Washington, D.C. — Today, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN) introduced the Homes Act, a bill aimed at increasing the availability of affordable housing for working families. Patrick Gaspard, president and CEO of the Center for American Progress, issued a statement in response.
"Affordable housing is foundational to an inclusive economy that provides security for everyone, not just the wealthy few," Gaspard stated. "Solving America’s housing crisis demands solutions that meet the monumental scale and complexity of the problem."
Gaspard emphasized that "The Homes Act is filling a yawning gap in affordable rentals by offering a fresh approach to delivering new, affordable rental housing for Americans." He added that by building affordable housing in opportunity-rich areas, the act would provide families with better access to employment and opportunities to save for their future.
"I commend Rep. Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Smith for their bold leadership on bringing the cost of housing down and building sustainable housing for this generation," he said.
The introduction of the bill coincides with new polling conducted by Data for Progress for the Center for American Progress, which finds that nearly 8 in 10 voters believe America has a housing shortage.
On Thursday, September 19, 2024, the Center for American Progress will host a housing policy summit titled "Building the Future: Innovative Solutions to the U.S. Housing Crisis." The event will feature an armchair discussion with co-sponsors Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Tina Smith, along with a keynote address from Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Rohit Chopra. The summit aims to bring together federal, state, and local leaders to discuss solutions envisioning a future with affordable and accessible housing. New polling data on Americans' views regarding the housing shortage will be released following the event.
For more information or to RSVP for the upcoming event, please contact Sarah Nadeau at [email protected].
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