Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) wrote a letter to President Trump on July 24 responding to a Fox News interview with the president during which he commented on addressing homelessness in America. Senator Brown discusses the need for affordable housing, notes how recent proposals from the Trump administration have negatively impacted the housing crisis, and demands the president take decisive action to address homelessness in the U.S.
The letter praises the success of programs such as HUD-Veteran Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) vouchers and HUD’s Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program, among others, for addressing homelessness but notes that underfunding of federal housing programs results in only one in four eligible households receiving assistance. The letter cites data from NLIHC’s The Gap: A Shortage of Affordable Homes and Out of Reach reports to demonstrate the need for federal rental assistance and a greater supply of affordable homes. Senator Brown notes that the Trump administration has repeatedly proposed cutting funding for or eliminating critical HUD programs, which would only exacerbate the homelessness crisis. Senator Brown also urges the president to stop proposing policies that would increase homelessness among vulnerable populations such as veterans, older adults, people with disabilities, transgender individuals, mixed-status immigrant families, and low-income households.
“America is facing a housing affordability crisis that is pushing millions of people into housing instability, eviction, and homelessness,” wrote Senator Brown in the letter. “Ending homelessness is a bipartisan issue. If you truly want to tackle this issue, I stand ready to work with you.”
Read Senator Brown’s letter at: https://tinyurl.com/y5bvg47f