Representatives Nydia Velázquez (D-NY) and Dan Goldman (D-NY) introduced the “Public Housing Emergency Response Act” (H.R.235) in the U.S. House of Representatives on January 11. The bill would provide $70 billion to the Public Housing Capital Fund to address the capital needs backlog in public housing. NLIHC endorsed the bill.
“The public housing system was created to serve as an affordable lifeline for working families across this country,” said Representative Velazquez in a press release. “However, many public housing units are in poor conditions, contributing to a broad range of infectious diseases, chronic diseases, injuries, childhood development complications, nutrition issues, and mental health challenges. This situation demands bold action.”
“We have an obligation to ensure that public housing residents are living with the dignity and respect they deserve,” Congressman Goldman stated. “The conditions that far too many tenants are forced to endure are simply unacceptable, and the first step to tackling this urgent crisis is to fund capital repairs and eliminate backlogs.”
Due to decades of chronic underfunding by Congress, the nation’s public housing stock is in a state of disrepair, exposing tenants – often families with children, older adults, and people with disabilities – to harmful and frequently dangerous living conditions. Public housing residents have reported toxic mold, lead, pests, and other hazards in their units, and some units still lack adequate fire safety measures, like smoke alarms and sprinkler systems. Significant federal funding is needed to make the critical repairs to public housing required to ensure every resident has a safe, healthy place to call home.
Read the press release at: https://bit.ly/3WmtmsK
Learn more about the bill at: https://bit.ly/3krAXce