Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions

Floor Speech

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Mr. PADILLA. Mr. President, I rise to speak in support of the Housing Act for All Act of 2022, which I introduced today.

The homelessness and housing crises have worsened in recent years. As of January 2020, more than 580,000 individuals in the country, disproportionately people of color, were experiencing homelessness. Rates of unsheltered homelessness have increased over the last few years, and people experiencing unsheltered homelessness have a mortality rate four to nine times higher than that of the general public. A lack of affordable housing and housing assistance programs have contributed to homelessness. There is a shortage of 6.8 million affordable rental homes in the United States. Even before the pandemic, one in four renters spent half of their monthly income on rent, and nearly a million tenants were evicted each year. I believe every person has a right to housing.

That is why I am proud to introduce this bill, which represents a comprehensive approach to tackling housing and homelessness. If enacted, it would invest in and align Federal resources to support those experiencing housing instability. To address the homelessness and housing crises, we must invest in policies that support strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and ensure quality affordable homes for all.

Specifically, this bill will address the affordable housing shortage by investing in the housing trust fund, the Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly Program, Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities Program, and the HOME Program. It establishes a Commission to focus on racial equity in housing and homelessness.

It will address homelessness by investing in housing choice vouchers project-based rental assistance, emergency solutions grants, and continuums of care. It will create grant programs to strengthen mobile crisis intervention teams; to support hotel and motel conversions to permanent supportive housing with services; to aid libraries in supporting persons experiencing homelessness; and to provide people living in vehicles with a safe place to park overnight and facilitate a transition to stable housing. And it commissions a report on the connection between evictions and emergency rental assistance during the pandemic, so we can make smarter policy moving forward.

When I have traveled around the State--from LA County to Inland Empire, to Fresno, to San Diego, to San Francisco--to get a sense of the needs for housing in different communities, some key elements stood out. On the production side, there is a need for more dedicated funding for affordable housing from the Federal Government. There is also missing middle housing for families, especially people of color. And there is not enough housing near transit. That is why my bill focuses on supporting inclusive, transit-oriented development. When I talked to researchers about keeping families housed, one main point they made is that we don't have enough data on renters and evictions, and that is why I wanted to include a section of the bill on data--so we can make evidence-based policies. Right now, the cost to build low-income housing in California is very high because of land and material costs as well as the fragmented way that funding gets doled out in California. That is why I included a section to provide technical assistance for localities navigating Federal and State housing funding sources.

The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the need for affordable, safe, and supportive housing for people experiencing homelessness. Because of the pandemic, many lost their housing, while others struggled to make rent for the first time. Some didn't know where to turn as shelters faced capacity limits and food banks saw overwhelming demand. These hardships were especially prevalent for those who had already been marginalized--including communities of color, low-income communities, and those with disabilities.

As we begin to recover from the pandemic, it is our job to rebuild a more inclusive and equitable world for all. A just recovery includes expanding affordable housing options to provide people with a sense of stability. It also means respecting the dignity and supporting the health of all community members. Affordable housing is essential infrastructure. Every person deserves dignity, security, and space of their own.

I want to thank Representatives Lieu and Carbajal for introducing this bill with me, and I hope our colleagues will join us in support of this solution to our housing and homelessness crises.

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