Photo Courtesy of Rep. Meng’s Office
“Homelessness and the lack of affordable housing are moral crises that we must fight, once and for all,” Rep. Meng said.
By Forum Staff
Congresswoman Grace Meng (D-Flushing) recently introduced the Pathway to Stable and Affordable Housing for All Act, a 10-year investment plan to end homelessness and housing poverty based on estimates from frontline, on-the-ground service providers, and experts that focus on meeting the challenges states and communities face every day.
“Housing is a human right, and everyone deserves a safe and affordable home. But too many families are stricken with the cruel and impossible decision of choosing between paying rent or paying for groceries or prescription drugs. Homelessness and the lack of affordable housing are moral crises that we must fight, once and for all,” Meng said. “In New York, more than 90,000 New Yorkers are without a home, and nationwide, only 37 affordable and available homes exist for every 100 extremely low-income renter households. In my own 6th Congressional District, these numbers are even worse; only 18 housing units are available for every 100 extremely low-income households. This cannot be; it must not be. This bill makes monumental investments to existing programs that have been proven to successfully combat homelessness and housing poverty. First, the investments would help get individuals who are most in need off the street and into supportive and safe housing; and second, the bill expands access to affordable housing for the long-term, while expanding the stock of affordable housing. Every family—every child—deserves a safe and stable home. I urge all my colleagues to support this bill to ensure housing justice for all.”
The bill consists of four very expensive provisions:
$10 billion per year in additional funding for the Emergency Solutions Grant Program, which focuses on homelessness prevention and rapid re-housing for individuals and families that find themselves homeless;
$10 billion per year in additional funding for the Continuum of Care Program, which helps organizations move those experiencing longer-term homelessness into the shelter system and provide needed supports;
$40 billion per year in direct appropriation to the Housing Trust Fund—on top of the existing funding provided by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac—to begin to chip away at the deficit of units in the nation’s affordable housing stock; and
Fully fund Tenant-Based Rental Assistance (vouchers) to allow all eligible households to get into permanent, safe, affordable housing.
“Through robust investments in the national Housing Trust Fund, housing vouchers, and homeless assistance grants, Rep. Meng’s bill addresses the underlying, systemic causes of the affordable housing and homelessness crisis: the widening gap between incomes and housing costs and severe shortage of homes affordable and available to the lowest-income seniors, people of color, people with disabilities, families with children, and other individuals,” Diane Yentel, president and CEO of the National Low Income Housing Coalition, noted. “We must build the political will to enact this important bill.”
Meng’s legislation is the companion to the Pathway to Stable and Affordable Housing for All Act that was introduced by Sens. Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), and Cory Booker (D-N.J.).
