Congressional Champions and Advocates Organize Actions to Support Affordable Housing in “Build Back Better Act,” Negotiations Continue

After reports signaled the $327 billion in affordable housing investments could be dropped from the “Build Back Better Act,” advocates across the country joined NLIHC and congressional champions to show support for these crucial investments and urge Congressional leaders and the White House to provide the highest funding possible for affordable housing in the bill. Thanks to the tireless work of congressional champions and advocates, housing will remain in the bill but may be cut from $327 billion to $175 billion or less, and there is still no guarantee that the most essential, targeted affordable housing resources will remain in the final package.

House Financial Services Committee Chair Maxine Waters (D-CA) and Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee Chair Sherrod Brown (D-OH) participated in a press conference on October 20 organized by the National Housing Conference. Attended by both advocacy and industry groups, the press conference gave the chairs the opportunity to reiterate the importance of including robust affordable housing investments in the reconciliation package, including NLIHC’s HoUSed campaign’s top priorities: $90 billion to expand access to housing assistance to an additional one million people; $80 billion to make desperately needed repairs to public housing; and $37 billion to construct up to 330,000 units of deeply affordable, accessible housing through the national Housing Trust Fund.

“We are on pins and needles as we await some of the decisions being made at the White House,” Chairwoman Waters said at the event. “There are so many people who work every day, but they cannot afford the high cost of rental housing, and they are simply seeking some help from their government.”

Advocates should contact their senators and representatives TODAY (final decisions may be made at any moment!) and urge them to ensure that any cuts to the reconciliation bill 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. Together these investments could effectively end homelessness in the United States. Any cuts to funding for these priority programs means fewer people will be safely and affordably housed.

Take Action

  1. Contact your senators and representatives and urge them to weigh in IMMEDIATELY with the White House, Speaker Pelosi, and Senate Majority Leader Schumer in support of funding the HoUSed campaign’s priorities at the highest level.
  1. Join more than 1,760 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!