Congresswoman Barbara Lee Reintroduces Resolution to Increase Access to Affordable Housing
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Yesterday, Congresswoman Barbara Lee introduced H.RES. 429, reaffirming that all people deserve access to safe, affordable, and decent housing. The resolution supports expanded federal funding of affordable housing programs and affirms expansion of renters’ rights because housing is a basic human right.
“We are facing an affordable housing crisis, which is why I am proud to introduce my Renter Bill of Rights Resolution,” said Congresswoman Barbara Lee. “This resolution responds to the crisis so many people are facing in my Congressional District and throughout the Bay Area and California.
“Housing is a basic human right, and for far too long heartless budget caps have prevented us from making the necessary investments to ensure all Americans, especially the most vulnerable, have access to safe and affordable homes.
“Around the country, rents and home prices continue to rise. In Oakland, the average renter would spend a staggering 70 percent of their income on housing if they had to move tomorrow. This is unacceptable.”
Congresswoman Barbara Lee’s “Renter bill of rights”:
- Supports a significant investment in housing resources to build and preserve affordable housing for America's poorest families and to end homelessness and housing poverty once and for all;
- Supports lifting the spending caps required by the Budget Control Act of 2011 and robustly funding programs to increase access to affordable housing and address homelessness at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and other Federal agencies;
- Supports including in any infrastructure package housing investments to serve families with the lowest incomes, including $70,000,000,000 in funding for the Public Housing Capital Fund to address the backlog of capital repairs for public housing and at least $5,000,000,000 for the National Housing Trust Fund to boost the supply of affordable housing available to extremely low-income families;
- Affirms that renters may not be barred from federally assisted housing solely on the basis of a criminal record;
- Supports expansion of renters' rights, including the right of tenants to organize tenant associations; and
- Affirms that housing is a basic human right.
“Our nation’s families deserve better. That is why I hope my colleagues will cosponsor this resolution and pledge to work together to ensure that we increase access to affordable housing and ensure that housing is a basic human right.”
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