This week, U.S. Senators Todd Young (R-Ind.), Angus King (I-Maine), and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), along with a group of 13 bipartisan Senators, reintroduced the Task Force on the Impact of the Affordable Housing Crisis Act, which aims to better understand and respond to America’s housing affordability crisis by creating a bipartisan housing task force. The task force would evaluate and quantify the impact of housing costs on other government programs, and provide recommendations to Congress on how to increase affordable housing options in order to improve life outcomes.
“I’ve seen firsthand in Indiana how a lack of affordable housing has negative and lasting consequences. The inability to access safe and affordable homes leaves Hoosier families with fewer dollars to spend on important expenses like health care and groceries. As part of my Fair Shot Agenda, I’ve made solving this crisis a top priority,” said Senator Young. “Our bipartisan bill would assemble a group of experts to better understand the housing affordability crisis so that we can take legislative action and end the cycle of poverty for millions of struggling Americans.”
“Affordable housing isn’t just about keeping a roof over your head – it’s about making sure you have a solid foundation for every other aspect of your life,” said Senator King. “Housing uncertainty amplifies other challenges, making it harder to pursue an education, take care of your health, or seek out new economic opportunities. This isn’t a Democrat or Republican problem, nor is it an urban problem or a rural problem. It affects everyone, and requires a strong, coordinated, and bipartisan effort to seek out solutions. This task force will do just that, and find new ways for us to improve quality of life for Americans of all backgrounds.”
“The affordable housing crisis impacts every state and every community, both urban and rural alike. As I’ve traveled across the state of Washington, I’ve seen some of the most hard-hit areas for affordable housing and met the people it has affected, from returning veterans and aging seniors to young people unable to find an affordable home near their workplace,” said Senator Cantwell. “We need to act. I know that we can work in a bipartisan basis to both stimulate our economy and solve the affordable housing crisis.”
Specifically, the task force will:
- Evaluate and quantify the impact that a lack of affordable housing has on other areas of life and life outcomes for individuals living in the United States, including education, employment, income level, health, nutrition, access to transportation, and poverty level in the neighborhood in which individuals live, regional economic growth, and neighborhood and rural community stability and revitalization.
- Evaluate and quantify the costs incurred by other Federal, State, and local programs due to a lack of affordable housing.
- Make recommendations to Congress on how to use affordable housing to improve the effectiveness of other Federal programs and improve life outcomes for individuals living in the United States.
The Task Force on the Impact of the Affordable Housing Crisis Act includes supporters from over 70 organizations. For a full list of supporters, click here.
Cosponsors of the bill include U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Doug Jones (D-Ala.), Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), John Kennedy (R-La.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Ark.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), and Jon Tester (D-Mont.).
For the full bill text, click here.
