Out of Reach 2003
by Representative Robert Ney (R-OH) and Representative Maxine Waters (D-CA)
Housing is the backbone of the American economy and the linchpin of stable family and community life. For the majority of Americans, affordable good housing in their preferred neighborhoods is a given. But for growing numbers of families and individuals, this foundation of family well-being is out of reach. It is estimated that one in three households in the United States now must pay more than they can afford for their housing. Of course, families and individuals with the lowest incomes – low wage earners, seniors on fixed incomes, people with disabilities – have the most burdensome housing costs. And the presence of homeless men, women, and children on the streets and in the shelters of every single community is shameful in a country of such enormous wealth and promise.The National Low Income Housing Coalition, especially Out of Reach, continues to provide important information about affordable housing in the United States. As Out of Reach reveals, not a single community is spared the challenge of housing problems for some of its members.
Out of Reach is a valuable source of information in helping members of Congress and the country at-large to understand the nature and extent of the housing problems of low income Americans. Its unique jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction analysis allows members of Congress who represent large and small locales alike to readily draw conclusions about the housing circumstance of their constituents.
As Chairman and Ranking Member respectively of the Housing and Community Opportunity Subcommittee of the House Financial Services Committee, we have worked together to educate our fellow members of Congress about the housing priorities of their constituencies and the nation as a whole. To date, during the 108th Congress which began January 2, 2003, we have completed fifteen hearings on critical housing issues, such as the Section 8 program, HUD’s budget, homeownership, rural housing, and housing production, affordability and availability. Three of these hearings have been in communities outside of Washington, and we plan to do several other field hearings in urban, rural, and suburban areas – to learn from citizens what they think are the solutions and what Washington should be doing.
Out of Reach both informs and inspires our work as housing leaders in the 108th Congress of the United States. Although we are appalled at the findings in Out of Reach, we applaud the National Low Income Housing Coalition for its diligent scholarship in bringing these data to the public debate.
Representative Robert Ney (R-OH) and Representative Maxine Waters (D-CA) are, respectively, Chairman and Ranking Member of the Housing and Community Opportunity Subcommittee of the House Financial Services Committee.
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