NLIHC’s research report The Gap, there is a national shortage of over 7.3 million rental homes affordable and available to people with the lowest incomes. Recent data from NLIHC’s report Out of Reach show that workers must earn at least $28.58 per hour – almost four times the federal minimum wage – to afford a two-bedroom rental home at fair market rent without spending more than 30% of their income on rent.
 
It is crucial that Congress not enact policies that increase poverty and hardship, especially for people with the lowest incomes. Members of Congress must look beyond dollar amounts and grasp the human cost of cutting and capping federal spending for affordable housing and homelessness programs. Such steep budget cuts would make it much harder for people experiencing homelessness to find stable homes and put nearly 1 million of the lowest-income renters at risk of eviction and homelessness by cutting their housing assistance. Housing provides the foundation for stability in all other aspects of life. Many households, if they were to lose HUD assistance, would struggle to put food on the table, stay healthy, and access employment and educational opportunities.
 
Please reach out to the NLIHC Field Team at [email protected] with questions. Thank you for your advocacy!

Join NLIHC’s Renter Protections Working Group to Advocate for Robust Federal Renter Protections!

June 6, 2023

NLIHC’s national HoUSed campaign – and its nearly 2,000 member organizations – have a key opportunity this year to advance a major priority in the campaign’s policy agenda: strengthening federal renter protections to address the power imbalance between landlords and renters!

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) issued on May 30 a Request for Input (RFI) on how the agency can create and enforce renter protections for households living in rental properties with federally backed mortgages. NLIHC will draft a comment letter in response to the RFI and invites advocates to join a weekly Renter Protections Working Group call that will be held Wednesdays at 4 pm ET, beginning this Wednesday, June 7. Register for the weekly meeting here.

Because more than 12 million renters live in properties with federally backed mortgages, any renter protections created by FHFA could cover a significant share of renters across the nation and put the country on a path towards stronger protections for all renters. Landlords and business interests will come out in full force to try to stop FHFA from protecting renters, so it is critical that advocates take action and make their voices heard. Advocates have until July 31, 2023, to weigh in with FHFA to demand strong renter protections by submitting a public comment and by signing on to the national support letter!

Background

Strengthening and enforcing renter protections is a key pillar of NLIHC’s national HoUSed campaign to advance the anti-racist policies and achieve the large-scale, sustained investments necessary to ensure renters with the lowest incomes have an affordable place to call home. Federal renter protections are needed to address the power imbalance between renters and landlords that puts renters at greater risk of housing instability, harassment, and homelessness and fuels racial inequity.

FHFA agreed to consider renter protections as part of the Biden-Harris administration’s Blueprint for a Renters Bill of Rights, which was released in January 2023 after a months-long effort to gather input from stakeholders. In meetings with senior White House officials, NLIHC President and CEO Diane Yentel and NLIHC’s Tenant Leader Cohort urged the administration to take decisive action, including actions to establish renter protections for households living in properties with federally backed mortgages.

NLIHC’s top priorities for federal renter protections include:

• Source-of-income protections to prohibit landlords from discriminating against households receiving housing assistance and to give families greater choice about where to live.
• “Just cause” eviction standards and the right to renew leases to help protect renters from housing instability.
• Anti-rent gouging protections to stop landlords from dramatically raising rents.
• Requirements to ensure housing is safe, decent, accessible, and healthy for renters and their families.

At a minimum, any renter protections established by FHFA should be:

• Informed through continued engagement with renters and directly impacted people.
• Focused on racial and social equity as an explicit goal.
• Mandatory for all landlords and all rental properties, including multifamily and one-to-four-unit properties with an existing or future federally backed-mortgage.
• Paired with strong enforcement. Landlords who violate renter protections should be found to be in technical default and should not be eligible for future loans.

Take Action

Join our weekly working group on Renter Protections on Wednesdays at 4:00 pm ET to help inform and strengthen NLIHC’s comment letter. Register for the weekly meeting here.

You can also support federal renter protections in the following ways:

• Submit a public comment by July 31. It is critical that FHFA hear from you and as many advocates as possible in support of renter protections! Resources to help advocates craft your comments, including a sample comment letter, and a direct portal to submit comments are available here.
• Sign on to NLIHC’s national support letter, calling on FHFA to create strong federal renter protections.
• Call on advocates in your community to participate! Share information with your networks and encourage renters and advocates to demand federal renter protections.

Take Action Now to Urge Robust Federal Renter Protections!

May 31, 2023

NLIHC’s national HoUSed campaign – and its nearly 2,000 member organizations – have a key opportunity this year to advance a major priority in the campaign’s policy agenda: strengthening federal renter protections to address the power imbalance between landlords and renters!

Due to the tremendous power imbalance between landlords and renters, far too many renters experience discrimination, exorbitant rent increases, evictions, and in worst cases, homelessness. In many parts of the country, renters have few legal protections against harmful landlord abuses, and too often, the rights renters do have go unenforced.  Advocates now have an important opportunity to share their story and make their voices heard. 

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) issued yesterday a Request for Input (RFI) on how the agency can create and enforce renter protections for households living in rental properties with federally backed mortgages. Any renter protections created by FHFA could cover a significant share of renters across the nation and put America on a pathway towards stronger protections for all renters. Advocates now have 60 days to weigh in with FHFA to demand strong renter protections by submitting a public comment by July 31, 2023 and signing on to the national support letter!

Background

Strengthening and enforcing renter protections is a key pillar of NLIHC’s national HoUSed campaign to advance the anti-racist policies and achieve the large-scale, sustained investments necessary to ensure renters with the lowest incomes have an affordable place to call home. Federal renter protections are needed to address the power imbalance between renters and landlords that puts renters at greater risk of housing instability, harassment, and homelessness and fuels racial inequity. FHFA agreed to consider renter protections as part of the Biden-Harris administration’s Blueprint for a Renters Bill of Rights, which was released in January 2023 after a months-long effort to gather input from stakeholders. In meetings with senior White House officials, NLIHC President and CEO Diane Yentel and NLIHC’s Tenant Leader Cohort urged the administration to take decisive action, including actions to establish renter protections for households living in properties with federally-backed mortgages.
NLIHC’s top priorities for federal renter protections include:

• Source-of-income protections to prohibit landlords from discriminating against households receiving housing assistance and to give families greater choice about where to live.
• “Just cause” eviction standards and the right to renew leases to help protect renters from housing instability.
• Anti-rent gouging protections to stop landlords from dramatically raising rents.
• Requirements to ensure housing is safe, decent, accessible and healthy for renters and their families.

At a minimum, any renter protections established by FHFA should be:

• Informed through continued engagement with renters and directly impacted people.
• Focused on racial and social equity as an explicit goal.
• Mandatory for all landlords and all rental properties, including multifamily and one-to-four-unit properties with an existing or future federally backed-mortgage.
• Paired with strong enforcement. Landlords who violate renter protections should be found to be in technical default and should not be eligible for future loans.

The public comment period is now open for 60 days for advocates to weigh in with FHFA to demand strong renter protections. Landlords and business interests will come out in full force to try to stop FHFA from protecting renters, so it is critical that advocates take action and make their voices heard!

Take Action

You can support federal renter protections in the following ways:

• Submit a public comment by July 31. It is critical that FHFA hear from you and as many advocates as possible in support of renter protections! Resources to help advocates craft your comments, including a sample comment letter, and a direct portal to submit comments are available here.
• Sign on to NLIHC’s national support letter, calling on FHFA to create strong federal renter protections.
• Join our weekly working group on Renter Protections on Wednesdays at 4:00pm ET starting on June 7 to help inform and strengthen NLIHC’s comment letter. Register for the weekly meeting here.
• Call on advocates in your community to participate! Share information with your networks and encourage renters and advocates to demand federal renter protections.

Your Advocacy Is Needed! Final Debt Ceiling Agreement Could Harm Renters and People Experiencing Homelessness!

May 28, 2023

President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) reached an agreement to lift the debt ceiling in exchange for essentially a two-year freeze on spending for important domestic programs and increased work requirements for certain recipients of food and cash assistance programs, among other things.
 
Because some HUD programs require additional funding to keep up with inflation, higher rents, and interest rate hikes, the debt ceiling agreement acts as a significant cut to affordable housing and homelessness assistance. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 alone, HUD needs an estimated $13 billion to $16 billion in additional funding just to maintain current levels of assistance. Unless further action is taken by Congress, tens of thousands of households will be at risk of losing rental assistance.
 
NLIHC President and CEO Diane Yentel said in a statement, “House Republicans held our nation’s lowest-income and most marginalized people hostage in exchange for lifting the debt ceiling. By preventing necessary inflationary cost increases for critical HUD programs, this debt ceiling deal could lead to tens of thousands of families losing rental assistance during an already deepening housing and homelessness crisis. Expanding ineffective work requirements and adding time limits for food assistance adds salt to the wound, further harming some of the lowest income and most marginalized people in our country.”
 
Under the debt ceiling agreement, FY 2024 spending for domestic programs would essentially be capped at FY 2023 levels, and spending increases in FY 2025 would be limited to just one percent. Unobligated COVID-19 relief resources would be rescinded, although critical Emergency Housing Vouchers and Emergency Rental Assistance funds are spared. The House and Senate will now work quickly to enact the agreement before the nation defaults on its debts on June 5.
 
Your effective advocacy helped prevent some of the most extreme House Republican proposals from being enacted. Our collective efforts increased public pressure to prevent HUD’s budget being cut by 30 percent, which could have put nearly 1 million households at risk of losing their rental assistance and denied services to 120,000 fewer people experiencing homelessness.

But this final debt ceiling agreement will cause significant harm to households with the greatest needs. Once the agreement is enacted, Congress will turn its attention to divvying up the available funds among various departments and programs and begin drafting and voting to approve final spending bills.

Your continued advocacy will be needed over the coming weeks and months to ensure the highest level of funding possible within these tight budget caps for affordable housing and homelessness programs, and to protect thousands of our nation’s lowest-income and most marginalized households from losing their rental assistance.
 
NLIHC will share a more detailed analysis of the debt ceiling deal and next steps for advocacy in the coming days and weeks.

Take Action TODAY! President Biden and House Republicans Inch Closer to a Debt Ceiling Deal That Could Harm Affordable Housing and Homelessness Assistance

May 26, 2023

President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) are close to reaching an agreement in the coming days to lift the debt ceiling. While details of the ongoing negotiations are not known, reports suggest that a final agreement may freeze or cut affordable housing and homelessness programs in fiscal year (FY) 2024, cap spending increases to just 1% in FY25, and rescind COVID-19-relief funding, among other provisions. President Biden and Speaker McCarthy are also considering measures to impose rigid work reporting requirements for anti-poverty programs.
 
A two-year agreement to essentially freeze funding acts as a cut to affordable housing and homelessness programs. In FY24 alone, HUD will need at least $13 billion more in funding to maintain current levels of service due to inflation, higher rents, and interest rate hikes.
 
Call your members of Congress today! Your advocacy is more important than ever to ensure that any agreement to lift the debt ceiling protects and expands resources to help people with the lowest incomes find a safe, stable, accessible, and affordable place to call home.

Take Action

Contact your members of Congress TODAY and ask them to weigh in with the White House and congressional leaders. Tell them that it is unacceptable to attempt to balance the federal budget at the expense of low-income people.

Advocates can take action in the following ways:

• Sign your organization on to the Campaign for Housing and Community Development Funding’s (CHCDF) annual budget letter, calling on Congress to reject spending cuts and instead provide the highest possible allocation for HUD’s and USDA’s affordable housing, homelessness, and community development programs in FY24.
• Email your members of Congress today and urge them to increase – not cut – resources for affordable housing and homelessness in FY24 and to support NLIHC’s top appropriations priorities:
  • $32.7 billion for the TBRA program to renew existing vouchers and to expand the program to an additional 200,000 households.
  • $5.4 billion for public housing operations and $5 billion for public housing repairs.
  • $3.8 billion for HUD’s Homeless Assistance Grants program.
  • $100 million for legal assistance to prevent evictions.
  • $3 billion for a permanent Emergency Rental Assistance program.
  • $300 million for competitive tribal housing grants, targeted to tribes with the greatest needs.
• Check out NLIHC’s advocacy toolkit, “Oppose Dramatic Cuts to Federal Investments in Affordable Housing,” for talking points, sample social media messages, and more!

Background

Congressional leaders must reach a deal to lift the debt ceiling by as soon as June 1, according to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, or risk a default, which could cause widespread economic turmoil.

Reports suggest that President Biden and Speaker McCarthy could reach a compromise in the coming days. Details are still unknown, but reports suggest the agreement may lift the debt ceiling for two years in exchange for spending caps for two years on domestic programs, including affordable housing and homelessness programs. Spending on defense and veterans’ health programs would see an increase in funding in FY24, while domestic programs would receive either a freeze in spending at current FY23 levels or a modest decrease. In FY25, spending for domestic programs would be limited to a 1% increase. The agreement would also likely rescind COVID-19-relief funding, including rental assistance. President Biden and Speaker McCarthy are still negotiating over whether to impose rigid work reporting requirements for anti-poverty programs.
 
A two-year agreement to essentially freeze funding would lead to significant cuts to affordable housing and homelessness programs. In FY24 alone, HUD will need at least $13 billion more in funding to maintain current levels of service. Without additional resources, many of our nation’s lowest-income and most marginalized households would be at risk of losing their rental assistance.
 
The needed increase is largely due to inflation, higher rents, and interest rate hikes. According to HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge, “between 2022 and 2023, the national population-weighted average Fair Market Rent (FMR) increased by nearly 10 percent, with 16 HUD Metro FMR Areas increasing by 20 percent or more. Rents are expected to stay high in 2024, even as growth slows down.”

Your advocacy is already making a difference. House Republicans started negotiations by voting to approve the “Limit, Save, and Grow Act” to temporarily lift the debt limit in exchange for reducing FY24 spending to FY22 levels and capping future spending increases at 1% annually for 10 years. This would have resulted in at least a 30% reduction in funding for key housing and homelessness programs. Nearly 1 million households could have lost HUD rental assistance, and nearly 120,000 fewer people experiencing homelessness would have been served.

It is critical that advocates continue to make their voices heard. Congress should not enact policies that increase poverty and hardship, especially for people with the lowest incomes. Members of Congress must look beyond dollar amounts and understand the human cost of cutting federal spending for affordable housing and homelessness programs. Call your members of Congress today!

Take Action TODAY! President Biden and House Republicans Close to Debt Ceiling Deal That Could Cut Funding for Affordable Housing and Homelessness Assistance

May 23, 2023

President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) could reach an agreement as soon as this week to lift the debt ceiling, and deep spending cuts for affordable housing and homelessness programs are squarely on the table. President Biden and Speaker McCarthy are also considering measures to impose rigid work reporting requirements for anti-poverty programs and to rescind COVID-19-relief funding, among other harmful provisions.
 
Call your members of Congress today! Your advocacy is more important than ever to ensure that any agreement to lift the debt ceiling protects and expands resources to help people with the lowest incomes find a safe, stable, accessible, and affordable place to call home.
 
Take Action
 
Contact your members of Congress TODAY and ask them to weigh in with the White House and congressional leaders. Tell them that it is unacceptable to attempt to balance the federal budget at the expense of low-income people.
 
Advocates can take action in the following ways:

• Sign your organization on to the Campaign for Housing and Community Development Funding’s (CHCDF) annual budget letter, which calls on Congress to reject spending cuts and instead provide the highest possible allocation for HUD’s and USDA’s affordable housing, homelessness, and community development programs in FY24.
• Email your members of Congress today and urge them to increase – not cut – resources for affordable housing and homelessness programs in FY24 and to support NLIHC’s top appropriations priorities:
  • $32.7 billion for the TBRA program to renew existing vouchers and to expand the program to an additional 200,000 households.
  • $5.4 billion for public housing operations and $5 billion for public housing repairs.
  • $3.8 billion for HUD’s Homeless Assistance Grants program.
  • $100 million for legal assistance to prevent evictions.
  • $3 billion for a permanent Emergency Rental Assistance program.
  • $300 million for competitive tribal housing grants, targeted to tribes with the greatest needs.
• Check out NLIHC’s advocacy toolkit, “Oppose Dramatic Cuts to Federal Investments in Affordable Housing,” for talking points, sample social media messages, and more!

Background

Congressional leaders must reach a deal to lift the debt ceiling by as soon as June 1, according to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, or risk a default that could cause widespread economic turmoil. President Biden and Speaker McCarthy could reach a deal as soon as this week.
 
House Republicans are demanding deep spending cuts to domestic programs, including housing and homelessness programs, and other harmful measures, in exchange for lifting the debt ceiling. The House-approved “Limit, Save, and Grow Act” would temporarily lift the debt limit in exchange for reducing FY24 spending to FY22 levels and capping future spending increases at 1% annually for 10 years. This would result in at least a 30% reduction in funding for key housing and homelessness programs.

According to HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge, such cuts would “represent the most devastating impacts in HUD’s history” and “make it impossible to stave off mass evictions.” Nearly 1 million households could lose HUD rental assistance, and nearly 120,000 fewer people experiencing homelessness would be served. USDA also released a statement suggesting that up to 63,000 rural households would lose rental assistance if the Republican budget bill passed. Republicans are also pushing to rescind unobligated COVID-19-relief funding and put in place rigid work requirements for some anti-poverty programs, among other harmful provisions. The White House has released state-by-state factsheets highlighting the devastating impacts of the proposed budget cuts.

It is critical that Congress not enact policies that increase poverty and hardship, especially for people with the lowest incomes. Members of Congress must look beyond dollar amounts and understand the human cost of cutting federal spending for affordable housing and homelessness programs. Call your members of Congress today!

Spring into Action: Join NLIHC’s Creative Campaign to Tell Congress #CutsHurt

May 16, 2023

President Biden and congressional leaders are expected to meet today (May 16) to continue negotiations to raise the nation’s debt ceiling, after staffers spent the weekend hashing out a prospective deal. The nation could default on its debt as soon as June 1 if congressional leaders and the White House do not reach an agreement to lift the debt ceiling.
 
Despite the likely harm posed by a default, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and fellow House Republicans say they will only lift the debt ceiling in exchange for steep cuts to domestic programs, including drastic cuts to HUD’s and USDA’s vital affordable housing and homelessness programs that could reduce funding to these programs by as much as 22%, depending on how cuts are made.
 
It is critical for advocates to reach out to their members of Congress and urge them to oppose these harmful cuts.
 
TAKE ACTION NOW!
 
Keep the momentum going: Speak out against budget cuts and push Congress to make necessary investments in housing and homelessness programs through NLIHC’s #SpringIntoAction campaign through May 19! Join advocates around the country who are expressing to their members of Congress the devastating toll that these cuts would take on their communities through phone calls, emails, and creative expressions, such as poems and visual art.
 
Here are some ways to take action:

• Post your work on social media using the hashtag #CutsHurt and tag your members of Congress and @NLIHC!
• Email, call, or tweet your members of Congress.
• Add your organization to a national budget letter.

 
We’ve also gathered additional resources to strengthen your advocacy efforts, including:

• NLIHC’s advocacy toolkit with talking points, sample social media messages, and more!
• NLIHC’s “Storytelling Tips and Tricks” to find a topic for your creative piece.
• White House factsheets with state-specific numbers to highlight the impact of cuts on constituents in your state.

Background

House Republicans voted to approve the “Limit, Save, and Grow Act” on April 26 to temporarily lift the debt limit in exchange for reducing fiscal year (FY) 2024 spending to FY22 levels and capping future spending increases at 1% annually for 10 years, which would result in at least a 23% reduction in funding for key housing and homelessness programs. According to HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge, such cuts would “represent the most devastating impacts in HUD’s history” and “make it impossible to stave off mass evictions.” Nearly 1 million households could lose HUD rental assistance, and nearly 120,000 fewer people experiencing homelessness would be served. USDA also released a statement suggesting that up to 63,000 rural households would lose rental assistance if the Republican budget passes. The bill would also rescind unobligated COVID-19-relief funding and put in place rigid work requirements for some anti-poverty programs, among other harmful provisions.

While the Republican bill is unlikely to pass in the Senate, its passage in the House puts more pressure on President Biden and Senate Democrats to negotiate with Speaker McCarthy over spending cuts to key programs. Congressional leaders must reach a deal to lift the debt ceiling by as soon as June 1, according to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, or risk a default, which could cause widespread economic turmoil. President Biden met with the “four corner” Congressional leaders – Speaker McCarthy, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) – on May 9 to begin debt ceiling negotiations. The leaders are expected to meet again today (May 16) to continue discussions after their staff worked through the weekend to find a compromise.
 
With the June default deadline fast approaching, the leaders are looking for areas of common ground to help reach a deal. Some potential areas of compromise include:

• Increased work requirements for anti-poverty and anti-hunger programs, including the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
• Rescinding unspent COVID-19 aid.
• Potential shorter-term budget caps on federal spending, lasting up to two years. 

It is crucial that Congress not enact policies that increase poverty and hardship, especially for people with the lowest incomes. Members of Congress must look beyond dollar amounts and grasp the human cost of cutting and capping federal spending for affordable housing and homelessness programs. Such steep budget cuts would make it much harder for people experiencing homelessness to find stable homes and put nearly 1 million of the lowest-income renters at risk of eviction and homelessness by cutting their housing assistance. Housing provides the foundation for stability in all other aspects of life. Many households, if they were to lose HUD assistance, would struggle to put food on the table, stay healthy, and access employment and educational opportunities.
 
Please reach out to the NLIHC Field Team at [email protected] with questions. 

Spring into Action” with NLIHC: Join Our Creative Campaign to Tell Congress#CutsHurt

May 9, 2023

President Joe Biden will sit down with congressional leaders today (May 9) for the first of what will likely be many negotiations to raise the national debt ceiling and avoid a catastrophic default. Last week, U.S. Department of the Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned that the nation could default on its debt as soon as June 1 if congressional leaders and the White House do not reach an agreement to lift the debt ceiling.

Despite the likely harm posed by default, U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and fellow House Republicans say they will only lift the debt ceiling in exchange for steep cuts to domestic programs, including drastic cuts to HUD’s and USDA’s vital affordable housing and homelessness programs.

It is critical for advocates to reach out to their members of Congress and urge them to oppose these harmful cuts.

Take Action

Join NLIHC’s “Spring into Action” mobilization campaign from now until May 19 to speak out against budget cuts and push Congress to make necessary investments in housing and homelessness programs. During this period, we encourage advocates to creatively express the importance of federal housing resources and convey to their members of Congress the devastating toll that these cuts, if enacted, would take in their communities. Post your work on social media using the hashtags #CutsHurt and #SpringIntoAction from now until May 19, and be sure to tag your member of Congress and @NLIHC!

Possible activities include the following:

• Creating and posting a visual art piece.
• Writing a haiku, such as: “Affordable homes / Can’t be on the chopping block /Tell Congress, #CutsHurt!”
• Recording and posting a video telling Congress why #CutsHurt
• Emailing, calling, and tweeting at your members of Congress
• Signing your organization on to the Campaign for Housing and Community Development Funding’s (CHCDF) annual budget letter

We also suggest that advocates make use of these additional resources:

• NLIHC’s advocacy toolkit, “Oppose Dramatic Cuts to Federal Investments in Affordable Housing,” which includes talking points, sample social media messages, and more.
• White House factsheets detailing the impact of House Republicans’ proposed budget cuts in each state, including the number of families that could lose rental assistance. You can highlight this number in your advocacy to emphasize the scale of the impact on constituents in your state.

Background

House Republicans voted to approve the “Limit, Save, and Grow Act” on April 26 to temporarily lift the debt limit in exchange for reducing fiscal year (FY) 2024 spending to FY22 levels and capping future spending increases at 1% annually for 10 years, which would result in at least a 23% reduction in funding for key housing and homelessness programs. According to HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge, such cuts would “represent the most devastating impacts in HUD’s history” and “make it impossible to stave off mass evictions.” Nearly 1 million households could lose HUD rental assistance, and nearly 120,000 fewer people experiencing homelessness would be served. The bill would also rescind unobligated COVID-19-relief funding and put in place rigid work requirements for some anti-poverty programs, among other harmful provisions.

While the Republican bill is unlikely to pass in the Senate, its passage in the House puts more pressure on President Biden and Senate Democrats to negotiate with Speaker McCarthy over spending cuts to key programs. Congressional leaders must reach a deal to lift the debt ceiling by as soon as June 1, according to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, or risk a default, which could cause widespread economic turmoil. President Biden is expected to sit down with Congressional leaders – including Speaker McCarthy, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) – today (May 9) to begin debt ceiling negotiations.

Members of Congress must look beyond dollar amounts and grasp the human cost of the House Republican proposal. Such steep budget cuts would make it much harder for people experiencing homelessness to find stable homes and put hundreds of thousands of the lowest-income renters at risk of eviction and homelessness. Housing provides the foundation for stability in all other aspects of life. Many households, if they were to lose HUD assistance, would struggle to put food on the table, stay healthy, and access employment and educational opportunities.

Please reach out to the NLIHC Field Team at [email protected] with questions. Thank you for your advocacy!

Spring into Action: A Creative Campaign to Tell Congress #CutsHurt

May 2, 2023

The nation could default on its debt as soon as June 1 if congressional leaders and the White House do not reach an agreement to lift the debt ceiling. Despite the likely harm posed by a default, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and fellow House Republicans say they will only lift the debt ceiling in exchange for steep cuts to domestic programs, including drastic cuts to HUD’s and USDA’s vital affordable housing and homelessness programs.

It is critical for advocates to reach out to their members of Congress and urge them to oppose these harmful cuts.

NLIHC invites advocates to join our Spring into Action campaign (May 8-19), a two-week mobilization to speak out against budget cuts and push for Congress to make necessary investments in housing and homelessness programs. During this period, we encourage advocates to creatively express the importance of federal housing resources and convey to their members of Congress the devastating toll that these cuts, if enacted, would take on their communities.

Possible Spring into Action activities include creating a visual art piece, writing a haiku or other short poem, or recording a video. Post your work on social media using the hashtag #CutsHurt between May 8 and May 19, and be sure to tag your member of Congress and @NLIHC! You can also contact your members of Congress through NLIHC’s Legislative Action Center, with the option to customize the template email. If you have a multimedia piece that you would like to share with your congressional office, but cannot submit in the online form, please send it to [email protected].

Background

House Republicans voted to approve the “Limit, Save, and Grow Act” on April 26 to temporarily lift the debt limit in exchange for reducing fiscal year (FY) 2024 spending to FY22 levels and capping future spending increases at 1% annually for 10 years, which would result in at least a 23% reduction in funding for key housing and homelessness programs. According to HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge, such cuts would “represent the most devastating impacts in HUD’s history” and “make it impossible to stave off mass evictions.” Nearly 1 million households could lose HUD rental assistance, and nearly 120,000 fewer people experiencing homelessness would be served. The bill would also rescind unobligated COVID-19 relief funding and put in place rigid work requirements for some anti-poverty programs, among other harmful provisions.

While the Republican bill is unlikely to pass in the Senate, its passage in the House puts more pressure on President Biden and Senate Democrats to negotiate with Speaker McCarthy over spending cuts to key programs. Congressional leaders must reach a deal to lift the debt ceiling by as soon as June 1, according to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, or risk a default, which could cause widespread economic turmoil.

Members of Congress must look beyond dollar amounts and grasp the human cost of the House Republicans’ proposal. Such steep budget cuts would make it much harder for people experiencing homelessness to find stable homes and put hundreds of thousands of the lowest-income renters at risk of eviction and homelessness. Housing lays the foundation for stability in all other aspects of life. Many households, if they were to lose HUD assistance, would struggle to put food on the table, stay healthy, and access employment and educational opportunities.

Take Action TODAY!

NLIHC encourages all advocates to contact their members of Congress and urge them to oppose House Republicans’ proposal to slash affordable housing and homelessness programs. Now is also the time to start planning creative advocacy opportunities for Spring into Action!

Here are some additional resources to consider as you brainstorm your activities:

• Check out NLIHC’s advocacy toolkit, “Oppose Dramatic Cuts to Federal Investments in Affordable Housing,” for talking points, sample social media messages, and more!
• Have writer’s block? Use the prompts in NLIHC’s storytelling resource, “Storytelling Tips and Tricks,” to find a topic for your creative piece.
• The White House published factsheets that detail the impact of House Republicans’ proposed budget cuts in each state, including the number of families that could lose rental assistance. You can highlight this number in your advocacy to emphasize the scale of the impact on constituents in your state.
• A short poem, such as a haiku, is a succinct and creative way to convey your message to members of Congress. Here is a sample haiku: Affordable homes / Can’t be on the chopping block / Tell Congress: #CutsHurt!

Post your work on social media using the hashtag #CutsHurt and #SpringIntoAction between May 8 and May 19, and be sure to tag your member of Congress and @NLIHC!

In addition, advocates should weigh in with their congressional offices with the following actions:

• Sign your organization on to the Campaign for Housing and Community Development Funding’s (CHCDF) annual budget letter, calling on Congress to reject spending cuts and instead provide the highest possible allocation for HUD’s and USDA’s affordable housing, homelessness, and community development programs in FY24.
• Email your members of Congress today and urge them to increase – not cut – resources for affordable housing and homelessness in FY24 and to support NLIHC’s top appropriations priorities:
  • $32.7 billion for the TBRA program to renew existing vouchers and to expand the program to an additional 200,000 households.
  • $5.4 billion for public housing operations and $5 billion for public housing repairs.
  • $3.8 billion for HUD’s Homeless Assistance Grants program.
  • $100 million for legal assistance to prevent evictions.
  • $3 billion for a permanent Emergency Rental Assistance program.
  • $300 million for the competitive tribal housing grants, targeted to tribes with the greatest needs.

Please reach out to the NLIHC Field Team at [email protected] with questions. Thank you for your advocacy!

House Republicans Pass Disastrous Budget Proposal Gutting HUD Affordable Housing and Homelessness Programs – Take Action!

April 27, 2023

he U.S. House of Representatives passed yesterday a harmful budget proposal that would lift the debt ceiling in exchange for dramatic cuts to domestic spending, including funding for affordable housing and homelessness programs.

It is unacceptable to balance the federal budget by slashing programs that help the lowest-income households survive. While the bill is unlikely to pass in the Democratic-controlled Senate, it is vital that advocates weigh in with their senators – regardless of political party – TODAY to urge them to oppose any cuts to key affordable housing and homelessness programs. Advocates can also join a “Spring into Action” mobilization effort between May 9 and May 18 to make your voice heard in Congress!

Background

The Republican proposal, known as the “Limit, Save, and Grow Act,” would cut federal domestic spending for fiscal year (FY) 2024 to FY22 levels, resulting in at least a 23% reduction in funding for key programs, depending on how cuts are designed. The proposal would also limit future spending increases to 1% annually for 10 years, rescind unspent COVID-19 relief funds, and put in place rigid work requirements for some anti-poverty programs, among other harmful provisions.

In a letter outlining the potential impacts of the proposal, HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge observed that if enacted, the cuts proposed in the bill would cause “mass evictions.” Nearly 1 million households currently being served by HUD’s rental assistance programs could lose their assistance and up to 120,000 fewer people experiencing homelessness would be served. Without adequate funding for vital federal affordable housing and homeless assistance programs, millions of the lowest-income and most marginalized households would continue to experience homelessness or remain at risk, paying more than half their limited income on rent.

The White House has also released state-by-state factsheets highlighting the devastating impacts of the proposed extreme budget cuts.

While the Republican budget proposal will not pass the Democratic-controlled Senate, its passage in the House could give more leverage to Republicans in budget negotiations, which could lead to steep spending cuts for affordable housing and homelessness programs.  

It is vitally important that you call your senator and demand that they vote “no” on this unacceptable proposal. Please also share this Call to Action with your networks!

Start Planning Now! “Spring into Action” from May 8 to 19

From May 8 to May 19, join NLIHC and “Spring into Action” with a two-week mobilization effort to oppose deep budget cuts and urge Congress to invest in affordable housing and homelessness programs at the scale needed!

Be creative! Make a visual art piece, write a haiku, record a video, highlight data showing the impact of proposed cuts, or come up with your own idea to educate congressional leaders about why affordable housing and homelessness programs are important to your community and how the proposed budget cuts would harm your family and neighbors.

Post your work on social media using the hashtags #CutsHurt and #SpringIntoAction between May 8 and May 19, and be sure to tag your member of Congress and @NLIHC!

NLIHC is offering other resources you can use to start planning:

• Use NLIHC’s Legislative Action Center to host an email campaign to send a message to members of Congress. The tool allows advocates to customize the email template with a poem or other creative written message.
• Facing writer’s block? Use the prompts in NLIHC’s storytelling resource, “Storytelling Tips and Tricks,” to find a topic for your creative piece.
• If you have a multimedia piece you would like to share with your congressional office but cannot submit via the online form, please send it to [email protected].

Take Action TODAY!

Here are some other ways to make your voices heard TODAY:

• Sign your organization on to the Campaign for Housing and Community Development Funding’s (CHCDF) annual budget letter, calling on Congress to reject spending cuts and instead provide the highest possible allocation for HUD’s and USDA’s affordable housing, homelessness, and community development programs in FY24.
• Email your members of Congress today and urge them to increase – not cut – resources for affordable housing and homelessness in FY24 and to support NLIHC’s top appropriations priorities:
  • $32.7 billion for the TBRA program to renew existing vouchers and to expand the program to an additional 200,000 households.
  • $5.4 billion for public housing operations and $5 billion for public housing repairs.
  • $3.8 billion for HUD’s Homeless Assistance Grants program.
  • $100 million for legal assistance to prevent evictions.
  • $3 billion for a permanent Emergency Rental Assistance program.
  • $300 million for the competitive tribal housing grants, targeted to tribes with the greatest needs.
• Check out NLIHC’s advocacy toolkit, “Oppose Dramatic Cuts to Federal Investments in Affordable Housing,” for talking points, sample social media messages, and more!

NLIHC’s Diane Yentel Testifies in Support of Bipartisan Legislation Addressing the Affordable Housing Crisis

April 25, 2023

NLIHC President and CEO Diane Yentel testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs today at a hearing, “Building Consensus to Address Housing Challenges,” in support of bipartisan legislation to solve the affordable housing crisis.

Appearing before the Committee along with two other witnesses – Lou Tisler, executive director of the National Neighborhood Watch Association, and Vanessa Brown Calder, the director of opportunity and family policy studies at the Cato Institute – Diane advocated for an array of bipartisan bills designed to ensure that the lowest-income and most marginalized renters have access to stable, safe, affordable housing.

“Rents have skyrocketed, eviction filings are rising and surpassing pre-pandemic levels, and homelessness is increasing,” said Diane in her testimony. “The country’s lowest-income people are struggling to stay housed, and Congress’s inaction costs us all. But quick, bipartisan action by this Congress can – just as it did during the pandemic – save lives, save money, and provide housing relief for many. I urge this Committee and this Congress to act quickly and, at minimum, advance the multitude of bipartisan housing bills before us.”

Two of the bipartisan bills that Diane advocated for – both championed by NLIHC’s Opportunity Starts at Home and HoUSed campaigns – were re-introduced yesterday: the “Family Stability and Opportunity Vouchers Act,” introduced by Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Todd Young (R-IN), and the “Fair Housing Improvement Act,” introduced by Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Representative Scott Peters (D-CA).

The Family Stability and Opportunity Vouchers Act would create 250,000 new housing vouchers, paired with mobility-related services, to help low-income families with young children move to communities of their choice, including neighborhoods with high-performing schools and high-quality childcare and early education programs. Access to safe, affordable housing is linked to nearly every quality-of-life measure, including better educational and health outcomes, housing stability, racial equity, and economic mobility.

The Fair Housing Improvement Act expands housing choice by prohibiting housing discrimination by landlords on the basis of “source of income,” “military status,” and “veteran status.” While several states and localities have passed source-of-income protection laws, federal law does not provide protections against this type of discrimination, leaving half of all households with housing vouchers unprotected from discrimination.

In addition to the Family Stability and Opportunity Vouchers Act and Fair Housing Improvement Act, Diane advocated for the bipartisan “Eviction Crisis Act.” Introduced in the last session by Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Rob Portman (R-OH), the bill would create a new national Emergency Assistance Fund (EAF), a permanent program to stabilize households experiencing an economic shock before it can lead to housing instability and homelessness. In addition to the EAF, the Eviction Crisis Act would authorize grants to support landlord-tenant community courts, which offer mediation services to avoid the high cost of eviction and create a national database to track formal and informal evictions, helping researchers and policymakers better understand the breadth of the eviction crisis and craft solutions.
 
“We urge this Committee and this Congress to quickly advance bipartisan housing bills that would have a measurable impact on the housing crisis,” said Diane. “Bills such as the Family Stability and Opportunity Vouchers Act, to provide 250,000 new Housing Choice Vouchers for families with young children; the Eviction Crisis Act, to continue the success of bipartisan ERA programs; and other bipartisan bills to improve and streamline existing housing programs, build housing for people with the lowest incomes, improve oversight of federal disaster resources, and increase access to fair and affordable housing.”

Take Action!

It is critical that Congress enact bipartisan legislation to address the affordable housing crisis! Advocates can support this legislation by urging their members of Congress to cosponsor the Family Stability and Opportunity Vouchers Act, Fair Housing Improvement Act, and Eviction Crisis Act and ensure these bills are included in any effort to advance housing legislation this year.

• Support the Family Stability and Opportunity Vouchers Act here.
• Support the Fair Housing Improvement Act here.
• Support the Eviction Crisis Act here.

Take Action Today! Congress to Vote on Disastrous Budget Proposal as Soon as Tomorrow! 

April 24, 2023

The U.S. House of Representatives will vote as soon as tomorrow on a harmful budget proposal that would lift the debt ceiling in exchange for dramatic cuts to domestic spending, including funding for affordable housing and homelessness programs.

It is unacceptable to balance the federal budget by slashing programs that help the lowest-income households survive. Call your representative TODAY to urge them to oppose any cuts to key affordable housing and homelessness programs, and join a “Spring into Action” mobilization effort between May 9 and May 18 to make your voice heard in Congress!

Background

The Republican proposal, known as the “Limit, Save, and Grow Act,” would cut federal domestic spending for fiscal year (FY) 2024 to FY22 levels, resulting in at least a 23% reduction in funding for key programs, depending on how cuts are designed. The proposal would also limit future spending increases to 1% annually for 10 years, rescind unspent COVID-19 relief funds, and put in place rigid work requirements for some anti-poverty programs, among other harmful provisions.
In a letter outlining the potential impacts of the proposal, HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge observed that if enacted, the cuts proposed in the bill would cause “mass evictions.” Nearly 1 million households currently being served by HUD’s rental assistance programs could lose their assistance and up to 120,000 fewer people experiencing homelessness would be served. Without adequate funding for vital federal affordable housing and homeless assistance programs, millions of the lowest-income and most marginalized households would continue to experience homelessness or remain at risk, paying more than half of their limited income on rent.

The White House has also released state-by-state factsheets highlighting the devastating impacts of the proposed extreme budget cuts.

While the Republican budget proposal will not pass the Democrat-controlled Senate, its passage in the House could give more leverage to Republicans in budget negotiations, which could lead to steep spending cuts for affordable housing and homelessness programs.  

It is vitally important that you call your representative – whether Republican or Democrat – and demand that they vote “no” on this unacceptable proposal. Please also share this Call to Action with your networks!

Start Planning Now! “Spring into Action” from May 8 to 19

From May 8 to May 19, join NLIHC and “Spring into Action” with a two-week mobilization effort to oppose deep budget cuts and urge Congress to invest in affordable housing and homelessness programs at the scale needed!

Be creative! Make a visual art piece, write a haiku, record a video, highlight data showing the impact of proposed cuts, or come up with your own idea to educate congressional leaders about why affordable housing and homelessness programs are important to your community and how the proposed budget cuts would harm your family and neighbors.

Post your work on social media using the hashtags #CutsHurt and #SpringIntoAction between May 8 and May 19, and be sure to tag your member of Congress and @NLIHC!

NLIHC is offering other resources you can use to start planning:

• Use NLIHC’s Legislative Action Center to host an email campaign to send a message to members of Congress. The tool allows advocates to customize the email template with a poem or other creative written message.
• Facing writer’s block? Use the prompts in NLIHC’s storytelling resource, “Storytelling Tips and Tricks,” to find a topic for your creative piece.
• If you have a multimedia piece you would like to share with your congressional office but cannot submit via the online form, please send it to [email protected].

Take Action TODAY!

Here are some other way to make your voices heard TODAY:

• Sign your organization on to the Campaign for Housing and Community Development Funding’s (CHCDF) annual budget letter, calling on Congress to reject spending cuts and instead provide the highest possible allocation for HUD’s and USDA’s affordable housing, homelessness, and community development programs in FY24.
• Email your members of Congress today and urge them to increase – not cut – resources for affordable housing and homelessness in FY24 and to support NLIHC’s top appropriations priorities:
  • $32.7 billion for the TBRA program to renew existing vouchers and to expand the program to an additional 200,000 households.
  • $5.4 billion for public housing operations and $5 billion for public housing repairs.
  • $3.8 billion for HUD’s Homeless Assistance Grants program.
  • $100 million for legal assistance to prevent evictions.
  • $3 billion for a permanent Emergency Rental Assistance program.
  • $300 million for the competitive tribal housing grants, targeted to tribes with the greatest needs.
• Check out NLIHC’s advocacy toolkit, “Oppose Dramatic Cuts to Federal Investments in Affordable Housing,” for talking points, sample social media messages, and more!

Take Action! House Republicans to Vote on Proposal to Slash Affordable Housing and Homelessness Programs

April 19, 2023

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) pledged today to enact legislation to raise the country’s debt limit in exchange for steep spending cuts to domestic programs, including HUD’s and USDA’s vital affordable housing and homelessness programs.

While details are not fully known, Speaker McCarthy’s proposal will likely cap federal domestic spending for fiscal year (FY) 2024 at FY22 levels, resulting in at least a 23% reduction in funding for key programs, depending on how the cuts are designed. The proposal would limit future spending increases to 1% annually for 10 years, rescind unspent COVID-19 relief funds, and put in place rigid work requirements for some anti-poverty programs, among other harmful provisions.
The House is expected to vote on the harmful legislative package as soon as next week. Advocates should contact their representatives to urge them to oppose deep spending cuts and to support the highest level of funding possible for housing and homelessness programs.

Take Action!

It is unacceptable to balance the federal budget by slashing programs that help the lowest-income households survive. Without adequate funding for vital federal affordable housing and homeless assistance programs, millions of the lowest-income and most marginalized households will continue to experience homelessness or remain at risk, paying more than half of their limited income on rent.

Advocates can take action TODAY in the following ways:

• Sign your organization on to the Campaign for Housing and Community Development Funding’s (CHCDF) annual budget letter, calling on Congress to reject spending cuts and instead provide the highest possible allocation for HUD’s and USDA’s affordable housing, homelessness, and community development programs in FY24.
• Email your members of Congress today and urge them to increase – not cut – resources for affordable housing and homelessness in FY24 and to support NLIHC’s top appropriations priorities:
  • $32.7 billion for the TBRA program to renew existing vouchers and to expand the program to an additional 200,000 households.
  • $5.4 billion for public housing operations and $5 billion for public housing repairs.
  • $3.8 billion for HUD’s Homeless Assistance Grants program.
  • $100 million for legal assistance to prevent evictions.
  • $3 billion for a permanent Emergency Rental Assistance program.
  • $300 million for the competitive tribal housing grants, targeted to tribes with the greatest needs.
• Check out NLIHC’s advocacy toolkit, “Oppose Dramatic Cuts to Federal Investments in Affordable Housing,” for talking points, sample social media messages, and more!

Background

Speaker McCarthy and House Republicans are calling for severe funding cuts to domestic programs, including affordable housing and homelessness programs, in the FY24 appropriations bill and beyond. The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to vote on a legislative package that would dramatically cut domestic spending as soon as next week.

While details are unclear, reports suggest that the Republican proposal will cap funding in FY24 at FY22 levels, resulting in an estimated $133 billion cut to domestic programs. Analysis from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) notes that cutting funding to FY22 levels could result in a 23% reduction in funding for domestic programs if defense and veteran health programs are exempted. The proposal would also limit future spending increases to 1% annually for 10 years, rescind unspent COVID-19 relief funds, and put in place rigid work requirements for some anti-poverty programs, among other harmful provisions.

In a recent analysis, HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge stated that, if enacted, such a proposal would “represent the most devastating impacts in HUD’s history” and “make it impossible to stave off mass evictions.” Among other consequences, Secretary Fudge noted that the proposal would:

• Eliminate Housing Choice Voucher funding for 350,000 families, increasing the likelihood these families will experience housing instability, evictions, and, in the worst cases, homelessness.
• Eliminate funding for an estimated 87,000 families who rely on the Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA) program for housing assistance. Moreover, because PBRA helps finance housing maintenance and operations, terminating PBRA contracts would also likely lead owners to convert their affordable housing to market-rate housing, representing “an historically unprecedented loss of existing affordable housing.”
• Cut funding for HUD’s homeless assistance programs, resulting in an estimated 78,000 fewer people experiencing homelessness receiving vital services from homelessness assistance programs, “likely leading to large increases in the number of people sleeping on the streets.”
• Exacerbate the affordable housing crisis in Native communities by cutting significant funding from the Native American Housing Block Grants program, which finances the construction, operation, and preservation of affordable housing units on Tribal lands.
• Increase low-income families’ exposure to lead and other health hazards by slashing funding from HUD’s Lead Hazard Controls and Healthy Homes programs, and reducing funding for HUD’s public housing operating funds.

Call and email your members of Congress TODAY and urge them to reject this devastating proposal!

Final FY23 Spending Bill: Advocates and Key Congressional Champions Secure Increased Funding

December 20, 2022

Congressional leaders released today a final fiscal year (FY) 2023 omnibus spending bill that includes significant funding for HUD’s housing and homelessness programs. Overall, the final spending bill provides HUD programs with $61.8 billion, or $8.1 billion more than FY22-enacted levels. At this amount, the final bill provides approximately $745 million more than the amount provided in the Senate proposal, and nearly $1 billion less than the amount provided in the House proposal. For more details on the FY23 spending bill, see NLIHC’s updated budget chart and full analysis.

Both the House- and Senate-proposed FY23 budgets, released earlier this year, were negotiated with little to no Republican input. To enact a final FY23 bill, appropriations leaders in the House and Senate had to come to a bipartisan agreement on funding levels, which led to relatively low topline spending numbers for HUD programs.

Despite the tighter toplines, advocates and key congressional champions were able to secure significant funding increases for HUD’s vital affordable housing programs. The increase in funding is due to the hard work of advocates across the nation and champions in Congress, including Senators Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Susan Collins (R-ME), and Representatives David Price (D-NC) and Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL), the chairs and ranking members of the Senate and House Transportation-HUD Appropriations Subcommittees.

The final spending bill provides funding increases to many programs compared to FY22, including significant funding for NLIHC’s top priorities. But while the final FY23 spending bill provides meaningful increases for vital HUD programs, far more resources are needed to address the nation’s growing affordable housing and homelessness crisis. The bill does not include, for example, the House’s proposed expansion of the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program to an additional 140,000 households. Without this expansion, Congress has missed a critical opportunity to help more households struggling to make ends meet in the wake of rising rents, increased evictions, and more homelessness.

The final spending bill does not include a tax extenders package. Advocates had urged Congress to include a tax extenders package with an extension of the Child Tax Credit and provisions related to the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC). NLIHC advocated for pairing any expansion of LIHTC with key reforms to ensure the program better serves households with the greatest and clearest needs. Efforts to enact tax legislation will continue into 2023.

Advocates should contact their representatives and senators and urge them to pass this final FY23 spending package as quickly as possible and thank them for their leadership in ensuring robust funding for housing and homelessness programs. The Senate is expected to vote on the bill as soon as today. The bill will then be voted on in the House of Representatives and head to the president’s desk for his signature before the current continuing resolution (CR) expires on December 23.

Congress Reaches Agreement on Framework for Final FY23 Spending Bill – Take Action Today!

December 14, 2022

After delays and setbacks, congressional leaders have reached a bipartisan agreement on a framework for a final fiscal year (FY) 2023 spending package. While topline spending numbers have not been made public, appropriators are now making critical decisions about how much funding should be invested in HUD’s and USDA’s affordable housing and homelessness programs.

Advocates should contact their members of Congress today and urge them to enact an FY23 spending bill as soon as possible with significant increases to HUD’s affordable housing and homelessness programs!

Background

The FY23 spending bill is one of the last opportunities this year for Congress to make robust investments in affordable housing and homelessness programs. Congress must not pass up the chance to provide the significant funding needed to ensure the nation is moving towards safe, affordable, accessible housing for all.

Both the House and Senate FY23 budget drafts provided increases to HUD’s affordable housing, homelessness, and community development programs. However, the House proposal included $3 billion more in needed investments than the Senate’s proposal, including full funding to renew all Tenant-Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) vouchers and to expand the program to an additional 140,000 households with low incomes. In comparison, the Senate proposal provided funding to renew existing vouchers but would only expand the program by 5,000 new vouchers. See NLIHC’s full analysis of the House draft, the Senate draft, and our updated budget chart for more information.

After months of delays, congressional leaders reached an agreement on December 13 for a framework for a final spending bill. Because appropriators will need more time to draft the legislation, Congress will pass a one-week continuing resolution (CR) before the current CR expires on December 16 to keep the government funded through December 23. Between now and then, appropriators will finalize decisions about spending levels for key programs, including HUD’s and USDA’s housing and homelessness programs.

Your members of Congress need to hear from you! Advocates can use NLIHC’s Take Action page to call or email their members of Congress and urge them to enact an FY23 spending bill with significant increases to HUD’s affordable housing and homelessness programs. You can also use NLIHC’s Fall and Winter 2022 Advocacy Toolkit to help create your own message to Congress!

Take action today!

Contact your members of Congress and urge them to enact an FY23 spending bill with significant increases to HUD’s affordable housing and homelessness programs, including NLIHC’s top priorities:

• Full funding for the Tenant-Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) program to renew all existing vouchers and to expand assistance to an additional 140,000 households.
• $3.6 billion for HUD’s Homeless Assistance Grants program, to address the needs of people experiencing homelessness.
• Full funding for the Public Housing Capital Fund to preserve public housing, and for the Public Housing Operating Fund.
• $100 million for legal assistance to prevent evictions.
• $300 million for HUD’s competitive tribal housing program, targeted to tribes with the greatest needs.

Use NLIHC’s Take Action page to send an email to or call your members of Congress and demand they enact an FY23 budget with these vital resources!

Take Action Today: Tell Congress to Enact an FY23 Spending Bill with Significant Funding Increases for HUD’s Affordable Housing and Homelessness Programs!

December 7, 2022

Leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate are still working to reach an agreement on a final spending bill for fiscal year (FY) 2023 before December 16, when the current continuing resolution (CR) expires. Lawmakers have until December 16 to extend the CR or pass a final spending bill, or they risk a shutdown of the federal government.

It is critical that advocates urge their members of Congress to pass a spending bill as quickly as possible with significant increases to HUD’s affordable housing and homelessness programs!

Background

The FY23 spending bill is one of the last opportunities this year for Congress to make robust investments in affordable housing and homelessness programs. Congress must not pass up the chance to provide the significant funding needed to ensure the nation is moving towards safe, affordable, accessible housing for all.

Both the House and Senate FY23 budget drafts provided increases to HUD’s affordable housing, homelessness, and community development programs. However, the House proposal included $3 billion more in needed investments than the Senate proposal, including full funding to renew all Tenant-Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) vouchers and to expand the program to an additional 140,000 households with low-incomes. In comparison, the Senate proposal provided funding to renew existing vouchers but would only expand the program by 5,000 new vouchers. See NLIHC’s full analysis of the House draft, the Senate draft, and our updated budget chart for more information. 

Congress passed a continuing resolution on September 30 to keep the government funded through December 16, and it will likely pass another short-term CR to extend the deadline to December 23 and give lawmakers more time to negotiate a final spending bill.

There is growing pressure from some conservative members of Congress to delay the federal budget process into the new year, when Republicans will take control of the House. This could potentially result in deep cuts to domestic programs – including housing and homelessness programs – or a potential year-long CR.

Long-term CRs have a drastic impact on affordable housing, homelessness, and community development programs. Because CRs maintain a consistent level of funding for federal programs, and because the cost of housing and development are tied to market rates, which have risen dramatically over the last year, flat funding would act as a cut and reduce the number of households being served by these vital programs.

Your members of Congress need to hear from you! Advocates can use NLIHC’s Take Action page to call or email their members of Congress and demand they enact an FY23 spending bill with significant increases to HUD’s affordable housing and homelessness programs. You can also use NLIHC’s Fall and Winter 2022 Advocacy Toolkit to help create your own message to Congress!
 

Take Action Today!

Contact your members of Congress and urge them to enact an FY23 spending bill by December 16 with significant increases to HUD’s affordable housing and homelessness programs, including NLIHC’s top priorities:

• Full funding for the Tenant-Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) program to renew all existing vouchers and to expand assistance to an additional 140,000 households.
• $3.6 billion for HUD’s Homeless Assistance Grants program to address the needs of people experiencing homelessness.
• Full funding for the Public Housing Capital Fund to preserve public housing, as well as for the Public Housing Operating Fund.
• $100 million for legal assistance to prevent evictions.
• $300 million for HUD’s competitive tribal housing program, targeted to tribes with the greatest needs.

Use NLIHC’s Take Action page to send an email to or call your members of Congress and demand they enact an FY23 budget with these vital resources!

House Passes FY23 Budget with 17% Increase for HUD’s Affordable Housing and Homelessness Programs

July 19, 2022

The U.S. House voted today to approve its fiscal year (FY) 2023 spending bill to provide nearly $63 billion for HUD’s vital affordable housing, homelessness, and community development programs – a $9 billion (or 17%) increase from the previous year.

If enacted, the House bill would substantially increase federal investments in housing assistance for those with the greatest needs. The bill includes a major expansion of Housing Choice Vouchers to an additional 140,000 households, which would put the nation on a path towards universal housing assistance for all eligible households, and nearly all other HUD programs would receive increased funding compared to last year. For full details, see NLIHC’s analysis and budget chart.

While the Senate is slated to release its draft spending bills before the end of the month, NLIHC expects Congress will need to enact a continuing resolution (CR) to keep the government open past the start of the new fiscal year on October 1. Congressional leaders have not yet reached a bipartisan agreement on topline spending numbers, and a CR will provide more time to negotiate and enact final spending bills by the end of the year.

Advocates should continue weighing in with their senators and representatives to urge them to expand investments in affordable, accessible homes through the FY23 spending bill, including NLIHC’s top priorities:

• $32.13 billion for the Tenant-Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) program to renew all existing contracts and expand housing vouchers to an additional 200,000 households.
• $5.125 billion for the Public Housing Capital Fund to preserve public housing, and $5.06 billion for the Public Housing Operating Fund.
• $3.6 billion for HUD’s Homeless Assistance Grants program to address the needs of people experiencing homelessness.
• $100 million for legal assistance to prevent evictions.
• $300 million for the competitive tribal housing program, targeted to tribes with the greatest needs.

Advocates should also sign the national letter led by the Campaign for Housing and Community Development Funding (CHCDF), urging Congress to provide the highest level of funding possible for housing, homelessness, and community development.
 

Negotiations on Reconciliation Bill Continue as Deadline Approaches – Take Action!

June 29, 2022

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) are continuing to hold discussions about a revised reconciliation bill, but advocates are increasingly concerned that the House-passed $150 billion in investments for affordable, accessible housing – including significant funding for NLIHC’s top priorities – will be left out of the final package.

The reconciliation package offers the best remaining chance this year for advancing the robust, long-term solutions necessary to address the nation’s affordable housing crisis. We must not miss this critically important opportunity!

Contact your members of Congress TODAY to urge them to include in any reconciliation package long-term affordable housing investments targeted to those with the greatest needs, including for NLIHC’s top priorities:

• $25 billion to expand rental assistance to more than 300,000 households. See how many vouchers your state would receive here.
• $65 billion to make critically needed repairs to public housing and preserve this valuable asset for its 2 million residents.
• $15 billion for the national Housing Trust Fund to build and preserve over 150,000 affordable, accessible homes for households with the lowest incomes. See NLIHC’s breakdown of how much each state would receive through the Housing Trust Fund here.

Email, tweet, and call your representative and senators today and ask them to support targeted investments in rental assistance, public housing, and the national Housing Trust Fund in any reconciliation package! Use our call-in script and advocacy toolkit to help create your own message to Congress!

Background

Ever since Senator Joe Manchin announced late last year that he would not support the House-passed $1.75 trillion “Build Back Better Act,” leaders in Congress have been working to put together a legislative package that could win the support of Senator Manchin as well as his Democratic colleagues. Democratic members are hopeful that such an agreement is still possible, but time is quickly running out: Congress is out of session for most of August, and the current budget resolution expires on October 1.

According to recent reports, the bill’s provisions are taking shape. President Biden has alluded to specific provisions supported by Senator Manchin that could be included in the bill, including a cap on the cost of insulin, reductions in prescription drug costs, energy-related tax breaks, a 15% minimum tax on corporations, and higher taxes for the “super wealthy.”

But Congress and the Biden administration must also ensure that the package includes the historic investments in affordable, accessible housing that were part of the House-enacted bill. Such investments continue to be desperately needed: nationally, there is a shortage of nearly 7 million affordable, available rental homes for renters with the lowest incomes, and nearly 8 million extremely low-income renter households spend over half of their incomes on rent every month. Meanwhile, decades of federal disinvestment have resulted in the loss of between 10,000 and 15,000 units of public housing to obsolescence and disrepair every year, and Congress’s underfunding of housing solutions means that just one in four households eligible for housing assistance receives help. 

Take Action Today!

Email, tweet, and call your representative and senators today and urge them to support robust investments in rental assistance, public housing, and the Housing Trust Fund in any reconciliation package!

Use our call-in script and advocacy toolkit to help create your own message to Congress!

Reconciliation Negotiations Continue as September 30 Deadline Draws Nearer – Take Action Today!

June 22, 2022

As high-level negotiations continue between Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) on a revised reconciliation package, there is increasing concern that the House-passed $150 billion in investments for affordable, accessible housing – including significant funding for NLIHC’s top priorities – will be left behind.

The reconciliation package is the last and best opportunity this year to advance the bold, long-term solutions needed to address the nation’s affordable housing crisis, and we cannot miss this critically important moment!

Contact your members of Congress TODAY and urge them to include in any reconciliation package robust affordable housing investments targeted to those with the greatest needs, including NLIHC’s top priorities:

• $25 billion to expand rental assistance to more than 300,000 households. See how many vouchers your state would receive here.
• $65 billion to make critically needed repairs to public housing and preserve this valuable asset for its 2 million residents.
• $15 billion for the national Housing Trust Fund to build and preserve over 150,000 affordable, accessible homes for households with the lowest incomes. See NLIHC’s breakdown of how much each state would receive through the Housing Trust Fund here.

Email, tweet, and call your representative and senators today and urge them to support targeted investments in rental assistance, public housing, and the national Housing Trust Fund in any reconciliation package! Use our call-in script and advocacy toolkit to help create your own message to Congress!
 

Background

After centrist Democrat Senator Joe Manchin announced in December 2021 that he could not support the House-passed $1.75 trillion “Build Back Better Act” as it was currently written, congressional leaders have been working to find a compromise that can win the support of Senator Manchin and nearly all of his Democratic colleagues. While Democratic members remain hopeful that they will be able to enact an agreement, time is running out – Congress will be out of session for the majority of August, and the current budget resolution expires when the new fiscal year begins on October 1.

Reports on the status of negotiations indicate the bill’s provisions are beginning to take shape. President Joe Biden hinted at some of the specific provisions he believes can be enacted, including capping the cost of insulin, lowering the cost of prescription drugs, providing energy-related tax breaks, and creating a 15% minimum tax on corporations as well as higher taxes for the “super wealthy” – all priorities that Senator Manchin has insisted on since negotiations restarted.

The historic investments in affordable, accessible housing in the House-enacted bill are still desperately needed. Nationally, there is a shortage of nearly 7 million affordable, available rental homes for renters with the lowest incomes, with nearly 8 million extremely low-income renter households spending over half of their incomes on rent every month. Because of decades of federal disinvestment, our nation loses between 10,000 to 15,000 units of public housing to obsolescence and disrepair every year, and Congress’s consistent underfunding of housing solutions means that just one in four households eligible for housing assistance receives any help. 
 

Take Action!

Email, tweet, and call your representative and senators today and urge them to support robust investments in rental assistance, public housing, and the Housing Trust Fund in any reconciliation package!

Use our call-in script and advocacy toolkit to help create your own message to Congress!

Take Action to Demand Targeted Affordable Housing Investments Stay in Any Reconciliation Package!

June 13, 2022

During an NLIHC-led HoUSed campaign call on June 6, Maxine Waters (D-CA), chairwoman of the U.S. House Financial Services Committee, reported that centrist Senator Joe Manchin opposes including housing investments in a reconciliation bill, putting the investments at grave risk of elimination from the reconciliation package now being negotiated by Senator Manchin and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY).

Contact your Members of Congress TODAY and urge them to include in any reconciliation package robust affordable housing investments targeted to those with the greatest needs, including NLIHC’s top priorities:

• $25 billion to expand rental assistance to more than 300,000 households. See how many vouchers your state would receive here.
• $65 billion to make critically needed repairs to public housing and preserve this valuable asset for its 2 million residents.
• $15 billion for the national Housing Trust Fund to build and preserve over 150,000 affordable, accessible homes for households with the lowest incomes. See NLIHC’s breakdown of how much each state would receive through the Housing Trust Fund here.

Email, tweet, and call your representatives today: use our call-in script and advocacy toolkit to help create your own message to Congress!
 

Background

Ever since centrist Democrat Senator Joe Manchin announced in December 2021 that he would not support the House-passed $1.75 trillion “Build Back Better Act” as it passed through the House, Congressional leaders have been working to find a compromise that can win the support of Senator Manchin and nearly all of his Democratic colleagues.

If a deal is possible, it will use a new framework suggested by Senator Manchin: increase federal revenues by raising taxes on corporations and high-income earners, create savings by reducing the costs of prescription drugs, and use the resulting resources to address the deficit, climate change, and inflation. Because the cost of housing is the single largest component of the Consumer Price Index (CPI), Congress can help address inflation and make housing affordable for people with the lowest incomes by including significant investments in housing in any reconciliation package.
 

Take Action!

Email, tweet, and call your representatives today and urge them to support robust investments in rental assistance, public housing, and the Housing Trust Fund in any reconciliation package!

Use our call-in script and advocacy toolkit to help create your own message to Congress!

TODAY: Join NLIHC’s Call-In Day and Twitterstorm to Demand Targeted Affordable Housing Investments Stay in Any Reconciliation Package!

June 7, 2022

After months of delays, the White House, congressional leaders, and key senators have restarted negotiations over a scaled-down reconciliation package, which could include robust housing investments targeted to people with the lowest incomes.

We cannot let this once-in-a-generation opportunity to advance the bold, long-term solutions needed to address the nation’s affordable housing crisis pass us by.

Join us today (June 7) for a national call-in day and Twitterstorm at 1 pm ET to urge Congress to include in any reconciliation package robust affordable housing investments targeted to those with the greatest needs, including for NLIHC’s top priorities:

• $25 billion to expand rental assistance to more than 300,000 households. See how many vouchers your state would receive here.
• $65 billion to make critically needed repairs to public housing and preserve this valuable asset for its 2 million residents.
• $15 billion for the national Housing Trust Fund to build and preserve over 150,000 affordable, accessible homes for households with the lowest incomes. See NLIHC’s breakdown of how much each state would receive through the Housing Trust Fund here.

Email, tweet, and call your representatives today and urge them to support targeted investments in rental assistance, public housing, and the national Housing Trust Fund in any reconciliation package! Use our call-in script and advocacy toolkit to help create your own message to Congress!

Background

After centrist Democrat Senator Joe Manchin announced in December 2021 that he could not support the House-passed $1.75 trillion “Build Back Better Act” as it was currently written, congressional leaders have been working to find a compromise that can win the support of Senator Manchin and nearly all of his Democratic colleagues.

If a deal is possible, it will likely use a new framework suggested by Senator Manchin: increase federal revenues by raising taxes on corporations and high-income earners; create savings by reducing the costs of prescription drugs; and use those resources to address the deficit, climate change, and inflation. Because the cost of housing is the single largest component of the Consumer Price Index (CPI), a key measure of inflation, Congress must include significant investments to make housing affordable for people with the lowest incomes and to help address inflation.

The historic investments in affordable, accessible housing in the House-enacted bill are still desperately needed. Nationally, there is a shortage of nearly 7 million affordable, available rental homes for renters with the lowest incomes, with nearly 8 million extremely low-income renter households spending over half of their income on rent every month. Because of decades of federal disinvestment, our nation loses between 10,000 and 15,000 units of public housing to obsolescence and disrepair every year, and Congress’s consistent underfunding of housing solutions means that just one in four households eligible for housing assistance actually receives any help. 
 

Take Action

Email, tweet, and call your representatives today and urge them to support robust investments in rental assistance, public housing, and the Housing Trust Fund in any reconciliation package!

Use our call-in script and advocacy toolkit to help create your own message to Congress!

Join June 7 Call-In Day and Twitterstorm to Demand Targeted Affordable Housing Investments Stay in Any Reconciliation Package!

June 1, 2022

After months of delays, the White House, congressional leaders, and key senators have restarted negotiations over a scaled-down reconciliation package that could include robust housing investments targeted to people with the lowest incomes.

We cannot let this once-in-a-generation opportunity to advance the bold, long-term solutions needed to address the nation’s affordable housing crisis pass us by!

Join us on Tuesday, June 7, for a national call-in day and Twitterstorm to urge Congress to include in any reconciliation package robust affordable housing investments targeted to those with the greatest needs, including funding for NLIHC’s top priorities:

• $25 billion to expand rental assistance to more than 300,000 households. See how many vouchers your state would receive here.
• $65 billion to make critically needed repairs to public housing and preserve this valuable asset for its 2 million residents.
• $15 billion for the national Housing Trust Fund to build and preserve over 150,000 affordable, accessible homes for households with the lowest incomes. See NLIHC’s breakdown of how much each state would receive through the Housing Trust Fund here.

Email, tweet, and call your representatives on June 7 and urge them to support targeted investments in rental assistance, public housing, and the national Housing Trust Fund in any reconciliation package! Use our call-in script and advocacy toolkit to help create your own message to Congress.
 

Background

After centrist Democrat Senator Joe Manchin announced in December 2021 that he could not support the House-passed $1.75 trillion “Build Back Better Act” as it was currently written, congressional leaders have worked to find a compromise that can win the support of Senator Manchin and nearly all of his Democratic colleagues.

If a deal is possible, it will likely use a new approach suggested by Senator Manchin: increase federal revenues by raising taxes on corporations and high-income earners; create savings by reducing the costs of prescription drugs; and use those resources to address the deficit, climate change, and inflation. Because the cost of housing is the single largest component of the Consumer Price Index (CPI), a key measure of inflation, Congress must include significant investments to make housing affordable for people with the lowest incomes and to help address inflation.

The historic investments in affordable, accessible housing in the House-enacted bill are still desperately needed. Nationally, there is a shortage of nearly 7 million affordable, available rental homes for renters with the lowest incomes, with nearly 8 million extremely low-income renter households spending over half of their incomes on rent every month. Because of decades of federal disinvestment, our nation loses between 10,000 and 15,000 units of public housing to obsolescence and disrepair every year, and Congress’s consistent underfunding of housing solutions means that just one in four households eligible for housing assistance receives any help. 
 

Take Action!

Email, tweet, and call your representatives on June 7 and urge them to support robust investments in rental assistance, public housing, and the Housing Trust Fund in any reconciliation package!

Use our call-in script and advocacy toolkit to help create your own message to Congress!

Full Analysis of President Biden’s Proposed Increases to HUD FY23 Budget

March 28, 2022

President Joe Biden and Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Marcia L. Fudge released today their full fiscal year (FY) 2023 budget request for housing and community development programs. The request proposes to fund HUD programs at $71.9 billion in discretionary spending, approximately $12.3 billion more than the FY21 level, or $6.2 billion more than the final FY22 level. The proposed budget also includes $50 billion in mandatory and other federal investments for affordable housing. For full details, see NLIHC’s analysis and updated budget chart.

President Biden and Secretary Fudge propose to significantly increase access to Housing Choice Vouchers by calling for $32.1 billion to renew all existing housing vouchers and to expand assistance to an additional 200,000 households. If enacted, this would be the most significant expansion of housing vouchers in the program’s history. The president’s budget also requests significant investments to address homelessness and to preserve and increase the supply of affordable housing, including a proposed 11% increase for Homeless Assistance Grants, a 10% increase for public housing capital funding, and a 30% increase to the HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME).

Beyond appropriated funds, the budget calls for increasing housing supply through a combination of additional Low Income Housing Tax Credits and $35 billion in mandatory funding, including $25 billion for affordable housing production grants to state and local housing finance agencies and $10 billion for grants to help remove barriers to affordable housing development, including funding for housing-related infrastructure and zoning changes.

The budget request is part of a larger effort by the Biden administration to invest in the country’s housing infrastructure. The “Build Back Better Act,” passed by the House in November 2021, includes a $150 billion investment in affordable housing, with significant funding for NLIHC’s top priorities: $25 billion to expand housing vouchers to an additional 300,000 low-income households; $65 billion to make critically needed repairs to public housing; and $15 billion for the national Housing Trust Fund to build, preserve, and operate an estimated 150,000 units of affordable, accessible housing. While the Build Back Better Act is stalled in the Senate and unlikely to advance further, congressional leaders and the White House continue to work to find agreement on a budget reconciliation package that can garner the support of all Democratic Senators. It is critical that targeted housing investments remain in any budget reconciliation bill that is enacted.

Take Action

Advocates should contact their senators and representatives to urge them to support the highest funding possible for affordable housing, homelessness, and community development programs in the FY23 spending bill and any budget reconciliation package.

FY23 Spending Bill:

• Sign your organization on to a letter supporting the highest level of funding possible for affordable housing, homelessness, and community development resources in FY23.
• Contact your senators and representatives and urge them to support NLIHC’s top priorities in FY23, including 1) an expansion of housing vouchers to an additional 200,000 households, (2) significant funding to preserve and operate public housing, (3) robust resources to address homelessness through Homeless Assistance Grants, (4) $150 million for the competitive tribal housing program targeted to tribes with the greatest needs, and (5) at least $100 million for legal assistance to prevent evictions, among other key priorities.

Budget Reconciliation Bill:

• Join over 1,800 organizations around the country in support of historic investments in rental assistance, public housing, and the Housing Trust Fund in any reconciliation bill that moves forward.
• Your members of Congress need to hear from you about why investments in rental assistance, public housing, and the Housing Trust Fund are critical to your community and why they must remain in any budget reconciliation package.

Take Action on FY22 Appropriations and Build Back Better!

February 16, 2022

Members of Congress are making crucial decisions about what to include in the overdue appropriations bill for fiscal year (FY) 2022 and the scaled-back “Build Back Better Act.” Both bills present opportunities to significantly expand affordable housing resources for households with the lowest incomes.

Leadership will make key decisions on the FY22 appropriations bill soon. The bill presents Congress with an immediate opportunity to make significant investments in affordable housing, including by expanding the Housing Choice Vouchers (HCVs) program to an additional 125,000 households with low incomes.

The Build Back Better Act proposes an historic $150 billion investment in affordable housing, including significant funding for NLIHC’s top priorities: $25 billion to expand rental assistance to an additional 300,000 households; $65 billion to preserve public housing for the nation’s almost 2 million public housing residents; and $15 billion for the national Housing Trust Fund to construct, preserve, and operate over 150,000 new units of affordable, accessible housing for households with the lowest incomes. If enacted, these provisions would be the largest single investment in our history in quality, affordable, accessible homes for the country’s lowest-income people.

We cannot let Congress pass up these opportunities! Please contact your senators and representatives today and urge them to:

1. Quickly enact an FY22 spending bill with the highest possible funding for affordable housing and community development programs, including the expansion of HCVs to an additional 125,000 households.
2. Ensure critical housing resources remain in any budget reconciliation bill.

 
Background
Members of Congress are working to enact an overdue FY22 appropriations bill. Appropriations leaders in the House and Senate announced on February 9 they had reached a bipartisan agreement on a “framework” for the spending package, but decisions are still being made about how to divvy up funding among the 12 appropriations subcommittees. The House appropriations subcommittee bill includes a significant expansion of the HCV program to an additional 125,000 households and would provide an additional $7 billion for HUD programs over FY21 enacted levels. The Senate appropriations subcommittee bill would provide almost $1 billion less to HUD and would not include an HCV expansion.

It is critical that advocates continue to urge members of Congress to protect and advance the historic affordable housing investments in the Build Back Better Act and the FY22 appropriations bill. As homelessness increases and millions of the lowest-income renters struggle to stay housed, we cannot let Congress miss these opportunities.

Take Action!

• Contact your members of Congress and urge them to quickly enact a final FY22 spending package with the highest possible funding for affordable housing and community development programs and to include the House’s proposal to expand Housing Choice Vouchers. 
• Your members of Congress need to hear from you about why investments in rental assistance, public housing, and the Housing Trust Fund are critical to your community and why they must remain in any budget reconciliation package. Breaking housing investments off into a separate bill is unacceptable.

Housing Investments at Risk in Build Back Better!

January 26, 2022

The Wall Street Journal and CNN are now reporting that the Build Back Better Act’s historic $150 billion investment in affordable housing is at risk of being eliminated!

The bill currently includes funding for NLIHC’s top priorities, and, if enacted, would result in the largest single investment in quality, affordable, accessible homes for the country’s lowest-income people in history: $25 billion to expand rental assistance, $65 billion to preserve public housing, and $15 billion for the national Housing Trust Fund.

We cannot let Congress neglect this opportunity! Please contact your senators and representatives and urge them to ensure these housing resources remain in any budget reconciliation bill moving forward.

Background

After President Biden announced his strategy of advancing and enacting a scaled-back version of the economic recovery package, the Wall Street Journal and CNN reported that housing investments may be cut. Parts of the bill that do not make it into a scaled-back version could be repackaged into stand-alone bills. These would require support from all Senate Democrats and at least 10 Senate Republicans, as well as separate floor time during an election year, ensuring virtually no chance of enactment this year.

It is critical that advocates continue to urge members of Congress to protect and advance the bill’s historic investments in rental assistance, public housing, and the Housing Trust Fund as part of any reconciliation bill that advances. 

The House-passed Build Back Better Act includes funding for NLIHC’s top priorities:

• $25 billion to expand rental assistance to more than 300,000 households;
• $65 billion to preserve public housing for its 2.5 million residents; and
• $15 billion for the national Housing Trust Fund to build and preserve over 150,000 affordable, accessible homes for households with the lowest incomes.

As homelessness increases and millions of the lowest-income renters struggle to stay housed, we cannot let Congress miss this moment of opportunity.

Take Action!

• Your members of Congress need to hear from you about why investments in rental assistance, public housing, and the Housing Trust Fund are critical to your community and why they must remain in any budget reconciliation package. Breaking housing investments off into a separate bill is unacceptable.
• Join more than 1,800 national, state, and local organizations by signing onto the HoUSed campaign’s national letter in support of historic investments in rental assistance, public housing, and the Housing Trust Fund in a reconciliation bill.

Tell Congress Historic Housing Investments Must be Included in any Reconciliation Bill that Advances!

January 21, 2022

This week, President Biden confirmed a strategy to advance and enact a scaled-back version of the “Build Back Better Act” to include only those components that can garner the support of – and cost within the total amount approved by - all Senate Democrats. This strategy comes after centrist Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) announced in mid-December his opposition to the economic recovery package as it was currently written, effectively killing the Build Back Better Act.

Parts of the bill that do not make it into a scaled back version could be repackaged into stand-alone bills. These would require support from all Senate Democrats and at least 10 Senate Republicans, as well as separate floor time during an election year, ensuring virtually no chance of enactment this year.

It is critical that advocates continue to urge your members of Congress to protect and advance the bill’s historic investments in rental assistance, public housing, and the Housing Trust Fund as part of any reconciliation bill that advances. 

As homelessness increases and millions of the lowest-income renters struggle to stay housed, we cannot let Congress miss this moment of opportunity.

The House-passed Build Back Better Act includes the largest single investment in quality, affordable, accessible homes for the country’s lowest-income people in history:

• $25 billion to expand rental assistance to more than 300,000 households.
• $65 billion to preserve public housing for its 2.5 million residents; and
• $15 billion for the national Housing Trust Fund to build and preserve over 150,000 affordable, accessible homes for households with the lowest incomes.  

Take Action

• Your members of Congress need to hear from you about why investments in rental assistance, public housing, and the Housing Trust Fund are critical to your community and why they must remain in any budget reconciliation package. Breaking off housing investments into a separate bill is unacceptable.
• Join more than 1,800 national, state, and local organizations by signing onto the HoUSed campaign’s national letter in support of historic investments in rental assistance, public housing, and the Housing Trust Fund in a reconciliation bill.

Urge Congress to Expand Housing Investments Through Build Back Better and FY22 Funding Bill!

January 19, 2022

In testimony today before a subcommittee of the House Financial Services Committee, NLIHC President and CEO Diane Yentel will call on Congress to enact the “Reforming Disaster Recovery Act” (S.2471/H.R. 4707). This critical reform legislation would help ensure that federal disaster recovery efforts reach all impacted households, including the lowest-income and most marginalized survivors, who are often hardest hit by disasters and have the fewest resources to recover.

Please contact your senators and representatives and urge them to cosponsor and quickly enact the Reforming Disaster Recovery Act.

Background

NLIHC has led advocacy efforts for equitable disaster housing recovery since Hurricane Katrina in 2005. In recent years, the NLIHC-led Disaster Housing Recovery Coalition (DHRC) has made clear to policymakers that America’s disaster housing recovery system is fundamentally broken and in need of major reform.

At today’s hearing, NLIHC’s Diane Yentel will call on Congress to emphasize racial equity, as well as equity for all historically marginalized people, to ensure that affordable housing investments and federal disaster-recovery resources reach all impacted households. As a first step, she will urge Congress to enact the Reforming Disaster Recovery Act, recently introduced by Senators Brian Schatz (D-HI), Susan Collins (R-ME), Todd Young (R-IN), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), and Bill Cassidy (R-LA), and Representative Al Green (D-TX).
 
If enacted, the legislation would permanently authorize HUD’s Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program and put in place important safeguards and tools to ensure that disaster recovery funds reach survivors with the greatest needs. The CDBG-DR program provides states, tribes, and communities with flexible, long-term recovery resources to rebuild affordable housing and infrastructure after a disaster. CDBG-DR is often one of the only recovery tools available to the lowest-income disaster survivors, but after past disasters vital resources have been diverted from the people and communities who need assistance the most.

The reform bill includes many of the DHRC’s top priorities. The bill would:

• Quickly target resources to those with the greatest needs by requiring federal recovery funds to be balanced between rebuilding infrastructure and housing; requiring housing funds to be spent proportionally between homeowners and renters; and directing grantees to prioritize serving extremely low-income, low-income, and moderate-income survivors, address pre- and post-disaster housing needs, and prepare for future disasters;
• Prioritize data transparency and oversight by requiring public input and directing grantees to provide detailed plans for how they will serve low- and moderate-income survivors in the most impacted and distressed areas;
• Protect fundamental civil rights and fair housing by requiring key information to be publicly available and disaggregated by race, ethnicity, and all other protected classes; and
• Promote disaster mitigation and resiliency.

For more information on the Reforming Disaster Recovery Act, see the DHRC’s factsheet.

Read Diane Yentel’s testimony here.

The best way for congressional leaders to enact the Reforming Disaster Recovery Act is by attaching it to a final Fiscal Year 2022 spending bill or other piece of must-pass legislation. It is critical for advocates to weigh in with their members of Congress and urge them to support enactment.
 

Take Action 

Contact your senators and representatives and urge them to quickly enact the Reforming Disaster Recovery Act (S.2471/H.R. 4707) to help ensure disaster recovery efforts serve the lowest-income and most marginalized disaster survivors.

Urge Congress to Expand Housing Investments Through Build Back Better and FY22 Funding Bill!

January 11, 2022

Congress will make critical decisions this year about whether and how to invest in affordable housing through the “Build Back Better Act” and the fiscal year (FY) 2022 spending bill.

Advocates should continue to urge their senators and representatives to use both pieces of legislation to expand housing resources for the lowest-income and most marginalized households in America.

Build Back Better
The Build Back Better Act is an historic economic recovery package that includes $150 billion for investments in affordable housing and community development programs, including significant funding for the HoUSed campaign’s top policy priorities:

• $25 billion to expand housing vouchers to more than 300,000 households
• $65 billion to preserve public housing for its 2.5 million residents
• $15 billion for the national Housing Trust Fund to build and preserve over 150,000 affordable, accessible homes for households with the lowest incomes

While the House of Representatives voted to approve the Build Back Better Act in November 2021, the bill stalled in the Senate after Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) announced in late December that he would not support the recovery package as it is currently written. Congressional leaders are using a process called “budget reconciliation” to advance the bill, which allows Congress to enact legislation with a simple majority in the Senate, rather than the 60 votes typically required in the chamber. For the bill to move forward, it must garner the support of every Democratic senator.

To gain Senator Manchin’s support, congressional leaders will make significant changes to the legislation. Any effort to reduce the size and scope of the economic recovery package puts affordable housing investments at risk of deep cuts or elimination.

It is crucial that advocates continue to make their voices heard throughout the negotiation process to protect and advance the bill’s historic affordable housing investments. 

FY 2022 Spending Bill
Advocates should also urge their members of Congress to enact a final FY22 spending bill that includes the House proposal to expand Housing Choice Vouchers to an additional 125,000 households.

The House spending bill, approved in committee in July 2021, would fund HUD programs at $56.6 billion, an increase of $6.8 billion above FY21. If enacted, the bill would provide significant funding increases to nearly all HUD programs and would expand rental assistance through the Tenant-Based Rental Assistance program to an additional 125,000 households. The Senate proposal, however, would provide HUD approximately $1 billion less than the House proposal and does not include the major expansion of rental assistance.

If Congress fails to authorize appropriations bills by February 18 when the current continuing resolution (CR) expires, it will need to enact another CR or face a government shutdown. Republicans in the Senate have threatened to move forward with a full-year CR, which would have harmful consequences for affordable housing and community development programs. Because the cost of housing and development programs are tied to market rates, which generally rise every year, flat funding acts as a cut and reduces the number of people being served.

Take Action
Congress must use every opportunity to move our nation towards universal, stable, and affordable homes for all. We cannot let lawmakers pass up this historic opportunity to make significant investments in affordable housing in both the Build Back Better Act and FY22 appropriations bill.

Contact your members of Congress today and urge them to weigh in with congressional leaders, the White House, and key committees to: 

1. Ensure the historic investments in rental assistance, public housing, and the Housing Trust Fund remain in any final version of the Build Back Better Act, and
2. Quickly enact an FY22 spending bill that includes the major expansion of housing vouchers included in the House bill.

Ensure Historic Housing Investments Remain in Build Back Better!

January 4, 2022

President Biden and congressional leaders have pledged to restart negotiations on the “Build Back Better Act” after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) postponed a vote on the economic recovery package in late December. Every single Democratic senator and nearly all Democratic representatives are needed to enact this legislation and its historic investments in affordable housing.

Your advocacy is needed, now more than ever. As negotiations continue, it is crucial that advocates continue to make their voices heard to protect and advance the bill’s historic investments in rental assistance, public housing, and the Housing Trust Fund for those most in need. Email and call your senators today!

Background

The House of Representatives voted in November 2021 to approve the Build Back Better Act, an historic economic recovery package that includes significant investments in the HoUSed campaign’s top priorities:

• $25 billion to expand rental assistance to more than 300,000 households. See how many vouchers your state would receive here.
• $65 billion to preserve public housing for its 2.5 million residents; and
• $15 billion for the national Housing Trust Fund to build and preserve over 150,000 affordable, accessible homes for households with the lowest incomes. See NLIHC’s breakdown of how much each state would receive through the Housing Trust Fund here.

Before the bill can be enacted into law, it now must be approved by the Senate, where the legislation must garner the support of every Democratic senator. Congressional leaders are using the “budget reconciliation” process that allows Congress to enact legislation with a simple majority in the Senate, rather than the typical 60 votes.

Congress adjourned at the end of the year without voting on the economic recovery package after Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) publicly stated that he does not support the legislation. To garner his support, congressional leaders will make significant changes to the legislation. Any effort to reduce the size and scope of the economic recovery package puts investments in affordable housing at risk of deep cuts or elimination. Senator Manchin proposed today to limit the bill to only the climate change provisions and to eliminate all other investments, including those in affordable housing.

Congress needs to hear from you about why investments in rental assistance, public housing, and the Housing Trust Fund are critical to your community.

Take Action

Please email and call your senators and urge them to ensure that any compromise legislation includes historic investments in affordable housing, including rental assistance, public housing and the Housing Trust Fund.

Tell Congress Historic Housing Investments Must be Included in any Reconciliation Bill that Advances!

January 21, 2022

This week, President Biden confirmed a strategy to advance and enact a scaled-back version of the “Build Back Better Act” to include only those components that can garner the support of – and cost within the total amount approved by - all Senate Democrats. This strategy comes after centrist Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) announced in mid-December his opposition to the economic recovery package as it was currently written, effectively killing the Build Back Better Act.

Parts of the bill that do not make it into a scaled back version could be repackaged into stand-alone bills. These would require support from all Senate Democrats and at least 10 Senate Republicans, as well as separate floor time during an election year, ensuring virtually no chance of enactment this year.

It is critical that advocates continue to urge your members of Congress to protect and advance the bill’s historic investments in rental assistance, public housing, and the Housing Trust Fund as part of any reconciliation bill that advances. 

As homelessness increases and millions of the lowest-income renters struggle to stay housed, we cannot let Congress miss this moment of opportunity.

The House-passed Build Back Better Act includes the largest single investment in quality, affordable, accessible homes for the country’s lowest-income people in history:

• $25 billion to expand rental assistance to more than 300,000 households.
• $65 billion to preserve public housing for its 2.5 million residents; and
• $15 billion for the national Housing Trust Fund to build and preserve over 150,000 affordable, accessible homes for households with the lowest incomes.  

Take Action

• Your members of Congress need to hear from you about why investments in rental assistance, public housing, and the Housing Trust Fund are critical to your community and why they must remain in any budget reconciliation package. Breaking off housing investments into a separate bill is unacceptable.
• Join more than 1,800 national, state, and local organizations by signing onto the HoUSed campaign’s national letter in support of historic investments in rental assistance, public housing, and the Housing Trust Fund in a reconciliation bill.

Urge Congress to Expand Housing Investments Through Build Back Better and FY22 Funding Bill!

January 19, 2022

In testimony today before a subcommittee of the House Financial Services Committee, NLIHC President and CEO Diane Yentel will call on Congress to enact the “Reforming Disaster Recovery Act” (S.2471/H.R. 4707). This critical reform legislation would help ensure that federal disaster recovery efforts reach all impacted households, including the lowest-income and most marginalized survivors, who are often hardest hit by disasters and have the fewest resources to recover.

Please contact your senators and representatives and urge them to cosponsor and quickly enact the Reforming Disaster Recovery Act.

Background
NLIHC has led advocacy efforts for equitable disaster housing recovery since Hurricane Katrina in 2005. In recent years, the NLIHC-led Disaster Housing Recovery Coalition (DHRC) has made clear to policymakers that America’s disaster housing recovery system is fundamentally broken and in need of major reform.

At today’s hearing, NLIHC’s Diane Yentel will call on Congress to emphasize racial equity, as well as equity for all historically marginalized people, to ensure that affordable housing investments and federal disaster-recovery resources reach all impacted households. As a first step, she will urge Congress to enact the Reforming Disaster Recovery Act, recently introduced by Senators Brian Schatz (D-HI), Susan Collins (R-ME), Todd Young (R-IN), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), and Bill Cassidy (R-LA), and Representative Al Green (D-TX).
 
If enacted, the legislation would permanently authorize HUD’s Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program and put in place important safeguards and tools to ensure that disaster recovery funds reach survivors with the greatest needs. The CDBG-DR program provides states, tribes, and communities with flexible, long-term recovery resources to rebuild affordable housing and infrastructure after a disaster. CDBG-DR is often one of the only recovery tools available to the lowest-income disaster survivors, but after past disasters vital resources have been diverted from the people and communities who need assistance the most.

The reform bill includes many of the DHRC’s top priorities. The bill would:

• Quickly target resources to those with the greatest needs by requiring federal recovery funds to be balanced between rebuilding infrastructure and housing; requiring housing funds to be spent proportionally between homeowners and renters; and directing grantees to prioritize serving extremely low-income, low-income, and moderate-income survivors, address pre- and post-disaster housing needs, and prepare for future disasters;
• Prioritize data transparency and oversight by requiring public input and directing grantees to provide detailed plans for how they will serve low- and moderate-income survivors in the most impacted and distressed areas;
• Protect fundamental civil rights and fair housing by requiring key information to be publicly available and disaggregated by race, ethnicity, and all other protected classes; and
• Promote disaster mitigation and resiliency.

For more information on the Reforming Disaster Recovery Act, see the DHRC’s factsheet.

Read Diane Yentel’s testimony here.

The best way for congressional leaders to enact the Reforming Disaster Recovery Act is by attaching it to a final Fiscal Year 2022 spending bill or other piece of must-pass legislation. It is critical for advocates to weigh in with their members of Congress and urge them to support enactment.

Take Action 
Contact your senators and representatives and urge them to quickly enact the Reforming Disaster Recovery Act (S.2471/H.R. 4707) to help ensure disaster recovery efforts serve the lowest-income and most marginalized disaster survivors.

Urge Congress to Expand Housing Investments Through Build Back Better and FY22 Funding Bill!

January 11, 2022

Congress will make critical decisions this year about whether and how to invest in affordable housing through the “Build Back Better Act” and the fiscal year (FY) 2022 spending bill.

Advocates should continue to urge their senators and representatives to use both pieces of legislation to expand housing resources for the lowest-income and most marginalized households in America.

Build Back Better
The Build Back Better Act is an historic economic recovery package that includes $150 billion for investments in affordable housing and community development programs, including significant funding for the HoUSed campaign’s top policy priorities:

• $25 billion to expand housing vouchers to more than 300,000 households
• $65 billion to preserve public housing for its 2.5 million residents
• $15 billion for the national Housing Trust Fund to build and preserve over 150,000 affordable, accessible homes for households with the lowest incomes

While the House of Representatives voted to approve the Build Back Better Act in November 2021, the bill stalled in the Senate after Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) announced in late December that he would not support the recovery package as it is currently written. Congressional leaders are using a process called “budget reconciliation” to advance the bill, which allows Congress to enact legislation with a simple majority in the Senate, rather than the 60 votes typically required in the chamber. For the bill to move forward, it must garner the support of every Democratic senator.

To gain Senator Manchin’s support, congressional leaders will make significant changes to the legislation. Any effort to reduce the size and scope of the economic recovery package puts affordable housing investments at risk of deep cuts or elimination.

It is crucial that advocates continue to make their voices heard throughout the negotiation process to protect and advance the bill’s historic affordable housing investments. 

FY 2022 Spending Bill
Advocates should also urge their members of Congress to enact a final FY22 spending bill that includes the House proposal to expand Housing Choice Vouchers to an additional 125,000 households.

The House spending bill, approved in committee in July 2021, would fund HUD programs at $56.6 billion, an increase of $6.8 billion above FY21. If enacted, the bill would provide significant funding increases to nearly all HUD programs and would expand rental assistance through the Tenant-Based Rental Assistance program to an additional 125,000 households. The Senate proposal, however, would provide HUD approximately $1 billion less than the House proposal and does not include the major expansion of rental assistance.

If Congress fails to authorize appropriations bills by February 18 when the current continuing resolution (CR) expires, it will need to enact another CR or face a government shutdown. Republicans in the Senate have threatened to move forward with a full-year CR, which would have harmful consequences for affordable housing and community development programs. Because the cost of housing and development programs are tied to market rates, which generally rise every year, flat funding acts as a cut and reduces the number of people being served.

Take Action
Congress must use every opportunity to move our nation towards universal, stable, and affordable homes for all. We cannot let lawmakers pass up this historic opportunity to make significant investments in affordable housing in both the Build Back Better Act and FY22 appropriations bill.

Contact your members of Congress today and urge them to weigh in with congressional leaders, the White House, and key committees to: 

1. Ensure the historic investments in rental assistance, public housing, and the Housing Trust Fund remain in any final version of the Build Back Better Act, and
2. Quickly enact an FY22 spending bill that includes the major expansion of housing vouchers included in the House bill.

Ensure Historic Housing Investments Remain in Build Back Better!

January 4, 2022

President Biden and congressional leaders have pledged to restart negotiations on the “Build Back Better Act” after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) postponed a vote on the economic recovery package in late December. Every single Democratic senator and nearly all Democratic representatives are needed to enact this legislation and its historic investments in affordable housing.

Your advocacy is needed, now more than ever. As negotiations continue, it is crucial that advocates continue to make their voices heard to protect and advance the bill’s historic investments in rental assistance, public housing, and the Housing Trust Fund for those most in need. Email and call your senators today!

Background

The House of Representatives voted in November 2021 to approve the Build Back Better Act, an historic economic recovery package that includes significant investments in the HoUSed campaign’s top priorities:

• $25 billion to expand rental assistance to more than 300,000 households. See how many vouchers your state would receive here.
• $65 billion to preserve public housing for its 2.5 million residents; and
• $15 billion for the national Housing Trust Fund to build and preserve over 150,000 affordable, accessible homes for households with the lowest incomes. See NLIHC’s breakdown of how much each state would receive through the Housing Trust Fund here.

Before the bill can be enacted into law, it now must be approved by the Senate, where the legislation must garner the support of every Democratic senator. Congressional leaders are using the “budget reconciliation” process that allows Congress to enact legislation with a simple majority in the Senate, rather than the typical 60 votes.

Congress adjourned at the end of the year without voting on the economic recovery package after Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) publicly stated that he does not support the legislation. To garner his support, congressional leaders will make significant changes to the legislation. Any effort to reduce the size and scope of the economic recovery package puts investments in affordable housing at risk of deep cuts or elimination. Senator Manchin proposed today to limit the bill to only the climate change provisions and to eliminate all other investments, including those in affordable housing.

Congress needs to hear from you about why investments in rental assistance, public housing, and the Housing Trust Fund are critical to your community.

Take Action

Please email and call your senators and urge them to ensure that any compromise legislation includes historic investments in affordable housing, including rental assistance, public housing and the Housing Trust Fund.

The Fight Isn't Over: Take Action TODAY

December 21, 2021

Dear NLIHC members, partners, and allies:

After almost a year of our collective advocacy for the $150 billion of historic affordable housing investments in the "Build Back Better Act", on Sunday Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) effectively killed the bill by announcing that he will not vote for the historic recovery package.

But this fight isn’t over, and we are not giving up. The stakes, and the cost of inaction, are too high.

The $150 billion in affordable housing and community development investments in the Build Back Better Act includes significant funding for NLIHC’s HoUSed campaign’s top policy priorities: $25 billion to expand rental assistance to more than 300,000 households; $65 billion to preserve public housing for its 2.5 million residents; and $15 billion for the national Housing Trust Fund to build or preserve over 150,000 affordable, accessible homes for households with the lowest incomes.

We cannot allow Congress to miss this opportunity to make the single largest investment in history in quality, affordable, accessible homes for the country’s lowest-income people.

The White House and congressional leadership have pledged to continue working on Build Back Better until it is enacted. Senate Majority Leader Schumer said he will bring up the bill for a vote “in the new year.” As negotiations in the Senate continue, the bill will be significantly reworked and some priorities in the bill may be removed altogether. Already, Senator Manchin, Senator Wyden and the House New Democrat Coalition have all shared separate compromise proposals. One thing they all have in common: zeroing out affordable housing investments (among many other things).

This is unacceptable.

We need your advocacy to ensure that housing investments aren’t dropped from a potential compromise bill, as they nearly were months ago. It is crucial that advocates continue to urge your members of Congress to protect the bill’s historic affordable housing investments!

Email and call your senators TODAY and urge them to support the historic investments in rental assistance, public housing, and the Housing Trust Fund in the Build Back Better Act! Use our toolkit for  talking points, sample tweets, draft op-eds, and more to spread the word and keep up the pressure!

Thank you for your advocacy!

Onward,

Join December 17 Day of Action to Urge Your Senators to Pass the #BuildBackBetter Act!

December 10, 2021

Join NLIHC, the Coalition on Human Needs, and other advocates across the nation for a Digital Day of Action on Friday, December 17 to urge your senators to pass the “Build Back Better Act” and its unprecedented investments in rental assistance, public housing, and the Housing Trust Fund! The Senate could vote on the bill as soon as the week of December 20, but congressional leaders must first secure the support of every single Democratic senator.

Your advocacy is critically needed!

We encourage all advocates to participate by emailing and calling your senators and posting on social media using the hashtag #BuildBackBetterAct. NLIHC’s HoUSed #BuildBackBetter Advocacy Toolkit includes talking points, sample op-eds, and social media messages that advocates can use.

Background

The House of Representatives voted on November 19 to approve the Build Back Better Act, an historic economic recovery package that includes significant investments in the HoUSed campaign’s top priorities:

• $25 billion to expand rental assistance to more than 300,000 households. See how many vouchers your state would receive here.
• $65 billion to preserve public housing for its 2.5 million residents; and
• $15 billion for the national Housing Trust Fund to build and preserve over 150,000 affordable, accessible homes for households with the lowest incomes. See NLIHC’s breakdown of how much each state would receive through the Housing Trust Fund here.

Before the bill can be enacted into law, it now must be approved by Senate, where the legislation must garner the support of every single Democratic senator. Congressional leaders are using the “budget reconciliation” process that allows Congress to enact legislation with a simple majority in the Senate, rather than the typical 60 votes.

Congressional leaders aim to pass the bill into law before Congress adjourns at the end of the year. Centrist Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Krysten Sinema (D-AZ), however, have not yet publicly agreed to vote for the legislation, and there remains strong disagreement over the size and scope of the package.

Because changes are expected before the bill goes to the Senate floor, the House will have to vote again to approve the updated legislation before it can go to the president’s desk for his signature. To pass the House again, nearly all Democratic representatives will need to vote for the legislation.

Take Action on December 17

• Email and call your senators and urge them to pass the #BuildBackBetter Act! Find the telephone number for your members of Congress here or send an email. Educate your members of Congress on why investments in rental assistance, public housing, and the Housing Trust Fund are critical to your community.

Urge your members of Congress to pass the #BuildBackBetterAct by tagging them on social media! Use NLIHC’s HoUSed #BuildBackBetter Advocacy Toolkit, which includes talking points, sample op-eds, and social media messages.

Tell Your Senators to Pass ‘Build Back Better’ with Historic Investments in Affordable Housing

December 09, 2021

President Biden and congressional leaders are working to finish negotiations and secure the support of every single Democratic senator and nearly all Democratic representatives to enact the “Build Back Better Act” before the end of the year. The Senate could vote on the bill as soon as the week of December 20.  Your advocacy is critically needed! Email and call your senators TODAY and urge them to vote for the Build Back Better Act and its unprecedented investments in rental assistance, public housing, and the Housing Trust Fund for those most in need!

Background

The House of Representatives voted on November 19 to approve the Build Back Better Act, a historic economic recovery package that includes significant investments in the HoUSed campaign’s top priorities:

• $25 billion to expand rental assistance to more than 300,000 households. See how many vouchers your state would receive here.
• $65 billion to preserve public housing for its 2.5 million residents; and
• $15 billion for the national Housing Trust Fund to build and preserve over 150,000 affordable, accessible homes for households with the lowest incomes. See NLIHC’s breakdown of how much each state would receive through the Housing Trust Fund here.

Before the bill can be enacted into law, it now must be approved by Senate, where the legislation must garner the support of every single Democratic senator. Congressional leaders are using the “budget reconciliation” process that allows Congress to enact legislation with a simple majority in the Senate, rather than the typical 60 votes.

Congressional leaders aim to pass the bill into law before Congress adjourns at the end of the year. Centrist Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Krysten Sinema (D-AZ), however, have not yet publicly agreed to vote for the legislation, and there remains strong disagreement over the size and scope of the package.

Because changes are expected before the bill goes to the Senate floor, the House will have to vote again to approve the updated legislation before it can go to the president’s desk for his signature. To pass the House again, nearly all Democratic representatives will need to vote for the legislation.

Congress needs to hear from you about why investments in rental assistance, public housing, and the Housing Trust Fund are critical to your community.

Take Action

Please email and call your senators TODAY and urge them to support the Build Back Better Act and its historic investments in affordable housing, including rental assistance, public housing and the Housing Trust Fund.

House Approves “Build Back Better Act” with Historic Housing Investments; Contact Your Senators!

November 18, 2021

The House of Representatives voted today  to approve the “Build Back Better Act, a $1.75 trillion economic recovery package that includes more than $150 billion in affordable housing investments!

With today’s vote, Congress is one step closer to enacting this historic legislation, which includes robust funding for the HoUSed campaign’s top priorities: $25 billion to expand rental assistance to over 300,000 households; $65 billion to preserve the nation’s deteriorating public housing infrastructure; and $15 billion for the national Housing Trust Fund to build and preserve over 150,000 affordable, accessible homes for households with the lowest incomes.

Your advocacy is still needed! The bill is now slated for a vote in the Senate, where further changes to the bill are expected. Once approved by the Senate, the House will have to vote a second time to enact the legislation before it can go to the president for his signature.

Email and call your senators and urge them to support the Build Back Better Act and its historic investments in rental assistance, public housing, and the Housing Trust Fund!
 

Background

The House of Representatives voted today to approve the Build Back Better Act, a historic economic recovery package that includes significant investments in the HoUSed campaign’s top priorities:

• $25 billion to expand rental assistance to more than 300,000 households. See how many vouchers your state would receive here.
• $65 billion to preserve public housing for its 2.5 million residents; and
• $15 billion for the national Housing Trust Fund to build and preserve over 150,000 affordable, accessible homes for households with the lowest incomes. See NLIHC’s breakdown of how much each state would receive through the Housing Trust Fund here.

Thanks to your sustained and effective advocacy, and to the leadership and dedication of Chairwoman Maxine Waters, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Chairman Sherrod Brown, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and other congressional leaders, Congress is one step closer to enacting critically needed housing investments for America’s lowest-income and most marginalized households.

This is an extraordinary milestone – but more work is needed. Before the Senate can vote on the economic recovery package, President Biden, Senate Leader Schumer, centrist Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Krysten Sinema (D-AZ), and other senators will need to reach an agreement over the size and scope of the Build Back Better Act. Any further cuts to the overall size of the Build Back Better Act could put the bill’s affordable housing investments at risk.

Senate Leader Schumer has stated that a vote on the economic recovery package will take place in December. Because changes are expected when the bill goes to the Senate floor, the House will have to vote again to approve the updated legislation before it can go to the president’s desk for his signature. Congressional leaders hope to finish the process of passing the bill into law before Congress adjourns at the end of the year.

To enact this ambitious legislation, however, President Biden and congressional leaders will need the support of every single Democratic senator and nearly all Democratic representatives. Congress needs to hear from you about why investments in rental assistance, public housing, and the Housing Trust Fund are critical to your community.
 

Take Action

Please email and call your representatives and urge them to support the Build Back Better Act and its historic investments in affordable housing, including rental assistance, public housing and the Housing Trust Fund.

Urgent! Contact Your Members of Congress on "Build Back Better"

November 16, 2021

The House may vote this week on the “Build Back Better Act, the $1.75 trillion economic recovery package that includes more than $150 billion in affordable housing investments. A previously scheduled vote was postponed after centrist Democratic members of Congress threatened to withhold support for the legislation.

The Build Back Better Act includes significant resources for the HoUSed campaign’s top priorities: $25 billion to expand rental assistance to over 300,000 households; $65 billion to preserve the nation’s deteriorating public housing infrastructure; and $15 billion for the national Housing Trust Fund to build and preserve over 150,000 affordable, accessible homes for households with the lowest incomes.

Email and call your representatives and senators – especially centrist members of Congress – and urge them to vote “yes” on the Build Back Better Act and its historic investments in rental assistance, public housing, and the Housing Trust Fund!

Background

Congressional leaders and progressive members of Congress are urging the House to hold a vote on the Build Back Better Act as soon as this week, but the fate of the legislation is unclear.

Speaker Pelosi was recently forced to pull the legislation from the House floor, after centrist Democrats refused to vote in support of the legislative package until the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) assesses the fiscal impact of the legislation. While some of these centrists agreed to vote on the final legislation this week if the CBO indicates the bill is deficit-neutral, there is no guarantee they will make good on this promise.

As negotiations in Congress continue to drag out, passage of the historic legislation is at risk. It is critical that advocates urge their members of Congress – especially the more centrist representatives and senators – to vote in favor of the Build Back Better Act and the bill’s robust investments in affordable housing. To enact this ambitious legislation, President Biden and congressional leaders will need the support of every single Democratic senator and nearly all Democratic representatives.

See a full list of top priority congressional targets here.

Take Action Today!

Please email and call your representatives and urge them to vote yes on the Build Back Better Act and its historic investments in affordable housing, including rental assistance, public housing and the Housing Trust Fund.

Keep Up Your Advocacy for Build Back Better!

November 10, 2021

After centrist Democratic members of Congress threatened last week to withhold support for the “Build Back Better Act,” congressional leaders were forced to postpone a critical vote on the House floor on the $1.75 trillion economic recovery package. While some of these centrists indicated they are open to voting in support of final spending package, the fate of this legislation is unclear.

The Build Back Better Act includes more than $150 billion in affordable housing investments, including significant resources for the HoUSed campaign’s top priorities: $25 billion to expand rental assistance to approximately 300,000 households; $65 billion to preserve the nation’s deteriorating public housing infrastructure; and $15 billion for the national Housing Trust Fund to build and preserve over 150,000 affordable, accessible homes for households with the lowest incomes.

Congress needs to hear from you! Email and call your representatives and senators – especially centrist members of Congress – and urge them to quickly enact the Build Back Better Act and its historic investments in rental assistance, public housing, and the Housing Trust Fund!

Background

Last week, congressional leaders were forced to pull the Build Back Better Act from the House floor, after centrist Democrats refused to vote in support of the legislative package until the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) publishes an official assessment of the fiscal impact of the legislation. While some of these centrists agreed to vote on the final legislation the week of November 15 if the CBO indicates the bill is deficit-neutral, there is no guarantee they will make good on this promise. As negotiations in Congress continue to drag out, passage of the historic legislation is at risk.

It is critical that advocates urge their members of Congress – especially the more moderate representatives and senators – to vote in favor of the Build Back Better Act and the bill’s robust investments in affordable housing. To enact this ambitious legislation, President Biden and congressional leaders will need the support of every single Democratic senator and nearly all Democratic representatives.

Top targets include:

• Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV);
• Senator Krysten Sinema (D-AZ);
• Representative Carolyn Bordeaux (D-GA);
• Representative Ed Case (D-HI);
• Representative Jared Golden (D-ME);
• Representative Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ);
• Representative Stephanie Murphy (D-FL);
• Representative Scott Peters (D-CA);
• Representative Kathleen Rice (D-NY);
• Representative Kurt Schrader (D-OR);
• Representative Abigail Spanberger (D-VA); and
• Other centrist Democrats in the House and Senate.

See a full list of top priority targets here.

Congress is on recess this week and the week of Thanksgiving, during which members of Congress will be home in their districts. Use NLIHC’s guidance for tips and ideas on in-district advocacy.

The Build Back Better Act includes more than $150 billion in housing investments, including robust funding for the HoUSed campaign’s top priorities:

• $25 billion to expand rental assistance to approximately 300,000 households. See how many vouchers your state would receive here.
• $65 billion to preserve public housing for its 2.5 million residents; and
• $15 billion for the national Housing Trust Fund to build and preserve over 150,000 affordable, accessible homes for households with the lowest incomes. See NLIHC’s breakdown of how much each state would receive through the Housing Trust Fund here.

For more details of the housing investments in the bill, see NLIHC’s full analysis here.

Take Action

Please email and call your representatives and urge them to vote yes on the Build Back Better Act and its historic investments in affordable housing, including rental assistance, public housing and the Housing Trust Fund.

President Biden, Congressional Leaders Consider Deep Cuts to Housing in ‘Build Back Better Act’

October 20, 2021

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President Biden and congressional leadership are negotiating deep cuts to the “Build Back Better Act” and considering gutting housing funding from $327 billion to $100 billion or less - squandering this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to end homelessness and put our nation on a path to housing stability and equity for all.

Let’s be clear: slashing critically needed and long-overdue housing investments for America’s lowest-income and most marginalized households is unacceptable.

NOW MORE THAN EVER, we need your help protect these essential and targeted investments:

• $90 billion to expand rental assistance to 1 million of the lowest-income households; 
• $80 billion to repair and preserve public housing for over 2.5 million renters; and
• $37 billion for the national Housing Trust to build and preserve 330,000 rental homes affordable to people with the lowest incomes.

Any cuts to funding for these priority programs means fewer people safely and affordably housed.

Take Action!

1. Contact your senators and representative TODAY and urge them to call President Biden, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Senate Leader Chuck Schumer to urge that any cuts to the Build Back Better Act aren’t made at the expense of housing our country’s lowest-income and most marginalized people.  
2. Join more than 1,700 organizations nationwide by signing the HoUSed campaign letter. Sign on to the letter here.

Thank you for your advocacy!

Senate Committee Proposes FY22 Funding Increases for Affordable Housing

October 19, 2021

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The Senate Appropriations Committee released today its Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development (THUD) spending bill for fiscal year (FY) 2022, which provides critical funding for affordable housing programs.

Overall, the bill increases funding for HUD programs in FY22, although at levels lower than those proposed in the House. The Senate bill funds HUD at $65.4 billion, or $5.7 billion above FY21 enacted levels. Unfortunately, the Senate bill does not include the major expansion of rental assistance proposed by both President Biden and the House.

For more details on the FY22 spending bills, see NLIHC’s updated budget chart and full analysis.

Now that the Senate has released its proposal, congressional leaders will work to negotiate final spending bills for the upcoming fiscal year. A continuing resolution (CR) is currently in effect until December 3; at that time, Congress will need to either extend the CR or pass final spending bills to avoid a partial or full government shutdown.

Advocates should continue to contact your senators and representatives to urge them to pass bolder investments in deeply affordable, accessible homes by providing the highest level of funding possible in both the FY22 spending bill (at the House of Representative’s level of funding) and in the “Build Back Better Act,” which includes NLIHC’s 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.

Take Action!

1. Sign your organization to a letter supporting increased funding in FY22 for affordable housing, homelessness, and community development resources.
2. Contact your senators and representatives and urge them to support the HoUSed campaign’s top priorities in the Build Back Better Act.
3. Sign the HoUSed campaign’s national letter calling on Congress to enact long-term solutions to the housing crisis.

New Op-ed: Seizing a Once in a Lifetime Opportunity to End Homelessness in the U.S.

October 14, 2021

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The Hill published a joint op-ed by NLIHC President and CEO Diane Yentel and National Alliance to End Homelessness President and CEO Nan Roman urging President Biden and Congress to protect targeted and critical housing investments in the Build Back Better Act, and to seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to end homelessness in the U.S. by building new homes affordable for people with the lowest incomes, repairing public housing, and paving the path to universal rental assistance for everyone in need.

The national shortage of affordable housing and resulting homelessness have been growing since the early 1980s. Congress is now considering historic legislation with funding at the scale necessary for long-term housing solutions. These investments are long-overdue and much needed, but they are currently at risk in the negotiations on the overall size of the reconciliation bill.

“Any cuts to the Build Back Better Act must not come at the expense of housing our country’s lowest income people, and housing investments must be deeply targeted towards those with the greatest needs,” stated Diane and Nan in the joint op-ed. “Affordable homes are essential to thriving individuals, families, communities, and the nation. They are essential to ending widespread homelessness.”  

Take Action!

Today! Take Action on Dear Colleague Letter to Protect Key Housing Investments in “Build Back Better Act”!

October 05, 2021

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President Biden and congressional leaders are working to reach an agreement with moderate Democrats to drastically cut the “Build Back Better Act” from $3.5 trillion to as little as $1.5 trillion. The $327 billion in affordable housing investments included in the economic recovery package are at risk!

In response to these threats, Representative Ritchie Torres (D-NY) is circulating a Dear Colleague Letter, urging Congress to ensure that any cuts to the Build Back Better Act do not come at the expense of affordable, accessible homes for America’s lowest-income and most marginalized people. The letter calls on Congress to fully fund in the final package the HoUSed campaign’s top priorities: $90B for rental assistance, $80B for public housing, and $37B for the national Housing Trust Fund.

Take action today to ensure that Congress does not waste this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to end homelessness!

Take Action NOW!

Background

House and Senate leaders hope to enact the Build Back Better Act by October 31, but key decisions will be made in the coming days and weeks. President Biden, congressional leaders, and moderate Democrats could reach an agreement as soon as this week on a new topline amount for the Build Back Better Act. Any cuts to the overall economic recovery package put the bill’s $327 billion in affordable housing investments at risk.

The Build Back Better Act currently includes the HoUSed campaign’s top priorities:

Taken together, these investments could effectively end homelessness in the United States. Any cuts to funding for these priority programs means fewer people safely and affordably housed.

Thank you for your advocacy!

Immediate Action Needed: Protect Housing for People Most in Need in “Build Back Better Act”!

October 04, 2021

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President Biden and congressional leaders are crafting an agreement with moderate Democrats to drastically cut the “Build Back Better Act” economic recovery package. The Washington Post reports today that “the administration’s housing proposal, which called for more than $300 billion to build or retrofit over three million housing units, may prove among the first to hit the cutting room floor.”

We can’t let them squander this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to end homelessness!

TAKE ACTION NOW  to ensure that any cuts made to the overall package do not come at the expense of getting and keeping the country’s lowest income people housed.

The Build Back Better Act's $327 billion for affordable housing includes:

1. Urge your senators to sign on to the Dear Colleague Letter from Senators Merkley, Padilla, and Feinstein in support of housing investments. Senate offices can sign on by contacting Matt Traylor in Senator Merkley’s office TODAY, October 14. ([email protected]).
2. Urge your representatives to sign on to a Dear Colleague Letter in the House of Representatives to show their support for these essential investments to end homelessness. Members of Congress can sign on by contacting Aaron Groce in Representative Ritchie Torres’s office ([email protected]) by noon tomorrow, October 15.
3. Join the more than 1,700 organizations nationwide by signing the HoUSed campaign letter. Sign on to the letter here.
   1. Urge your senators and representatives to sign onto the Dear Colleague Letter from Congressmember Torres to show their support for the HoUSed campaign’s priorities. Members of Congress can sign on by contacting Aaron Groce in Representative Torres’s office ([email protected]) by noon on Friday, October 8.
   2. Contact your senators and representatives TODAY and urge them to provide the highest funding possible for the HoUSed campaign’s priorities in Build Back Better Act. Educate your members of Congress on why investments in rental assistance, public housing, and the Housing Trust Fund are critical to your community.
   3. Join 1,600 organizations nationwide by signing the HoUSed campaign letter.  Sign on to the letter here.
   • $90 billion to expand rental assistance to 1 million of the lowest-income households; 
   • $80 billion to repair and preserve public housing for over 2.5 million renters; and
   • $37 billion for the national Housing Trust to build and preserve 330,000 rental homes affordable to people with the lowest incomes.
   • $90 billion to expand rental assistance to 1 million of the lowest income households; 
   • $80 billion to repair and preserve public housing for over 2.5 million renters; and
   • $37 billion for the national Housing Trust to build and preserve 330,000 rental homes affordable to people with the lowest incomes.
4. Taken together, these investments could effectively end homelessness in the United States. Any cuts to funding for these priority programs means fewer people safely and affordably housed.

   Take Action NOW

   1. Contact your senators and representatives TODAY and urge them to provide the highest funding possible for the HoUSed campaign’s priorities in Build Back Better Act. Educate your members of Congress on why investments in rental assistance, public housing, and the Housing Trust Fund are critical to your community.
   2. Join nearly 1,600 organizations nationwide by signing the HoUSed campaign letter.  Sign on to the letter here.

   Thank you for your advocacy!

Take Action: House Budget Committee Advances “Build Back Better Act,” with Full House Vote as Soon as the Coming Week

September 14, 2021

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The House Budget Committee voted today to advance the “Build Back Better Act,” a $3.5 trillion comprehensive infrastructure and economic recovery package, to the House Rules Committee in preparation for a full vote on the House floor. The full vote in the House could take place as soon as the coming week.

While today’s vote was procedural and did not allow members to make any substantive changes to the bill text, the Rules Committee may make sweeping changes to the bill, including major cuts in funding. Any reduction to the “Build Back Better Act” could result in harmful cuts to the $327 billion proposed for affordable housing currently in the bill and put at risk the HoUSed campaign’s top priorities: $90 billion for rental assistance, $80 billion to preserve public housing, and $37 billion in the national Housing Trust Fund to build and preserve homes affordable to people with the lowest incomes.

Contact your senators and representatives and urge them to ensure that any reduction to the “Build Back Better Act” does not come at the expense of proven housing solutions for those with the greatest needs and to prioritize the highest level of funding possible for rental assistance, public housing, and the Housing Trust Fund.

Background

The House Financial Services Committee voted on September 14 to approve legislation to invest $327 billion in affordable housing through a $3.5 trillion “Build Back Better” reconciliation bill, which could pass in the Senate with a simple majority rather than the 60 votes required for other legislation. The bill was drafted by the House Financial Services Committee and Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee.

Before the bill is brought up for a vote on the House floor – potentially as soon as the coming week – congressional leaders must make changes to garner enough support among House and Senate moderates, who threaten to vote against the bill unless the overall size of the package is reduced. To enact the bill, Speaker Nancy Pelosi can afford to lose only three votes from House Democrats, and every Senate Democrat must vote for the legislation.

The bill currently includes $327 billion in affordable housing investments, including robust funding for the HoUSed campaign’s top priorities:

• $90 billion for rental assistance, including $75 billion for Housing Choice Vouchers and $15 billion for Project-Based Rental Assistance. See the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities’ state-by-state breakdown of how many people would be assisted through this voucher expansion; 
• $80 billion to preserve public housing; and
• $37 billion for the national Housing Trust Fund (as a set-aside within the HOME Investment Partnership Program). See NLIHC’s state-by-state estimate of this investment.

Read NLIHC’s full analysis of the legislation here.

It is critical that Congress use this once-in-a-generation opportunity to prioritize investing in decent, accessible affordable housing for those with the greatest, clearest needs – people experiencing homelessness and people with the lowest incomes. If done right, investments in this bill could effectively end homelessness in the U.S.

Contact your senators and representatives and urge them to ensure that any cuts to the Build Back Better Act do not come at the expense of proven housing solutions for those with the greatest needs and to provide the highest possible funding levels for the HoUSed campaign’s top priorities.

Take Action

1. Contact your senators and representatives and urge them to provide the highest funding possible for the HoUSed campaign’s priorities in Build Back Better Act. Educate your members of Congress on why investments in rental assistance, public housing, and the Housing Trust Fund are critical to your community.
2. Join nearly 1,600 organizations nationwide by 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!

Take Action: House Committee Approves Major Housing Investments

September 14, 2021

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The House Financial Services Committee just voted 30 to 24 to approve legislation 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 in the national Housing Trust Fund to build and preserve homes affordable to people with the lowest incomes. Read NLIHC’s full analysis of the legislation here.

With today’s vote, we are one step closer to enacting these long overdue and much needed investments, but we have more work ahead of us! The infrastructure bill will now be combined with legislation from other committees into a larger budget reconciliation package and receive a vote on the House floor by the end of the month. After passage in the House, the bill will head to the Senate for consideration.

Advocates should continue to contact their senators and representatives and urge them to quickly enact the infrastructure and economic recovery package and to prioritize the highest level of funding possible for rental assistance, public housing, and the Housing Trust Fund.

Take Action

1. Contact your senators and representatives and urge them to include the highest funding level possible for the HoUSed campaign’s priorities in the infrastructure and economic recovery package. 
2. Join more than 1,400 organizations nationwide by signing the HoUSed campaign letter.

Thank you for you advocacy!

Take Action: House Releases Landmark Legislation with Major Housing Investments!

September 9, 2021

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The House Financial Services Committee released today landmark legislation investing more than $330 billion in affordable housing as part of a $3.5 trillion infrastructure and economic recovery package!

Thanks to your sustained and effective advocacy, and to the leadership and dedication of Chairwoman Maxine Waters, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Chairman Sherrod Brown, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and other congressional leaders, the bill includes robust funding for the HoUSed campaign’s top priorities including $90 billion for rental assistance, $80 billion to preserve public housing, and $37 billion in the national Housing Trust Fund to build and preserve homes affordable to people with the lowest incomes.

This is an extraordinary milestone – but we have further to go to achieve these long overdue and much needed investments!

Advocates should continue to contact their senators and representatives and urge them to quickly enact the infrastructure and economic recovery package and to prioritize the highest level of funding possible for rental assistance, public housing, and the Housing Trust Fund.

Background

The House Financial Services Committee has released legislation to invest more than $330 billion in affordable housing through a $3.5 trillion infrastructure and economic recovery reconciliation bill, which could pass in the Senate with a simple majority rather than the 60 votes required for other legislation. The bill was drafted by the House Financial Services Committee and Senate Banking and Housing Committee.

The legislation invests robust funding in the HoUSed campaign’s top priorities. The bill includes:

• $90 billion for rental assistance, including $75 billion for Housing Choice Vouchers and $15 billion for Project-Based Rental Assistance;
• $80 billion to preserve public housing; and
• $37 billion for the national Housing Trust Fund (as a set-aside within the HOME Investment Partnership Program).

The bill also includes, among other investments:

• $35 billion for the HOME Investment Partnership Program;
• $9.6 billion for a new “Housing Investment Fund” through the Capital Magnet Fund;
• $10 billion to address lead hazards and ensure healthy housing;
• $10 billion for down payment assistance;
• $8.5 billion for Community Development Block Grants;
• $7.5 billion for a Community Restoration and Revitalization Fund
• $6 billion for green preservation of HUD multifamily housing;
• $4 billion to address health and safety concerns in HUD homes;
• $5.1 billion for rural housing;
• $4.5 billion to address zoning barriers to affordable housing;
• $2.5 billion for Section 202 Housing for the Elderly;
• $1 billion for Section 811 Housing for Persons with Disabilities;
• $2 billion for tribal housing; and
• $1.25 billion for fair housing activities.

Read NLIHC’s full analysis of the legislation here.

It is critical that Congress use this once-in-a-generation opportunity to prioritize investing in decent, accessible affordable housing for those with the greatest, clearest needs – people experiencing homelessness and people with the lowest incomes. If done right, investments in this bill could effectively end homelessness in the United States.

Advocates should urge their senators and representatives to provide the highest possible funding levels for the HoUSed campaign’s top priorities: expanded rental assistance for those most in need; preservation of public housing; increased investments in the national Housing Trust Fund to build and operate rental homes for people with the lowest incomes.

The House Financial Services Committee is scheduled to vote on the bill on September 13, before it is combined into a larger infrastructure and economic recovery package for a vote on the House floor by the end of the month. Democratic leaders are working to enacted the bill by mid-October.

Take Action

1. 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.
2. Join more than 1,300 organizations nationwide by 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!

URGENT: Take Action – Congress Is Finalizing Key Details in Infrastructure and Economic Recovery Package

September 2, 2021

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The House and Senate are currently determining how to invest more than $330 billion in affordable housing as part of its $3.5 trillion infrastructure and economic recovery bill. Congress needs to hear from you NOW! 

This bill is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to begin to end homelessness and housing poverty in America, but ONLY if Congress includes the targeted investments called for by over 1,300 organizations in the HoUSed campaign: investing $45 billion in the national Housing Trust Fund; $180 billion to expand rental assistance for those most in need; and $70 billion to preserve public housing.

Background

The Senate Banking and Housing Committee and House Financial Services Committee are working to finish writing legislation to invest more than $330 billion in affordable housing through a $3.5 trillion infrastructure and economic recovery reconciliation bill, which could pass in the Senate with a simple majority rather than the 60 votes required for other legislation.

It is critical that Congress use this opportunity to prioritize investing in decent, accessible affordable housing for those with the greatest, clearest needs – people experiencing homelessness and people with the lowest incomes.

To ensure these investments are used to help end homelessness and housing poverty in America, advocates should urge their senators and representatives to include full funding for the HoUSed campaign’s top priorities: investing $180 billion to expand rental assistance for those most in need, providing $70 billion to preserve public housing, and investing $45 billion in the national Housing Trust Fund to build and operate rental homes for people with the lowest incomes.

The HoUSed campaign works to achieve the large-scale, sustained investments and anti-racist reforms necessary to ensure renters with the lowest incomes have stable, accessible, affordable homes. This infrastructure and economic recovery package is our first and best opportunity to advance our priorities, including expanding rental assistance, repairing public housing, and investing in the national Housing Trust Fund to build apartments affordable to the lowest-income people.

The House Financial Services Committee is scheduled to vote on the bill on September 13, before it is combined into a larger infrastructure and economic recovery package for a vote on the House floor by the end of the month. Democratic leaders expect the bill to be enacted and signed into law by mid-October.

Take Action TODAY!

We need advocates to take action:

1. 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.
2. Join more than 1,300 organizations nationwide by 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!

Take Action: House Approves Budget Resolution Setting Stage for $339 Billion in Affordable Housing Investments

August 24, 2021

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The House voted 220 - 212 today to approve a budget resolution, setting the stage for a $3.5 trillion infrastructure and economic recovery package, including up to $339 billion in investments to get and keep low-income people housed.  
 
Now that the House and Senate have approved the budget resolution, the Senate Banking Committee and House Financial Services Committee will begin drafting legislation to divvy its allocation among the various programs. With your advocacy, we can ensure that this once-in-a-generation investment includes the #HoUSed campaign’s top priorities: expanding rental assistance with $180 billion phased in over ten years, providing $70 billion to preserve public housing, and investing $45 billion in the national Housing Trust Fund. Together, these resources will help ensure that America’s lowest-income and most marginalized households have a safe, accessible, and affordable home.

Background

The HoUSed campaign works to achieve the large-scale, sustained investments and anti-racist reforms necessary to ensure that renters with the lowest incomes have stable, accessible, affordable homes. An infrastructure and economic recovery package is our first and best opportunity to advance the HoUSed campaign priorities, including expanding rental assistance, repairing public housing, and investing in the national Housing Trust Fund.
 
The budget resolution was first approved by the Senate on August 13. With the House’s vote today, each committee – including the Senate Banking Committee and House Financial Services Committee – will begin drafting legislation to dedicate funding to various programs. Congressional Democrats hope to vote on the bills in committee by mid-September.
 
The allocation for affordable housing investments included in the budget resolution could allow for robust housing investments in line with or even above the $318 billion proposed for housing programs by President Biden in his “American Jobs Plan” (which the administration increased from an initial proposal of $213 billion, thanks to the hard work and tenacity of affordable housing and homelessness advocates). President Biden’s $318 billion included $105 billion in housing-related tax provisions and $213 billion in direct investments. Because the jurisdiction of each committee differs slightly, the overall allocation for housing is different in the House ($339 billion) and Senate version ($332 billion) of the budget resolution.

Take Action

You can help build support for these essential investments:

1. Contact your members of Congress and urge them to include 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. Learn how to contact your members of Congress at: https://www.govtrack.us/. NLIHC created a media toolkit you can use! It includes talking points, sample op-eds, and social media messages.
2. Join more than 1,000 organizations nationwide by signing the HoUSed campaign letter and circulating it among your networks. 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.

Take Action: Senate Approves Budget Resolution Calling for $332 Billion for Housing & Transportation

August 11, 2021

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The Senate voted 50-49 early this morning to approve a budget resolution that sets the stage for a $3.5 trillion infrastructure and economic recovery package, including investments up to $332 billion for housing and transportation. We haven’t been this close to major investments in affordable housing in a generation!

There is still so much more work ahead of us, and the time for action is NOW! While the House of Representatives is slated to return to Washington on August 23 to vote on the budget resolution, the Senate Banking Committee and House Financial Services Committee are already starting to draft legislation to divvy up these funds among various housing and transportation programs.

We need your help to ensure that any infrastructure and economic recovery package includes the #HoUSed campaign’s top priorities: expanding rental assistance, providing $70 billion to preserve public housing, and investing $45 billion in the national Housing Trust Fund (HTF). Together, these resources will help ensure that America’s lowest-income and most marginalized households have safe, accessible, and affordable homes.

Background

The #HoUSed campaign works to achieve the large-scale, sustained investments and anti-racist reforms necessary to ensure that renters with the lowest incomes have stable, accessible, affordable homes. An infrastructure and economic recovery package is our first – and best – opportunity to advance the #HoUSed campaign priorities, including expanding rental assistance, repairing public housing, and investing in the national Housing Trust Fund – at the scale necessary.

The budget resolution, approved today by the Senate, calls for more than $332 billion for housing and transportation investments in an infrastructure package. The House will return to Washington to vote on the resolution on August 23. Each committee in Congress – including the Senate Banking Committee and House Financial Services Committee – will draft legislation to divvying up its allocation among various programs.

The allocation for housing and transportation investments included in the budget resolution could allow for robust housing investments in line with or even above the $318 billion proposed for housing programs by President Biden in his “American Jobs Plan” (which the administration increased from an initial proposal of $213 billion, thanks to the hard work and tenacity of affordable housing and homelessness advocates). President Biden’s $318 billion included $105 billion in housing-related tax provisions and $213 billion in direct investments.

Take Action

Help build support for the #HoUSed campaign:

1. Join more than 1,000 organizations nationwide by signing the #HoUSed campaign petition and by circulating it among your networks. This letter is one of the most effective ways to show congressional leaders the broad support for the #HoUSed campaign’s long-term policy agenda, and we regularly share this letter with members of Congress to make the case for the #HoUSed campaign’s priorities for the infrastructure/economic recovery bill.
2. Use August Recess to keep up the pressure on Congress. During August recess, members of Congress will be home in their states and districts. The recess is the perfect opportunity for housing advocates to build congressional support for the #HoUSed campaign’s infrastructure priorities. During this time, you can:
   • Attend townhalls and ask questions to your members of Congress about their support for these investments.
   • Meet with your members of Congress or their staff in-district and urge them to support these investments.
   • Invite your members of Congress to a tour of a housing development supported with resources from the national Housing Trust Fund, or public housing in need of repairs. Invite them to meet households who are using or are in need of rental assistance.
   • Publish op-eds and letters-to-the-editor calling for investments in the HTF, public housing, and rental assistance. Once published, share them with your members of Congress.
   • Regularly engage with members of Congress on the long-term housing needs in your community and why these investments are so needed.

NLIHC created a media toolkit you can use! It includes talking points, sample op-eds, and social media messages. As always, NLIHC staff are ready to help you.

CDC Announces Eviction Moratorium Through October 3!

August 3, 2021

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced today that it will issue a limited eviction moratorium – starting today through October 3 – for renters living in communities experiencing a surge in COVID-19 cases!

President Biden’s bold action and leadership in this moment of crisis will protect lives, and the new eviction moratorium is a major victory for renters and their allies!

The announcement would not have been possible without the extraordinary dedication and tireless work of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and House Financial Services Committee Chair Maxine Waters (D-CA), Representative Cori Bush (D-MO), and other congressional champions, and of thousands of housing and homelessness advocates, including NLIHC’s partners and allies across the country. After the Biden administration stated on July 29 that it would not extend the federal eviction moratorium, Speaker Pelosi and Chair Waters led a fierce effort to enact legislation to extend the moratorium, but the measure failed to garner the support necessary. Since that time they and others, especially members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, kept up their demand that the Biden administration use every authority to extend the protection for renters.

The announcement also comes one day after the Biden administration announced additional steps it will take to protect renters and prevent evictions during the pandemic, including those recommended by NLIHC and the National Housing Law Project.

The new eviction moratorium provides immediate relief for the 6.5 million renter households who are currently behind on their rent and who were at an increased risk of eviction when the federal eviction moratorium expired on July 31. Recent research estimates that up to 80% of households behind on rent and at risk of eviction live in communities with over 100% COVID-19 case growth rates in July. The new moratorium will help keep renters safely and stably housed, and it will provide state and local governments more time to distribute emergency rental assistance (ERA) to households in need.

The new moratorium:

• Covers all renters living in communities experiencing a surge in COVID-19 cases, an estimated 90% of all renters; and
• Protects renters for up to two months, through October 3.

But we cannot rest. Landlord and real estate associations will undoubtedly challenge the new eviction moratorium in court. The work of state and local governments to distribute emergency rental assistance to tenants in need becomes all the more vital.

Because the moratorium is not retroactive and will not protect those renters who have already been evicted from their homes, it is critical that state and local governments quickly prioritize ERA to rehouse these individuals and families to prevent homelessness. Most states and communities need to do much more to quickly distribute ERA to struggling renters and to ensure programs are visible, accessible, and preventive of evictions. Additional renter protections, such as right to counsel, expungement of eviction records, and just-cause eviction standards, are needed to help protect renters now and in the long term.

The CDC’s decision to issue a new eviction moratorium gives states and communities the time they need to ramp up their ERA programs; they must use this time effectively to expedite assistance to households in need.

New! President Biden Announces Immediate Steps to Protect Renters from Eviction; Still More Needed

August 2, 2021

The Biden administration issued a statement today outlining additional steps it will take to protect renters and prevent evictions during the pandemic. The statement comes after the administration allowed the federal eviction moratorium issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to expire on July 31 and after efforts by House Financial Services Committee Chairwoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) and Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) to enact legislation to extend the moratorium failed to garner the congressional support necessary.

The White House statement is a direct response to pressure by NLIHC, its members and partners, and congressional champions to urge the Biden administration to take every action possible to ensure housing stability during and after the pandemic.

In its statement, the Biden administration committed to several actions, including those recommended by NLIHC and the National Housing Law Project to:

• Direct federal agencies to consider all legal authorities to stop evictions;
• Encourage states and localities to establish or extend their own eviction moratoriums;
• Call on courts to stop eviction proceedings until renters and landlords first apply for ERA;
• Direct federal housing agencies to ensure federally supported landlords apply for ERA rather than evict renters; and
• Ensure federal funds can be used to support eviction prevention efforts by courts, legal aid, and housing counselors.

The statement from the White House also makes clear that “there is no excuse” for any state or local governments to not quickly distribute emergency rental assistance to struggling renters and prevent evictions. “No one in America should be evicted when federal funds are available, in the hands of state and local government, to pay back rent due,” said the statement.

Additional federal action – beyond those identified in the White House statement – is urgently needed. The Biden administration should:

• Immediately use existing authority to implement an eviction moratorium for renters in federally assisted properties at HUD, USDA, and Treasury, and explore legal authority to do the same for federally-backed properties.
• Remove barriers in Treasury’s ERA program. By creating a safe harbor provision for ERA programs that reasonably interpret federal guidance and by presuming all low- and moderate-income households experienced a COVID-19 hardship, the Biden administration can reduce barriers that slow down the process and prevent aid from reaching those most in need. The Department of Treasury should direct programs to simplify applications and help renters complete applications.
• Raise awareness of ERA resources to help renters and landlords through a continued all-of-government approach.

Congress and the Biden administration must also fix the gaps in our federal housing safety net – gaps that brought us to the brink of an eviction tsunami during a global pandemic – by enacting the #HoUSed campaign’s long-term policy agenda. The first – and best – opportunity to advance this agenda is in the infrastructure and economic recovery packages that Congress will work on this week. Congress must enact the #HoUSed campaign’s top priorities: expanding rental assistance to all eligible households, $70 billion to preserve public housing, and at least $45 billion for the national Housing Trust Fund.

For more information on urgently needed federal action, see NLIHC’s letters to the Biden administration on July 29, July 26, July 12, and June 14, as well as recent congressional testimony from NLIHC President and CEO Diane Yentel.

Urgent Action Needed: House to Vote as Soon as Tonight to Extend Federal Eviction Moratorium!

July 29, 2021

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The House of Representatives may vote as soon as tonight on legislation to extend the federal eviction moratorium issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) which is set to expire this weekend. Without this protection, the 6.5 million renter households currently behind on their rent will be at heightened risk of losing their homes – and with them, their ability to keep themselves and their families safe.
 

It is critical that your members of Congress hear from you NOW!

Contact your representatives and senators AS SOON AS POSSIBLE and urge them to extend the federal eviction moratorium to help keep renters stably housed as the Delta variant and COVID cases surge throughout the country.

Background

The Biden administration announced today that it will not extend the federal eviction moratorium because the Supreme Court indicated that it might invalidate the protection. Instead, President Biden urged Congress to enact legislation extending the moratorium to help keep renters housed during the pandemic.

Given the growing danger of the coronavirus Delta variant and the significant health and safety risks it poses, Congress should immediately extend the federal eviction moratorium issued by the CDC until vaccination rates increase in the lowest-income and most marginalized communities that face the greatest risk of eviction. The eviction moratorium extends vital protections to renters at risk of eviction during the pandemic, and by doing so, it has helped keep stably housed millions of people who otherwise would have been evicted.

Evictions put lives at risk and strain our already overstretched public health systems. In fact, research shows that evictions occurring between the beginning of the pandemic and the issuance of the CDC moratorium in September led to more than 400,000 additional COVID-19 cases and nearly 11,000 additional deaths.

The emergence of the Delta variant necessitates a further extension of the CDC eviction moratorium to contain the spread of the deadly disease. As stated by CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky on July 22, 2021, “the Delta variant is more aggressive and much more transmissible than previously circulating strains. It is one of the most infectious respiratory viruses we know of, and that I have seen in my 20-year career.”

 Take Action

The House may take up the legislation as soon as tonight. It is critical that Congress hears from you! 
 

Please contact your representatives and senators NOW and urge them to quickly extend the federal eviction moratorium to help keep renters stably housed during the pandemic.

Take Action: Urge Your Senators and Representatives to Support the #HoUSed Campaign Priorities in the Spending Package

July 27, 2021

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NLIHC and other national leaders of the Campaign for Housing and Community Development Funding (CHCDF) are leading a national call-in day today, July 15, to tell Congress that housing is vital infrastructure and to urge them to include robust housing investments in any infrastructure or recovery package. It is crucial that advocates contact their representatives and senators and urge them to support vital resources, including at least $40 billion for the national Housing Trust Fund to build and preserve deeply affordable housing, $70 billion to fully address the public housing capital repair backlog, and an expansion of rental assistance to every eligible household. See the NLIHC-led HoUSed campaign’s policy priorities for the infrastructure and recovery package here.

Background

As congressional leaders move forward on both a bipartisan infrastructure package and a broader reconciliation package, the coming weeks are critical for advocates to work together to ensure significant affordable housing resources are included in any recovery bill. Even before the pandemic, America’s lowest-income renters were struggling to pay rent each month. NLIHC’s HoUSed campaign is urging Congress to include the robust investments necessary to address the nation’s affordable housing crisis in any infrastructure or recovery package, including:

• An expansion of rental assistance to every eligible household
• $70 billion to repair public housing for current and future generations
• At least $40 billion for the national Housing Trust Fund to build and preserve homes affordable to the lowest-income people

Our best opportunity to advance these bold solutions is in the American Jobs Plan, President Biden’s $2.2 trillion infrastructure and recovery bill to combat the climate crisis, advance racial equity, and “build back better.” To achieve these ambitious goals, Congress must address the urgent housing needs facing extremely low-income households, disproportionately Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC), by including in any recovery package the HoUSed campaign’s infrastructure priorities.

This infrastructure and recovery legislation is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to invest in proven affordable housing solutions – including rental assistance, public housing, and the national Housing Trust Fund – at the scale necessary.

Take action today, July 15, by joining our national call-in day and demand Congress include robust affordable housing investments in any infrastructure or recovery legislation!

Take Action: Join Today's National Call-In Day (July 15) to Tell Congress that Housing is Infrastructure!

July 15, 2021

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Congressional leaders are working to advance a comprehensive infrastructure and economic recovery package that must include significant investments in affordable housing for America’s lowest-income and most marginalized renters. Key decisions about the package – including how much to invest in affordable housing – are being made right now!

We need your help to ensure that any infrastructure and economic recovery package includes the HoUSed campaign’s top priorities: expanding rental assistance to every eligible household, providing at least $70 billion to repair and preserve public housing, and investing at least $45 billion in the national Housing Trust Fund.

We also need your help to build congressional support for two major #HoUSed campaign bills – “Housing is Infrastructure Act” (H.R. 4497) and the “Ending Homelessness Act” (H.R. 4496). Together, these bills from House Financial Services Committee Chair Maxine Waters (D-CA) would ensure everyone has a safe, decent, affordable, and accessible place to call home and should be included in the spending bill.

Background

Now is the time to ensure that any infrastructure and economic recovery package includes the highest allocation possible for housing investments for America’s lowest-income and most marginalized households.

Congressional leaders are expected to release in the coming days a budget resolution outlining the topline spending amounts for an infrastructure package and economic recovery package, as well as allocations for housing investments. Once the budget resolution is approved by Congress, each committee – including the Senate Banking Committee and House Financial Services Committee – will draft legislation to divvy up its allocation among various programs.

House Financial Services Committee Chair Maxine Waters (D-CA) has introduced two major bills to advance the #HoUSed campaign’s policy agenda – through the infrastructure and economic recovery package and beyond.

Chair Waters’s “Housing is Infrastructure Act” would provide $600 billion in housing investments in any infrastructure package. The bill provides robust funding for HoUSed campaign’s top priorities, including $200 billion for rental assistance, $75 billion to repair and preserve public housing, and $45 billion to build homes affordable to people with the lowest incomes through the national Housing Trust Fund.Chair Waters’s “Ending Homelessness Act” would create a universal rental assistance program – a key pillar of the #HoUSed campaign’s legislative agenda. Funding for rental assistance would be mandatory and phased in over ten years to ensure every eligible household receives a housing voucher. If enacted, the bill would help ensure everyone has a safe, decent, affordable, and accessible place to call home.

Take Action

It is critical that Congress hears from you!

• Contact your senators and representatives and demand that any infrastructure and economic recovery package include the HoUSed campaign’s top priorities: a major expansion of rental assistance to every eligible household, at least $70 billion to repair and preserve public housing, and at least $45 billion for the national Housing Trust Fund to build homes for those most in need.
• Urge your members of Congress to cosponsor Chair Waters’s “Housing is Infrastructure Act” (H.R. 4497) and “Ending Homelessness Act” (H.R. 4496). Together these bills would help ensure everyone has a safe, decent, affordable, and accessible place to call home.

Learn how to contact your members of Congress at: https://www.govtrack.us/

Take Action: Join National Call-In Day on July 15 to Tell Congress that Housing is Infrastructure!

July 7, 2021

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NLIHC and other national leaders of the Campaign for Housing and Community Development Funding (CHCDF) are leading a national call-in day on July 15 to tell Congress that housing is vital infrastructure and to urge them to include robust housing investments in any infrastructure or recovery package. It is crucial that advocates contact their representatives and senators and urge them to support vital resources, including at least $40 billion for the national Housing Trust Fund to build and preserve deeply affordable housing, $70 billion to fully address the public housing capital repair backlog, and an expansion of rental assistance to every eligible household. See the NLIHC-led HoUSed campaign’s policy priorities for the infrastructure and recovery package here.

Background

As congressional leaders move forward on both a bipartisan infrastructure package and a broader reconciliation package, the coming weeks are critical for advocates to work together to ensure significant affordable housing resources are included in any recovery bill. Even before the pandemic, America’s lowest-income renters were struggling to pay rent each month. NLIHC’s HoUSed campaign is urging Congress to include the robust investments necessary to address the nation’s affordable housing crisis in any infrastructure or recovery package, including:

• An expansion of rental assistance to every eligible household
• $70 billion to repair public housing for current and future generations
• At least $40 billion for the national Housing Trust Fund to build and preserve homes affordable to the lowest-income people

Our best opportunity to advance these bold solutions is in the American Jobs Plan, President Biden’s $2.2 trillion infrastructure and recovery bill to combat the climate crisis, advance racial equity, and “build back better.” To achieve these ambitious goals, Congress must address the urgent housing needs facing extremely low-income households, disproportionately Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC), by including in any recovery package the HoUSed campaign’s infrastructure priorities.

This infrastructure and recovery legislation is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to invest in proven affordable housing solutions – including rental assistance, public housing, and the national Housing Trust Fund – at the scale necessary.

Take action on July 15 by joining our national call-in day and demand Congress include robust affordable housing investments in any infrastructure or recovery legislation!

Find out how to contact your member of Congress at: https://tinyurl.com/yb9goyt6

Take Action: Urge Your Members of Congress to Join Dear Colleague Letter in Support of HoUsed Campaign’s Infrastructure Priorities! June 30, 2021 View in new tab Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Representative Ritchie Torres (D-NY) are circulating a “Dear Colleague” letter urging congressional leaders to include the HoUSed campaign’s top priorities in any infrastructure package. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Representative Ritchie Torres (D-NY) are circulating a “Dear Colleague” letter urging congressional leaders to include the HoUSed campaign’s top priorities in any infrastructure package. The letter calls for: A major expansion of Housing Choice Vouchers to pave the way toward universal rental assistance for all eligible households; $70 billion to repair and preserve public housing for current and future generations; and $45 billion for the national Housing Trust Fund to build and preserve new homes affordable to America’s lowest-income and most marginalized households. Your advocacy is needed! Your members of Congress need to hear from you! Please email or call your senators and representative today and ask them to sign onto the Dear Colleague letter to show their support for including the HoUSed campaign’s top priorities. To email your members of Congress, click here. To call your members of Congress, you can find a call script here and the phone number to your members of Congress here. Thank you for your advocacy on the #HoUSed Campaign!

Take Action: CDC Extends Eviction Moratorium for 30 Days, President Biden Activates Whole of Government to Prevent Evictions June 24, 2021 View in new tab The Biden administration announced today that it will extend the federal eviction moratorium issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) through July 31, and it will implement a whole-of-government approach to prevent a historic wave of evictions this summer, as NLIHC urged the administration to do. The moratorium was set to expire next week. These actions from the White House extend an essential lifeline to millions of renters who remain behind on rent and would be at heightened risk of eviction when the moratorium expires. Extending the eviction moratorium through July gives state and local governments more time to distribute more than $46 billion in emergency rental assistance (ERA) to those most in need. The administration’s whole-of-government effort to stem evictions and help ensure ERA is provided efficiently, effectively, and equitably can keep families safely housed and bolster the administration’s efforts to contain COVID-19. While in many areas in the U.S. vaccination rates are up and COVID-19 caseloads are down, communities with lower vaccination rates and more COVID-19 cases tend to be the same communities that have large numbers of renters at heightened risk of eviction. NLIHC urged the Biden administration to use every tool possible to prevent evictions, and the White House adopted many of our recommendations.  In addition to extending the eviction moratorium, the White House will: Convene a summit to bring together local teams to develop eviction-prevention action plans. Issue new guidance from Treasury for the ERA program to accelerate and broaden state and local delivery of funds. Have the Department of Justice send guidance to state courts encouraging them to adopt anti-eviction diversion practices. Provide guidance from HUD to help prevent Fair Housing Act violations related to evictions. Activate a whole-of-government effort to raise awareness about emergency rental assistance, tapping agencies including Treasury, HUD, CFPB, DOJ, and USDA to inform tenants and landlords of available support. To amplify and accelerate these efforts, NLIHC is launching a national Call to Action to End Rental Arrears to Stop Evictions (ERASE).  At least 6 million renter households are still behind on rent: state and local governments must use the next month to quickly and aggressively strengthen their emergency rental assistance programs to avert an historic wave of evictions this summer and fall. With research, tools, capacity building grants, learning cohorts and more NLIHC will urge state and local advocates, city and state officials, and program administrators act quickly to make their emergency rental assistance programs: Visible: Conduct equitable and robust marketing and outreach efforts to ensure that all renters and landlords know about ERA and how to access it in their communities. Accessible: Help tenants and landlords receive aid by ensuring an accessible, streamlined, and low-barrier ERA application process. Preventative: Prevent evictions or housing displacement by creating formal partnerships with state and local courts to support eviction prevention and eviction diversion in coordination with ERA. How can you participate in ERASE? Governors and Mayors.  Adopt state and local policies needed to ensure ERA programs are visible, accessible, and preventative. Program Administrators. Use NLIHC resources and guidance to make ERA programs accessible, streamlined, and low-barrier. Tenants and Landlords. Share your experience. Assist neighbors and friends who might be in need. Advocate for ERA programs to course-correct. State and Local Courts. Leverage ERA to support eviction prevention and diversion. State and Local Coalitions. Urge your state and local governments to implement key visibility, accessibility, and preventative elements into your ERA programs. Send letters and written guidance; convene stakeholders, including tenants and other state and local coalitions to add their voices to the effort; and track outcomes and use this information to advocate for further improvements. For more information or to get involved in ERASE, please contact Sarah Gallagher, ERASE senior director, at: [email protected] Join NLIHC’s national call this Monday, June 28 at 2:30 pm ET to learn more about how the extension of the eviction moratorium and other critical actions being taken by the Biden administration will impact renters in your community and what you can do to prevent evictions this summer, fall and beyond

Register for the call here

Take Action: Urge Your Members of Congress to Join Dear Colleague Letter in Support of HoUSed Campaign’s Infrastructure Priorities! June 17, 2021 View in new tab

Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Representative Ritchie Torres (D-NY) are circulating a “Dear Colleague” letter urging congressional leaders to include the HoUSed campaign’s top priorities in any infrastructure package. The letter calls for: A major expansion of housing vouchers to pave the way toward universal rental assistance; $70 billion to repair and preserve public housing for current and future generations; and $45 billion for the national Housing Trust Fund to build and preserve new homes affordable to America’s lowest-income and most marginalized households. Your advocacy is needed! Please call your senators and representatives today and ask them to sign onto the Dear Colleague letter to show their support for including the HoUSed campaign’s top priorities in the infrastructure package! Background   The Biden administration and a group of 10 senators are currently negotiating the size and scope of a potential bipartisan infrastructure package. These bipartisan negotiations, however, do not include the robust investments needed to ensure long-term housing stability for millions of households with the lowest incomes. An infrastructure and economic recovery package is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to invest in proven affordable housing solutions – including rental assistance, public housing, and the national Housing Trust Fund – at the scale necessary. Take Action Congress needs to hear from you about the critical need to include the HoUSed campaign’s top priorities in any infrastructure package: Call your senators and representatives today to urge them to sign onto the “Dear Colleague” letter led by Senator Merkley and Representative Torres in support of the HoUSed campaign’s top infrastructure priorities! Senators can sign onto the letter by contacting Matt Traylor ([email protected]) and representatives can sign on by contacting Christopher Jerrolds ([email protected]) in Congressman Torres’s office. You can find your members of Congress here. Join over 1,000 organizations supporting these priorities by signing onto the national letter and help us build support for the bold solutions needed to end homelessness and housing poverty once and for all. Thank you for your advocacy on the #HoUSed Campaign!

Take Action: Call Your Members of Congress to Urge that Housing Investments Are Included in Any Infrastructure Package!

View in new tab Members of Congress are working to reach a compromise on an infrastructure package that could pass with bipartisan support. So far, however, these negotiations do not include robust investments to make housing affordable to America’s lowest-income and most marginalized households, even though President Biden and Democratic Congressional leaders have called for it. It is critical that any infrastructure package includes the HoUSed campaign’s top priorities for the bill: an expansion of rental assistance to every eligible household; at least $70 billion to repair public housing; and at least $40 billion for the national Housing Trust Fund to build and preserve homes affordable to people with the lowest incomes. Call your senators and representatives today and demand that the HoUSed campaign’s top priorities are included in any bipartisan infrastructure package. Background After weeks of negotiations, President Biden and Senator Capito (R-WV) have been unable to reach a deal on a bipartisan infrastructure package. Now, bipartisan groups of senators and representatives have stepped in to see if they can reach an agreement. None of these bipartisan negotiations include robust investments in affordable housing. A framework for a possible compromise released yesterday by the House Problem Solvers Caucus provides $10 billion to support veteran housing, but does not include the major investments in affordable housing needed for the millions of households with the lowest incomes who struggle to pay rent and make ends meet. Details of a possible agreement from a bipartisan group of senators may be released later this week, but it too is not expected to include robust housing investments. If the HoUSed campaign’s top infrastructure priorities are not included in any bipartisan package, the opportunity to enact these investments may be lost. Enacting a bipartisan infrastructure bill without affordable housing investments could make it more difficult for Congress to enact a separate economic recovery bill with the remaining pieces of President Biden’s “American Jobs Plan,” including the president’s proposal to provide $318 billion in housing investments. Take Action Advocates should contact their representatives and senators and to remind them that housing is infrastructure, and urge them to include the HoUSed campaign’s top priorities in any infrastructure package that moves forward: an expansion of rental assistance for every eligible household; $70 billion to repair public housing; and at least $40 billion for the national Housing Trust Fund to build and preserve homes affordable to people with the lowest incomes. Call your senators and representatives today to demand that any infrastructure bill includes the HoUSed campaign’s top infrastructure priorities! You can find your members of Congress here. Join nearly 1,000 organizations supporting these priorities by signing onto the national letter in support of the national HoUSed campaign and the bold solutions needed to end homelessness and housing poverty once and for all. Thank you for your advocacy on the #HoUSed Campaign!

Biden Administration Proposes $318 Billion for Affordable Housing in the ‘American Jobs Plan’

View in new tab HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge unveiled today details of the housing provisions in the “American Jobs Plan,” President Biden’s $2.3 trillion infrastructure proposal. While the Biden administration previously proposed a total of $213 billion in housing investments, today Secretary Fudge announced they have increased their proposal to $318 billion and shared details on the spending request. The proposal includes two of three of the HoUSed campaign’s top priorities for an infrastructure bill: $45 billion for the national Housing Trust Fund for the construction and preservation of homes affordable to people with the lowest incomes, and a major investment to rehabilitate and preserve the nation’s public housing stock! The administration also proposes, among other things: $2 billion for new project-based vouchers; $35 billion for the HOME Investment Partnership Program; $55 billion for the Low Income Housing Tax Credit; $3 billion to fund lead-based paint testing and abatement; $2 billion to meet the housing needs of tribal communities; and $2 billion for HUD’s Section 202 program to increase the supply of affordable housing with supportive services for low-income seniors.   Take Action: Urge Congress to Support Robust Investments in Affordable Housing!   NLIHC is working to ensure that Congress includes in any infrastructure spending plan comprehensive resources to achieve housing justice, including: Expansion of rental assistance to every eligible household; $70 billion to repair and make energy-efficient upgrades to public housing; and At least $40 billion for the national Housing Trust Fund to build and preserve homes affordable to people with the lowest incomes. Take action by signing your organization on to a national letter urging Congress to robust investments in affordable housing at: https://tinyurl.com/zbau4kee   Take Action Today! Learn more about NLIHC’s HoUSed Campaign at: https://nlihc.org/housed   Thank you for your advocacy!

Sign on to HoUSed Campaign Letter for Universal, Stable, Affordable Housing!

View in new tab The HoUSed campaign will work to advance anti-racist policies and achieve the large-scale, sustained investments and reforms necessary to ensure the most marginalized renters with the lowest incomes have an affordable and accessible place to call home.   Our first opportunity to enact many of these crucial measures is through an infrastructure spending bill that includes robust affordable housing investments. Congress and the White House are now at work on the “American Jobs Plan,” the administration’s $2.2 trillion infrastructure and recovery package. To ensure stable, affordable housing is universally available to those most in need, Congress must include in any infrastructure and recovery bill these priorities: An expansion of rental assistance to every eligible household. $70 billion to repair public housing for current and future generations. At least $40 billion annually for the national Housing Trust Fund to build and preserve homes affordable to people with the lowest incomes. Your advocacy is needed! Take action by signing your organization on to a national letter urging Congress to support these robust and targeted investments in affordable housing. This infrastructure and recovery legislation is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to invest in proven affordable housing solutions – including rental assistance, public housing, and the national Housing Trust Fund – at the scale necessary. Take Action Today!   You can see if your organization has already signed the letter here. Please circulate the letter to your networks!   Thank you for your advocacy on the #HoUSed campaign!

Join #HoUSed Tweetstorm during National Fair Housing Month – Tomorrow, April 21 at 1 pm ET

View in new tab Join us tomorrow (Wednesday, April 21) from 1 to 2 pm ET for a #HoUSed campaign tweetstorm as part of National Fair Housing Month! Tell Congress that the next infrastructure and recovery bills must ensure stable, affordable housing is universally available to those in need. We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to invest in proven affordable housing solutions, including universal rental assistance, public housing, and the national Housing Trust Fund. Congress must immediately address the urgent housing needs facing extremely low-income households, disproportionately people of color, by including in any infrastructure package the HoUSed campaign’s priorities. Sample images are available at: https://bit.ly/3gnNwAY Sample Tweets: Bold policies are needed to ensure #Universal, #Stable, #Affordable housing for all. #HoUSed #Housing4UsAll https://nlihc.org/housed #DYK: Racial segregation & discrimination in housing is a major cause of racial inequity across all sectors of education, income, and more. We need to bridge the gap to ensure #Housing4UsAll. https://nlihc.org/housed To guarantee the lowest-income people are #HoUSed we must preserve & expand  the supply of rental homes across the US through investments in public housing & the national Housing Trust Fund. https://bit.ly/3gfQUho Housing is health care. When we keep people #HoUSed, we prevent long-term health problems & promote healthy, productive lives. https://nlihc.org/housed April is National Fair Housing Month! Congress must pass anti-racist housing policies for #Universal, #Stable, #Affordable housing called for in the #HoUSed campaign https://nlihc.org/housed Racial justice requires housing justice! Congress must pass #Antiracist, #Universal, #Stable, #Affordable housing called for in the #HoUSed campaign https://nlihc.org/housed Black, Indigenous, and people of color are disproportionately low-income and severely housing cost-burdened renters. Call on Congress to pass anti-racist housing policies in the #HoUSed campaign! https://nlihc.org/housed Millions of households are one financial shock away from eviction & homelessness. Everyone deserves a housing safety net; universal rental assistance for all eligible households would provide it.  #Housing4UsAll. https://bit.ly/3suVFGp #ICYMI Children learn better and are more likely to graduate when they are #HoUSed in stable, affordable homes. Learn more here: https://nlihc.org/housed We all deserve the opportunity to climb the income ladder and achieve financial stability. Housing assistance reduces poverty and helps keep low-income renters #HoUSed. https://bit.ly/3gfNA5U Congress must advance anti-racist policies and provide the large-scale, sustained investments and reforms needed to ensure renters with the lowest incomes have an affordable place to call home. #HoUSed https://nlihc.org/housed There is no state or congressional district in America w/ enough affordable homes for families w/ the lowest incomes. A National Housing Stabilization Fund can alleviate economic shocks before they cause instability & homelessness. Keep people #hoUSed. https://bit.ly/3gzMm5R Eviction records make it hard for families to find decent housing in safe neighborhoods and have negative impacts on health, employment, education, etc. Universal housing assistance will help renters avoid eviction & remain stably #HoUSed. https://bit.ly/3suVFGp  .@SpeakerPelosi #DYK that only 1 in 4 households who qualify for housing assistance receives it, and most are left to fend for themselves. We need #Housing4UsAll https://bit.ly/3gfNA5U .@SenSchumer #DYK in communities with right to counsel, 86% of renters were able to remain in their homes, and eviction filings decreased by 10%. #Housing4UsAll https://bit.ly/3mPfQgS #DYK fewer than 10% of renters have access to legal counsel when facing eviction, compared to 90% of landlords. #Housing4UsAll https://bit.ly/3mPfQgS  #DYK since 1960, renters’ incomes have increased by 5%, while rents have risen 61%. #Housing4UsAll https://bit.ly/3gfNA5U .@SpeakerPelosi #DYK millions of eligible households are on housing waiting lists, often for years, waiting for help. #Housing4UsAll https://bit.ly/3gfNA5U .@SenSchumer #DYK 8 million extremely low-income households pay at least half of their limited incomes on rent, leaving them w/o the resources they need to put food on the table, purchase medications, or make ends meet. #Housing4UsAll https://bit.ly/3gfNA5U #DYK for every 10 extremely low-income households, there are fewer than 4 affordable and available homes. We need #Housing4UsAll https://bit.ly/3gfQUho #DYK on avg in the U.S., renters need an income $23.96 an hour to afford a modest, two-bedroom apartment - far above the incomes of many working families, seniors, & people w/ disabilities. We need #Housing4UsAll https://bit.ly/3gfNA5U Thank you for your advocacy on the #HoUSed campaign!

Join a National Call-In Day on April 14 to Urge Congress to Support the HoUSed Campaign’s Infrastructure Priorities!

View in new tab Join advocates across the country for a National Call-In Day on Wednesday, April 14 to urge Congress to include in the American Jobs Plan the HoUSed campaign’s top infrastructure priorities: a major expansion of rental assistance for every eligible household; $70 billion to repair public housing; and an investment of $40 billion in the national Housing Trust Fund to build and preserve homes affordable to the lowest-income and most marginalized households. NLIHC President and CEO Diane Yentel is set to testify on April 14 before House Financial Services Committee on the urgent need for these housing investments, and your participation in the National Call-In Day will help amplify this message! Call your senators and representatives on April 14 and demand that the American Jobs Plan includes robust resources to make rental housing affordable to the lowest-income and most marginalized households. Background With congressional champions and national, state, and local partners, NLIHC launched the HoUSed campaign to advance anti-racist policies and achieve the large-scale, sustained investments and reforms necessary to ensure renters with the lowest incomes have an affordable and accessible place to call home. Our first and best opportunity to advance some of these bold housing solutions is in the American Jobs Plan, $2.2 trillion infrastructure and recovery proposal from President Biden with a proposed $213 billion in housing investments. It is critical that Congress include the HoUSed campaign’s top infrastructure priorities – a major expansion of rental assistance for every eligible household, $70 billion to repair public housing, and $40 billion for the national Housing Trust Fund – to address the urgent housing needs facing extremely low-income households, who are disproportionately Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC). Advocates should contact their representatives and senators and urge them to support the HoUSed campaign’s top priorities in the American Jobs Plan. Take Action Call your senators and representatives on Wednesday, April 14 to demand that the American Jobs Plan includes the HoUSed campaign’s top infrastructure priorities! You can find your members of Congress here. Please sign onto the national letter in support of the national HoUSed campaign and the bold solutions needed to end homelessness and housing poverty once and for all. Sample Tweets The #AmericanJobsPlan must include #HoUSed campaign’s top priorities to help the lowest-income people afford a place to call home. Call Congress TODAY and demand that the American Jobs Plan prioritizes #Housing4UsAll starting with those with the greatest needs! https://nlihc.org/sites/default/files/American_Recovery_Plan.pdf We need #Housing4UsAll! Call your senators and representatives TODAY to demand that the American Jobs Plan includes robust housing investments for the lowest-income and most marginalized people. https://nlihc.org/sites/default/files/American_Recovery_Plan.pdf More than ever, we need Congress to advance bold policies to ensure affordable and stable housing is universally available. Sign your organization onto the national letter urging Congress to take action to ensure #Housing4UsAll: https://sforce.co/3utqkoO Thank you for your advocacy on the #HoUSed campaign!

President Biden Proposes 15% Increase to HUD Budget for FY22

View in new tab President Joe Biden released today a “budget blueprint” previewing his full Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 budget request, which is expected to be released in the coming weeks. The President’s blueprint proposes a $9 billion or 15% increase to HUD’s budget from FY 2021. If enacted, the budget would provide substantial federal investments in affordable homes and increase the availability of housing assistance to families with the greatest need. For full details, see NLIHC’s updated budget chart and analysis. The proposal calls for expanding rental assistance through the Housing Choice Voucher program to 200,000 additional households, focusing on those who are experiencing homelessness or fleeing domestic violence. The blueprint also proposes to increase funding for Homeless Assistance Grants by $500 million to $3.5 billion, to expand tribal housing resources from $747 million to $900 million, to expand the HOME Investment Partnerships program by $500 million to $1.9 billion, to invest $180 million to support 2,000 new homes for seniors and people with disabilities, to increase fair housing activities by $12 million to $85 million, and to provide $800 million across HUD programs to rehabilitate public and affordable housing and provide energy-efficient upgrades, on top of $3.2 billion for public housing capital repairs. The proposal would also increase Community Development Block Grants by $295 million, with additional funds targeted to historically underfunded and marginalized communities facing persistent poverty. The FY22 budget is the first annual spending bill in a decade that is not limited by the low spending caps required by the Budget Control Act that have prevented Congress from investing in affordable housing at the scale necessary. The budget proposal is part of a larger effort by the Biden Administration to invest in the country’s housing infrastructure. The President’s $2 trillion “American Jobs Plan” calls for an additional $213 billion for the construction and preservation of affordable housing. Once the President’s full budget request is released, Congress will draft and vote on spending bills, including one focused on Transportation-Housing and Urban Development (THUD) programs. Congress is expected to start the process of drafting spending bills as soon as late April or early May. Congress has also started to work on an American Jobs Plan, which could receive a vote in Congress as soon as this summer. Congress. must work with the administration to expand investments in affordable homes through both the FY22 spending bill and an infrastructure package, including the HoUSed campaign’s top priorities for the American Jobs Plan. Advocates should continue to contact their senators and representatives to urge them to support the highest funding level possible for affordable housing and homelessness, and community development resources in the FY22 budget and any jobs package. Sign your organization to a letter supporting increased funding for affordable housing, homelessness, and community development resources. Sign the HoUSed campaign’s national letter calling on Congress to enact long-term solutions to the housing crisis! Contact your senators and representatives and urge them to support the HoUSed campaign’s top priorities for the American Jobs Plan.   Thank you for your advocacy on the #HoUSed campaign!

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Take Action for Universal, Stable, Affordable Housing! View in new tab With congressional champions and national, state, and local partners, NLIHC just launched the HoUSed campaign to advance anti-racist policies and achieve the large-scale, sustained investments and reforms necessary to ensure renters with the lowest incomes have an affordable and accessible place to call home. Congress and the White House will soon get to work on the “American Recovery Plan,” a potentially $3 trillion infrastructure and recovery package. This presents a tremendous opportunity to advance many of the HoUSed Campaign’s bold housing solutions!. To ensure stable, affordable housing is universally available, Congress must include in any infrastructure and recovery bill these priorities: An expansion of rental assistance to every eligible household. $70 billion to repair public housing for current and future generations. At least $40 billion for the national Housing Trust Fund to build and preserve homes affordable to people with the lowest incomes. Your advocacy is needed! Please sign your organization on to a national letter to urge Congress to support these investments!  The deadline to sign this letter is April 9! And ask your senators and representatives to join a Dear Colleague letter led by Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Congressman Ritchie Torres (D-NY), calling on Congress to include the HoUSed campaign’s priorities in the American Recovery Plan. The letter is open to members of Congress, who can sign on by contacting Matt Traylor at [email protected] or Christopher Jerrolds at [email protected]. The deadline is next Tuesday, March 30.

Background: The HoUSed campaign advocates for four solutions to America’s housing crisis: expanding rental assistance to every eligible household; increasing the supply of affordable housing for people with the lowest incomes; providing emergency housing assistance to help stabilize families in a crisis; and strengthening and enforcing robust renter protections. Learn more about the campaign here. Our first and best opportunity to advance some of these bold housing solutions is in the American Recovery Plan, a soon-to-be-released infrastructure and recovery proposal from President Biden to combat the climate crisis, advance racial equity, and “build back better.” To achieve these ambitious goals, Congress must address the urgent housing needs facing extremely low-income households, disproportionately Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC), by including in any recovery package the HoUSed campaign’s infrastructure priorities. This infrastructure and recovery legislation is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to invest in proven affordable housing solutions – including rental assistance, public housing, and the national Housing Trust Fund – at the scale necessary.

Take Action today! Sign your organization on to a national letter in support of the national HoUSed campaign and the bold solutions needed to end homelessness and housing poverty. The deadline to sign is April 9! Ask your senators and representatives to join a Dear Colleague letter led by Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Congressman Ritchie Torres (D-NY), calling on Congress to include the HoUSed campaign’s priorities in the American Recovery Plan. The letter is open to members of Congress, who can sign on by contacting Matt Traylor at [email protected] or Christopher Jerrolds at [email protected]. The deadline is next Tuesday, March 30.

Thank you for your advocacy!

Senate Approves COVID-19 Relief Bill, More Advocacy Needed!

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The Senate voted today to approve the American Rescue Plan Act, overcoming a major hurdle to enacting the bill.

The comprehensive relief package, which includes almost $50 billion in essential housing and homelessness assistance, now goes to the House floor as soon as Monday for a final vote before heading to President Biden’s desk for his signature.

Please contact your representatives and urge them to vote to approve the relief package!

Background: The American Rescue Plan Act provides essential and urgently needed resources to address the health and housing needs of America’s lowest-income renters and people experiencing homelessness during the pandemic. These critical investments will help prevent millions of low-income people from losing their homes during the pandemic, and it will provide cities and states the resources they need to help some people experiencing homelessness be safely housed during and after the pandemic. The relief package includes: $27.4 billion for rental housing assistance, including $21.55 billion for emergency rental assistance, $750 million for tribal housing needs, $100 million for rural housing, and $5 billion in emergency housing vouchers; $5 billion to assist people experiencing homelessness with immediate and longer-term assistance; $800m to support identification, enrollment, and school participation of children and youth experiencing homelessness;  $5 billion in utility and water assistance; $9.96 billion for homeowner assistance; $100 million for housing counseling $20 million for fair housing activities; $1,400 individual stimulus checks and Other critical resources for states, communities, and people. For more details on the housing and homelessness provisions in the relief bill, see NLIHC’s factsheet.

Take Action Please contact your representatives and urge them to vote to approve the relief package! Join NLIHC’s weekly national call on Coronavirus, Disasters, Housing and Homelessness to hear the latest update on American Rescue Plan Act and learn more about how communities are responding to COVID-19.

Thank you for your advocacy!

Take Action: Urge Your Senators to Support the “American Rescue Plan Act”

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The “American Rescue Plan Act” (ARPA) now heads to the Senate, after the House voted last week to approve the COVID-19 relief package, including more than $40 billion in essential housing and homelessness assistance. The Senate plans to vote on amendments and the legislation this week.

If enacted, the investments in ARPA will help prevent millions of low-income people from losing their homes during the pandemic, and it will provide communities the resources they need to help people experiencing homelessness be safely housed during and after the pandemic.

Please contact your senators and urge them to vote to approve the relief package and to support/oppose the following amendments!

Support: Any amendment to better target rental assistance to the lowest-income renters and those hardest hit by the pandemic; Any amendment to increase resources for the lowest-income renters or people experiencing homelessness; and Any amendment to ensure resources can more quickly reach households with the greatest needs. Oppose: Any amendment that would reduce relief for the lowest-income renters and people experiencing homelessness; Any amendment that would create barriers or make it more difficult for households in need to receive assistance; and Any amendment that prevents immigrant households from accessing critical aid.

Background Congress is moving quickly to pass ARPA through a budget reconciliation process that allows Congress to pass the bill with a simple majority of 51 votes in the Senate. The House voted to pass the relief package 219 to 212 on February 27. The relief package as passed by the House includes: $26.1 billion for rental housing assistance, including $20.25 billion for emergency rental assistance, $750 million for tribal housing needs, $100 million for rural housing, and $5 billion in emergency housing vouchers. $5 billion to assist people experiencing homelessness with immediate and longer-term assistance. $9.96 billion for homeowner assistance. $100 million for housing counseling. $5 billion in utility and water assistance. $20 million for fair housing activities. $1,400 individual stimulus checks. Other critical resources for states, communities, and people. For more details on the housing and homelessness provisions in the relief bill, see NLIHC’s factsheet. Once approved by the Senate, the bill may go back to the House to resolve any final differences between the bills, and then will be sent to the president’s desk for his signature. Congress and the White House are aiming to enact a new COVID relief bill by mid-March, when expanded unemployment benefits and other resources expire.

Take Action Contact your senators and urge them to quickly vote to pass this comprehensive relief package that includes essential housing and homelessness resources. Hear the latest updates and learn more about needed advocacy: join NLIHC’s weekly national call on Coronavirus, Disasters, Housing and Homelessness.

Thank you for your advocacy!

Take Action: Urge Your Representative to Pass the American Rescue Plan Act

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The House will vote as soon as Friday on a comprehensive $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package, “the American Rescue Plan Act,” that includes more than $40 billion in essential housing and homelessness assistance. If enacted, these investments will help prevent millions of low-income people from losing their homes during the pandemic, and it will provide cities and states with the resources they need to help people experiencing homelessness be safely housed during and after the pandemic.

Please contact your representatives and urge them to vote to approve the relief package!

Background

Congress is moving quickly to pass the American Rescue Plan Act in the coming weeks through a budget reconciliation process that allows Congress to pass the bill with a simple majority of 51 votes. The Senate and House have passed budget resolutions setting the topline spending limit for a COVID-19 relief bill that matches President Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief proposal. House committees sent their approved sections to the House Budget Committee, which combined them into one bill for a vote in the full chamber as soon as Friday.

Before the floor vote, the Rules Committee is likely to pass a manager’s amendment that includes several improvements. The amendment increases funding for emergency rental assistance (ERA) by $1.2 billion and directs these additional funds to high-need communities, based on the number of very low-income renter households paying more than 50 percent of income on rent or living in substandard or overcrowded conditions, rental market costs, and employment trends. The amendment also moves up the date to reallocate unspent funds from September 30, 2022 to March 31, 2022, and reduces the initial tranche of funding to grantees from 50% to 40% of their total allocation. NLIHC and others advocates urged Congress to better target emergency rental assistance to communities with the greatest needs. These measures are a clear step in the right direction, but more is needed. The manager’s amendment also provides $20 million to support fair housing activities during the pandemic.

With the manager’s amendment, the relief package includes:

• $26.1 billion for rental housing assistance, including $20.25 billion for emergency rental assistance, $750 million for tribal housing needs, $100 million for rural housing, and $5 billion in emergency housing vouchers.
• $5 billion to assist people experiencing homelessness with immediate and longer-term assistance.
• $9.96 billion for homeowner assistance.
• $100 million for housing counseling.
• $5 billion in utility and water assistance.
• $20 million for fair housing activities.
• $1,400 individual stimulus checks.
• Other critical resources for states, communities, and people.

For more details on the housing and homelessness provisions in the relief bill, see NLIHC’s factsheet.

Once approved by the House, the bill will go to the Senate floor for consideration. Congressional leaders aim to enact the legislation before mid-March when expanded unemployment benefits and other protections end.
 

Take Action

• Contact your representatives and urge them to quickly vote to pass this comprehensive relief package that includes essential housing and homelessness resources.

• Hear the latest updates and learn more about needed advocacy: join NLIHC’s weekly national call on Coronavirus, Disasters, Housing and Homelessness.

Take Action: Sign Your Organization TODAY onto a Letter Supporting Increased Congressional Funding for Housing, Homelessness, and Community Development!

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Advocates for housing, community development, and ending homelessness are working together to urge Congress to provide the highest possible funding for HUD and US Department of Agriculture (USDA) housing and community development programs for fiscal year (FY) 2022. NLIHC encourages all our member and partner organizations to sign onto the letter by March 5.

Background

In the coming weeks, Congress will decide how to divide available funding for FY22 among the 12 appropriations subcommittees. These funding allocations for subcommittees, called 302(b) allocations, will determine how much funding is available for HUD and USDA programs on housing, homelessness, and community development in FY22.

State and local governments and the communities they serve rely on federal resources to meet the infrastructure needs of their communities, including community development and accessible, affordable housing. Increased investments are ever more critical this year as families struggle to make ends meet and our nation's affordable housing crisis worsens due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

It is critical that the Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development (THUD) and Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Subcommittees in both the House and Senate receive the highest possible 302(b) allocations. Adequate 302(b) allocations will help the subcommittees have the resources they need to fund the homeless, affordable housing and community development programs at levels that exceed current spending and meet the level of need caused by the pandemic.

Read the letter and sign your organization on at: tinyurl.com/4vq836e6

House Committee Proposes $40 Billion in COVID Relief for Renters, People who are Homeless, and Homeowners!

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The House Financial Services Committee Chairwoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) released today a COVID-19 relief bill that would provide urgently needed resources for America’s lowest-income renters and people experiencing homelessness.

The bill provides $25 billion in rental assistance including: $19.05 billion for emergency rental assistance (ERA); $5 billion for emergency housing vouchers; $750 million for tribal housing needs; and $100 million for rural housing.

The bill also provides $5 billion to assist people who are homeless with immediate and longer-term assistance, $9.96 billion for homeowner assistance, and $100 million for housing counseling. The Education and Labor Committee’s relief bill may provide an additional $5 billion in utility assistance.

If enacted, these investments will help prevent millions of low-income people from losing their homes during the pandemic and will provide cities and states with the resources they need to help people experiencing homelessness be safely housed during and after the pandemic.

Please contact your senators and representatives and urge them to quickly enact a comprehensive relief package that includes these essential housing and homelessness resources!

The bill unfortunately does not include an extension of the eviction moratorium through September, as President Biden urged, because the mechanism (“reconciliation”) that Democrats are using to quickly pass this bill does not allow for it to be included. It is essential that President Biden and CDC Director Walensky continue to use executive authority to strengthen, enforce and further extend the moratorium.
 

Background

Congress is moving quickly to pass COVID-19 relief legislation in the coming weeks. The Democratic leadership is moving ahead with a budget reconciliation process that allows Congress to pass a relief package with a simple majority of 51 votes. The Senate and House have passed budget resolutions setting the topline spending limit for a relief package that matches President Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief proposal. Now, each committee will quickly vote on individual spending bills for programs within their jurisdictions before they are combined into a full package for final votes. Congress and the White House are aiming to enact a new COVID relief bill by mid-March, when expanded unemployment benefits and other resources expire.

The House Financial Services Committee will vote on its bill and any filed amendments on February 10 and 11.

The bill provides $19.05 billion to the Emergency Rental Assistance program created by Congress in December, with several improvements, including: households can receive assistance for up to 18 months; the deadline to spend funds is extended to September 2025; and eligibility is extended to cover households experiencing financial hardship during or due to the pandemic. Additional funds are provided for rural households living in properties financed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) ($100 million), and for tribal nations through HUD’s native housing programs ($750 million).

The bill also takes an important first step toward longer-term solutions by allocating $5 billion to provide tens of thousands of emergency housing vouchers to provide housing stability during and after the pandemic.

As proposed by President Biden, the bill provides $5 billion to assist people experiencing homelessness. In addition to addressing the immediate need for supportive services and rental assistance, these funds can be used to develop or convert properties into non-congregate housing, permanent supportive housing, and other long-term housing solutions.

The bill also provides $9.96 billion to support homeowners at risk of foreclosure, and $100 million for housing counseling. An additional $5 billion is expected to be provided in a separate bill for utility assistance through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).

Take Action

• Contact your senators and representatives and urge them to quickly enact a comprehensive relief package that includes these resources and provisions and other essential relief for low-income and marginalized people.

• Hear the latest updates and learn more about needed advocacy: join our weekly national call on Coronavirus, Disasters, Housing and Homelessness.

Thank you for your advocacy!

 

Contact Your Senators and Representatives to Provide #RentReliefNow!

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Congressional leaders are moving quickly to pass COVID-19 relief legislation in the coming weeks, either through bipartisan legislation under regular order or by using the budget reconciliation process. Your advocacy is needed to ensure that any COVID relief package includes essential resources to address the urgent health and housing needs of America’s lowest-income renters and people experiencing homelessness.

Please contact your senators and representatives and urge them to include NLIHC’s top priorities in any relief package!

Background

This week, a group of 10 Senate Republicans released a $600 billion COVID-19 relief proposal that fails to address any of the significant needs of renters and people experiencing homelessness. Despite the ongoing eviction crisis and the tremendous needs of renters and people experiencing homelessness, the Republican proposal includes no resources or protections for renters and people without homes. In addition, the plan excludes needed resources for state and local fiscal relief and reduces funding for direct stimulus checks and unemployment benefits.

As bipartisan negotiations continue, the House and Senate are moving forward with “budget reconciliation,” a process that allows Congress to pass a bill with a simple majority of 51 votes rather than the 60 votes typically required in the chamber. The House and Senate are voting this week on a budget resolution with a topline spending limit that matches President Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief proposal. When the budget resolution is approved, each committee will quickly draft and vote on individual spending bills for programs within their jurisdiction before it is combined into a full package for final votes. Congress and the White House are aiming to enact a new COVID relief bill by mid-March, when expanded unemployment benefits and other resources expire.

Advocates should urge Congress to ensure the next COVID relief package includes NLIHC’s top priorities to address the full scope of our nation’s urgent health and housing needs. An extended, improved, and enforced eviction moratorium will save lives and help slow the spread of COVID-19. Additional emergency rental and utility assistance and new housing vouchers are needed to address rent arrears and to ensure continued housing stability. More resources are required to keep people experiencing homelessness safe during the pandemic and allow individuals living in non-congregate shelter to transition to permanent housing, rather than to be pushed back into homelessness. Read more about NLIHC priorities for the next COVID relief bill here.

Take Action

Contact your senators and representatives and urge them to include NLIHC’s top housing and homelessness priorities in any relief package! Then join our weekly national call on Coronavirus, Disasters, Housing and Homelessness to hear the latest updates and learn more about needed advocacy.

Thank you for your advocacy!

Sign Letter Urging President-Elect Biden to Keep Families Housed During the Pandemic!

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Join NLIHC and advocates from across the nation by signing your organization onto a national letter, already signed onto by over 1,500 organizations and elected officials, urging President-elect Biden to take immediate action to issue an Executive Order that extends, improves, and enforces the federal eviction moratorium through the end of the pandemic.

Though the CDC-issued moratorium was extended through the end of January by the recent coronavirus relief package, on February 1 tens of millions of low-income renters will be at risk of losing their homes and, with them, their ability to keep themselves and their families safe and healthy. The consequences would be devastating – for children and families, for communities, and for our country’s ability to contain the surging pandemic.

We are also urging the Biden administration to strengthen the moratorium by closing loopholes and making it easier for renters to be protected, and to enforce the criminal penalties against landlords who violate the moratorium.

We encourage all local, state, and national organizations and elected officials to sign onto and share the letter widely before the deadline on January 15!  (Note: Organizations and elected officials that already signed the previous, virtually identical letter to the CDC do not need to re-sign this letter to the incoming Biden administration. You may opt-out by emailing [email protected].)

Background

Evictions risk lives, push families deeper into poverty, and further strain our nation’s public health systems. In issuing the federal eviction order in September, the CDC made clear the connection between evictions and our nation’s ability to contain the coronavirus.

Nearly one in five renters – disproportionately Black and Latino renters – are behind on their rents. Experts estimate that these households already owe between $34 billion to $70 billion in back rent. Without continued federal intervention, up to 30 million to 40 million renters could lose their homes. In addition to the tremendous harm to families and communities, this wave of evictions could conservatively cost the federal government up to $129 billion in shelter, service and other associated costs.

It is critical that we take all necessary action to protect individuals from evictions and, in worst cases, homelessness during the COVID-19 pandemic.