On our most recent (October 25) call on “HoUSed: Universal, Stable, and Affordable Housing,” Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) discussed the housing investments in the Build Back Better Act. “We’ve got a once in a generation opportunity with this bill to make investments that all of us have been fighting for, for a very long time,” said Senator Merkley. He thanked advocates for their work to secure vital, targeted affordable housing investments in the package. Senator Merkley, along with Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Alex Padilla (D-CA), led a “Dear Colleague” letter in the Senate to show widespread support for the HoUSed campaign’s essential investments to end homelessness that was signed by 36 of other senators (see Memo, 10/18).
NLIHC’s Sarah Saadian provided updates from Capitol Hill on the Build Back Better Act and the bipartisan infrastructure bill. Kyra Miller from the National Women’s Law Center discussed the connection between housing and access to childcare, and Khalil Shahyd from the National Resources Defense Council spoke about climate and housing equity.
NLIHC’s Dan Emmanuel presented a new report from NLIHC and the Public and Affordable Housing Research Corporation (PAHRC) on the growing preservation challenges facing the nation’s nearly five million federally assisted homes. affordable housing preservation, as it is an important part of the housing gap. NLIHC’s Emma Foley and Jade Vasquez talked about the emergency rental assistance (ERA) spending tracking and provided ERASE Project updates.
Natalie James from Prosperity Indiana shared Prosperity Indiana’s reading guide “Evicted in Indiana,” an accompaniment to the book Evicted by Matthew Desmond. Sue Watlov-Phillips, executive director of Metropolitan Interfaith Coalition for Affordable Housing and board president of the National Coalition for the Homeless, discussed the Bring America Home Now campaign. Lindsay Thrall, connections program manager at Evernorth in Vermont, shared the results of an interview project featuring low-income renters that found people prioritized paying rent before any other necessities, including groceries.
Our next national call will be today, October 25 at 2:30 pm ET. We will provide the latest updates on the Build Back Better Act, learn about the intersection of housing and healthcare, hear updates from the field, and more.
Watch a recording of the call at: tinyurl.com/4nwn9c2f
View presentation slides at: tinyurl.com/nm9uat4a