Delia Ramirez Leads House Progressive Caucus Special Hour To Declare 'Housing Is A Human Right'

5 months ago

Members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus hold a special hour on the House floor to declare that housing is a human right.

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Transcript

00:00 Under the speaker's announced policy of January 9th, 2023, the gentlewoman from

00:05 Illinois, Mrs. Ramirez, is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the

00:11 minority leader. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that all members

00:15 have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include

00:20 extraneous materials on the subject of my special order. Without objection. Thank

00:25 you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the housing crisis impacts us all. Regardless of

00:33 whether you live in a city, you live in a suburb, or a rural town, many Americans

00:38 are concerned about their housing stability. Homelessness has risen every

00:43 single year since 2017, and the shortage of available and affordable housing has

00:49 only worsened. High interest rates and student debt has made the American dream

00:54 of home ownership out of reach and impossible for too many. Severely

01:00 underfunded programs are unable to tackle the most critical issues facing

01:05 our communities in a meaningful way. And wages, they're just not keeping pace

01:10 with rising housing costs. The human right to housing is more than a slogan,

01:16 and more than just four walls and a roof over someone's head. The human right to

01:22 housing means realizing safety and stability and dignity through housing.

01:27 And that is why today I'm convening tonight's special order hour for the

01:32 Congressional Progressive Caucus. So that I, along with my colleagues, can talk to

01:37 you about the housing challenges facing American households and the progressive

01:41 solutions we can champion to address this issue. You know, solutions like

01:46 bringing the gap between income and - bridging the gap between income and

01:50 housing costs, and expanding and preserving the supply of affordable

01:54 accessible rental homes for people with the lowest incomes, providing emergency

02:00 rental assistance to households in crisis, strengthening and enforcing

02:05 renter protections, opposing efforts to undermine housing first and criminalize

02:11 homelessness, safe affordable dignified housing I know is the foundation on

02:16 which so much of our quality of life and our economic security is built. I hear

02:22 often that housing is just too hard to tackle at the federal level, but if we

02:28 want to realize housing for all as a human right, we have to challenge

02:32 ourselves to move beyond traditional approaches and embrace creativity and

02:38 innovation. To get us started, I would like to yield to the gentle lady from

02:44 California, Miss Porter. My son Paul broke my heart with a question. He asked, "Mom,

02:59 will you come visit me when I grow up and live outside of California?" "Why would

03:06 you want to live out of state?" I asked. It wasn't that there's somewhere else

03:12 he'd rather be. He was just a teenager, a teenager already worrying that he

03:20 wouldn't be able to afford to live where he grew up. He's right to be worried. We

03:27 all face a big cost of living problem. Housing has become too expensive and

03:36 affordable housing altogether too scarce. The National Low-Income Housing

03:40 Coalition estimates that there is a nationwide shortage of more than 7

03:45 million affordable homes. That's not just a problem. It is a full-blown crisis.

03:53 Washington has bungled this for decades and nothing is changing. Earlier this

03:59 year, bipartisan House and Senate leaders promised "the biggest

04:05 investment in housing that Congress has

04:10 made in 35 years" until the deal fell apart. We're back to solving yesterday's

04:17 problems tomorrow, maybe. Washington insiders might not have a plan, but I do.

04:23 Let's start with the easiest step. Let's create a housing committee. We currently

04:31 lump housing issues into the Financial Services Committee, a body focused on

04:36 Wall Street, banking, and financial markets. But housing is about so much

04:43 more. It's about shelter. It's about well-being. It's about opportunity, not

04:49 just about Wall Street profits. Housing should have a dedicated committee and

04:54 then Republicans and Democrats on that housing committee must work together to

05:00 do three related things. First, increase the supply of housing. Second, make

05:06 housing easier to build. And third, make housing more affordable. Believe it or

05:13 not, the supply part is pretty easy. Republicans and Democrats alike actually

05:19 want to increase our housing supply. You don't have to take my word for it.

05:23 Look at the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act, which would enhance tax

05:28 credits to build two million homes over the next decade. It is publicly supported

05:35 by 111 Democrats and 111 Republicans. So let's pass that. And then why stop with

05:45 tax credits? Let's unleash private capital for home construction by

05:49 guaranteeing and securitizing the construction of one to four unit starter

05:54 homes, just like the government already does for big apartment buildings built

06:00 by Wall Street real estate firms. Those are the steps that we need to take to

06:05 invest in our housing supply. But actually building those homes is still

06:10 too challenging, and it shouldn't be. Stick and brick homes are expensive.

06:16 Manufacturing costs have gone down in virtually every industry, except home

06:22 building. So why aren't we copying and learning from what worked in other

06:27 industries? Imagine a home built at least in part from 3D printed materials.

06:34 Congress can invest in this type of technology and reduce building costs by

06:39 over 30% just by thinking creatively. And all levels of

06:45 government should be partners in creative thinking. Congress should reward

06:49 counties and cities that take steps to make their building and zoning

06:55 requirements more flexible. And the federal government should release some

07:00 of its unused land so we can build homes on it. With these simple steps, we can

07:06 build way more affordable homes and get those financed and built. Then we just

07:12 need to figure out how to make them affordable to own. One problem is that

07:17 hedge funds have been scooping up all of the affordable homes, especially starter

07:22 homes. We need to pass the end hedge fund control of American Homes Act and tax

07:28 Wall Street investors that purchase hundreds of homes solely for profits.

07:35 Houses should be for homeowners and mom-and-pop landlords, not Wall Street

07:41 companies looking to drive up their profits. And with the money we make from

07:46 that bill, we can invest in down payment assistance for first-time homebuyers.

07:52 Often the biggest thing stopping people from owning a home is not having the

07:57 cash to pay up front for the down payment, even if they can afford the

08:02 regular payments on that mortgage. Down payment assistance will solve that. Folks,

08:08 this is what a plan looks like. Congress just doesn't have one. The United States

08:15 did not wind up with a shortage of nearly 7 million affordable homes

08:20 overnight. Our housing crisis is the gradual consequence of leaders in

08:26 Washington being asleep at the wheel for over 30 years. Well, Congress needs to

08:33 wake up. Lowering people's housing costs isn't pie in the sky. We have done it

08:39 before. We did it through the GI Bill for service members and we can do it again

08:44 for all Americans. That's what we need from Washington and I'll keep pushing to

08:50 get it done. I yield back to the gentlelady. Thank you, Congresswoman Porter.

08:56 I could not agree with you more and today this is why we are doing the

09:01 special order hour on housing. We need our Congress to wake up. Mr. Speaker, can

09:08 you imagine we're wrapping up session and you had nowhere to go. You didn't

09:14 have a place that you can lay your head tonight. You had no roof over your head

09:20 on the coldest day in the year. Let's assume we were in January. The reality is

09:27 that on any given night in America, more than 600,000 people experience

09:33 homelessness and nearly half of these individuals, 250,000 sleep outside. In

09:42 Illinois, the average age of someone experiencing homelessness, it's not 55,

09:47 it's not 65, it's not 70, it's just nine years of age. Can you imagine having a

09:57 grandchild, a son, a sister, a niece not having where to sleep at the age of nine?

10:04 Homelessness is increasing across the country because more and more hard

10:09 working families and individuals are struggling to make ends meet. And in the

10:13 richest country in the world, rents are far too expensive, wages are way too low,

10:19 and decades of failed housing policies have left us to this point. For example,

10:26 the National Low-Income Housing Coalition has found that a full-time

10:30 worker, a full-time worker must earn $28.58 per hour to afford a modest

10:41 two-bedroom apartment. That doesn't get much better for a modest one-bedroom

10:46 apartment because a person would have to earn $23.67 to afford it. To put that in

10:54 perspective, Mr. Speaker, a worker earning the minimum wage in this country would

10:59 have to work 104 hours a week, which adds up to more than 2.5 full-time jobs. That

11:11 is unacceptable. And to think that in less than a week, one of the most

11:19 important housing cases in a generation, the Johnson v. Grants Pass, will be

11:25 argued before the Supreme Court. Johnson v. Grants Pass essentially asks the court

11:30 whether cities can punish unhoused people for covering themselves with a

11:35 blanket, even in the absence of shelter. This is where we are as a nation. We are

11:44 willing to consider criminalizing a woman with a nine-year-old child, a

11:49 person experiencing homelessness, a veteran experiencing homelessness, when

11:54 there's no shelter and they just want to cover themselves with a blanket. Luckily,

11:59 the District Court and the Court of Appeals have held that criminalizing

12:03 homelessness violates the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution, which

12:07 establishes the right to be free from excessive bail, excessive fines, and cruel

12:13 and unusual punishment. If the Supreme Court upholds the current decision,

12:20 jurisdictions across the country will no longer be able to criminalize people for

12:26 existing when they have no place to go. But if the Supreme Court overturns the

12:33 lower courts and rules in favor of Grants Pass, it will give cities and

12:39 states permission to punish people who have nowhere else to go other than to

12:47 sleep outside. Mr. Speaker, that is despicable that there are those who

12:53 would seek to punish our neighbors for simply trying to survive in an impossible

12:58 situation. Regardless of the ruling, homelessness is persistent precisely

13:04 because we're unwilling to act to solve the problem, and the solution is

13:09 clear. Unhoused people need housing. Housing is the answer. Housing, not

13:17 handcuffs. We must bridge the gap between incomes and housing costs, build and

13:22 preserve homes that are affordable to people with the lowest incomes. We must

13:27 create permanent tools to prevent evictions and homelessness, and we must

13:31 strengthen housing first policies, including permanent supportive housing

13:36 and rapid rehousing, which are evidence-based. Because studies, they show

13:42 that for permanent supportive housing, a rate of up to 98% of households retain

13:49 their housing after a year. 98%. And for rapid rehousing, that's about 75% and 91%

13:59 of households remain housed a year after being rapidly rehoused. And because we

14:06 in Congress hold the power of the purse, we have a duty to provide adequate

14:12 funding for proven housing programs and new or innovative revenue sources to

14:17 support proven housing programs. Look, prior to coming to Congress, I spent 20

14:25 years providing social services and working on policy for the unhoused

14:31 population in Chicago. I witnessed firsthand the multi-layered effect of

14:39 not having a stable home on our unhoused neighbors, the health outcomes, the access

14:45 to education, economic development, and more. And bottom line, there are many

14:51 proven and data-backed solutions to homelessness. We have no excuse. The

14:57 answers are there. We just haven't had the will to enact them. Arresting or

15:02 otherwise punishing homeless folks, veterans, children is not a solution. And

15:09 jails and fines make the cycle of homelessness worse by taking resources

15:15 away from housing and support. It's not only a bad policy, it's cruel. Advocating

15:23 for housing, not handcuffs, is how we lead the progressive fight for housing as a

15:30 human right. And the third district, Mr. Speaker, in Illinois has inspiring

15:38 leaders who have been leading the fight for housing justice. And it is why, Mr.

15:44 Speaker, today I rise to honor Robert M. Adams and Dirk Enger. These are two combat

15:52 veterans who embody the essence of compassion and service. After years of

15:59 providing assistance to service members, returning to civilian life, Robert and

16:05 Dirk opened the Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans to help veterans

16:10 suffering from homelessness. Since 2000, the Midwest Shelter for Homeless

16:16 Veterans has been a beacon of hope, providing vital support to our veterans

16:21 in DuPage. From affordable housing and employment assistance to service

16:26 outreach, Robert and Dirk's dream is that no veteran, no veteran is left behind

16:33 when it comes to care and services they earned and they deserve. Their commitment

16:38 to building a continuum of care for our veterans is truly inspiring. And on

16:43 behalf of Illinois' third congressional district, it is my great honor to commend

16:50 Robert M. Adams and Dirk Enger for their commitment to supporting our veterans

16:56 and ensuring that they receive the care our nation promised them.

17:02 Congratulations. And we can't talk about homelessness without talking about the

17:11 high cost of housing. Many of our constituents that I serve, nearly 40% in

17:18 my district, they're renters. And in the Chicago portion of my district, we've

17:24 seen rent go up 20% and in some cases even higher. For decades, the United

17:33 States has faced increasing housing costs and declining construction. In 2022,

17:39 it is estimated that 12 million Americans are spending more than half of

17:44 their income on rent and utilities. Now think about that. You get your income, you

17:50 get your check, you've worked your 40, 50, 60 hours, and you look and more than half

17:55 of it is going to rent and utilities and the rest of it probably to a car payment,

18:02 most likely to gas, student loans, credit cards. People are living paycheck to

18:09 paycheck. And given what we've seen since COVID, reduced housing supply, increasing

18:15 rents, supply chain issues, these statistics have only gotten worse. When I

18:21 was tapped to represent the resilient and diverse communities of Illinois in

18:25 the state legislature, I was clear. I'm going to fight like hell to prevent

18:31 folks from losing their housing and falling into homelessness. And during the

18:35 peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, I passed an expansive housing bill that included

18:40 eviction moratoriums and rental assistance. We, speaker, need more programs

18:46 and policies that make rent affordable for families. However, I know that

18:51 staying housed is just one piece of the puzzle. Even if people are able to remain

18:57 housed, high rent often forces people to choose between basic needs like keeping

19:03 the lights on or purchasing their medication. I mean, people are having to

19:07 choose between medication, paying for their light bill, or paying rent. And

19:13 when people have to make these kinds of choices, a cycle develops. What's that

19:18 cycle, you'd ask? Debt, poor credit, predatory lending, and all of the

19:24 distressing consequences when unaffordable housing creates financial

19:29 hardships for our families. That is why it's more important than ever that we

19:36 continue to make housing more affordable while we also address predatory

19:41 practices. We have to expand the use of tools like alternative credit scores

19:46 that factor in rent and utility payments, and we have to regulate fees, like late

19:52 credit card fees. I was so encouraged to hear that last month the Consumer

19:56 Financial Protection Bureau, CFPB, they finalized a rule to cut excessive credit

20:02 card late fees that cost American families more than $14 billion a year. By

20:09 reducing the typical fee from $32 down to $8, more than 45 million people will

20:18 experience an average savings of, are you ready, $220 per year.

20:26 Consumer protections are part of how we help families navigate financial

20:29 security in the face of housing stability. But we also have to recognize

20:33 the important role that Fair Housing Act plays in protecting tenants and

20:37 prospective homebuyers from housing discrimination and predatory landlords.

20:42 2024 marks the 56th anniversary of the passage of the federal Fair Housing Act.

20:49 And today, serving in this Congress, it seems almost impossible that people can

20:56 come together to set a national policy of fair housing that bars discrimination

21:01 based on race, color, religion, national origin, gender, familial status, or

21:07 disability. But we did. And the need is greater than ever. According to the

21:13 National Fair Housing Alliance's 2023 Fair Housing Trends Report, there were

21:19 33,007 fair housing complaints received in 2022, the highest number of

21:25 complaints ever reported in a single year. And overall complaints were 5.7%

21:33 higher than the previous year. And complaints based on source of income and

21:38 domestic violence significantly increased. So while this legislation is

21:43 still relevant 56 years later, I would argue it could use an update. In

21:49 Illinois, the Human Rights Act, which is 45 years old this year, also bars

21:53 discrimination in housing based on sex, including sexual harassment, age,

21:58 ancestry, marital status, military status, unfavorable discharge from

22:03 military service, sexual orientation, gender related identity, order of

22:08 protection status, arrest record, source of income, or immigration status.

22:13 And here's what I know. If housing is a human right, then we must root out

22:19 housing discrimination and predatory practice whenever we find them. To hear

22:26 a little bit more of this housing work across the country and what must be

22:30 done, I would like to yield to the gentleman from New York, Mr. Bowman.

22:39 Thank you so much, Representative Ramirez, for your leadership and thank

22:43 you for yielding.

22:44 Dear America, the rent is too damn high. I repeat, the rent is too damn high. It

22:56 remains too damn high for the majority of Americans. We believe very strongly

23:04 that housing is a human right. Every single person in our country should

23:11 have access to affordable housing, housing that is truly affordable. If you

23:20 work full time in our country, you should be able to afford clean,

23:26 respectful, dignified, adequate housing. And no American should spend more than

23:36 20% of their salary towards rent and/or mortgages. In my district, you have

23:46 people paying 30, 40, 50, 60, even 70% of their salaries towards rent. How can

23:56 you afford transportation? How can you afford child care? How can you afford

24:03 education or to get your child tutoring or to take additional courses for

24:10 yourself? How can you afford to put your child in martial arts or science or

24:16 arts or music programs when the majority of your money is going towards rent? In

24:23 Westchester County, where the majority of my district resides, you need to make

24:28 $40 an hour to afford a modest two bedroom apartment. That means working

24:35 2.6 minimum wage jobs. And you will not have discretionary income. And you will

24:43 not have an exemplary quality of life, which should be the goal of this

24:48 Congress, to make sure that everyone in our country has their basic needs met,

24:54 beginning with housing. President Biden recently announced a rent cap in

25:01 properties that use the low income housing tax credit. That's a huge help

25:06 for millions of Americans. Thank you, President Biden, huge shout out to you.

25:11 But we need for the President to go further and regulate rent across the

25:17 country. He should use his authority to cap rent at any property with a

25:23 federally backed mortgage, which Senator Warren and myself have joined tenant

25:28 leaders in proposing. I want to give a huge shout out to Community Voices

25:34 Heard, who are organizing for tenants in Yonkers, in the Bronx and all

25:39 throughout Westchester County. I want to give a huge shout out to Evelyn

25:44 Santiago, who's organizing in White Plains tenants and throughout

25:49 Westchester County. Shout out to Jeanette Garcia, who's working and

25:54 organizing with United Yonkers for tenants rights. As development goes up,

26:00 we have to make sure rent remains truly affordable for the working class. And we

26:07 should not be allowing the displacement or the gentrification of the most

26:13 vulnerable in our communities. Huge shout out to Westhab. We've worked very

26:18 closely with them to give them millions of dollars to build and sustain

26:22 affordable housing for seniors and others in Yonkers and in places all

26:27 over the county and the district. We need a Green New Deal for public

26:33 housing. We have to rebuild our public housing stock. The federal government

26:38 has disinvested in public housing for decades. And over the last 10 years,

26:46 not a dime given the public housing. We need new public social housing in

26:51 alignment with our climate goals. We also need to support Representative

26:56 Omar's bill, the Housing for All Act, to invest a trillion dollars over the

27:01 next 10 years to make sure everyone has a home. And for those who are unhoused

27:10 and may need supportive housing, we need to build that too. America used to

27:16 be the country of big ideas. But we need to make sure we implement these

27:21 big ideas for marginalized people and marginalized communities. Because

27:25 housing is a human right and the rent is too damn high. And we still have

27:32 so many people in our country, millions, not just unemployed, but

27:37 underemployed. Underemployed. Housing costs are through the roof. Food costs

27:45 are through the roof. Utilities costs, adios mio, through the roof. Can't

27:52 afford childcare. We are creating a permanent underclass because we do

27:59 not have a bold vision as a United States Congress. The only way our

28:05 democracy is going to work for everyone is if we focus on equity. Step one

28:10 in focus on equity is making sure everyone has a clean, dignified,

28:15 respectful, clean energy home. That should be our goal. That should be

28:21 our mission. And thank you, Representative Ramirez, for your

28:24 leadership and vision for housing in our country, your leadership in

28:29 Chicago and all throughout the state of Illinois. And this country is

28:33 astounding. You inspire women across this country. You inspire Latinas

28:39 across this country. You inspire people of color across this country. You

28:44 inspire me. I am a sophomore representative. You are a freshman and

28:48 I look up to you. Please continue to share your bold vision with the

28:53 people of America. Thank you and I yield back.

28:56 Thank you, Congressman Bowman. And you are absolutely right. Adios mio.

29:03 The rent is too darn high. Today you've heard from members from

29:07 California. You heard from Congressman Bowman from New York. And now I

29:12 want to yield to the gentle lady from Minnesota, Ms. Ilhan Omar.

29:18 Masha'Allah to Representative Jamal Bowman for that incredible speech and

29:24 for giving a shout out to my Homes for All Act. I want to thank

29:28 Representative Ramirez for yielding and for bringing all of us together

29:32 to be able to advocate for housing. In the richest nation on earth, it

29:38 is a moral failure that we have a housing crisis. But moral victories

29:44 are not just words, but by urgent... We don't address moral victories

29:50 not just by words, but by urgent action and bold policies. Fortunately,

29:56 our local localities are stepping up with sensible housing reforms and

30:01 are creating development models. In Minneapolis, our public housing authority

30:08 just unveiled its largest development in decades. The Minneapolis Housing

30:14 Authority created 84 new units that are deeply affordable family housing

30:22 across Minneapolis using innovative model construction approach that cut

30:28 development time by 30%. In Montgomery County, Maryland, local leaders created

30:35 their own version of affordable housing development by setting up a

30:39 revolving loan fund to develop dense mixed income, municipally owned housing.

30:47 Now, their public develop... Their public developable model is being replicated

30:53 in other counties across the country. These local initiatives are vital to

30:59 strengthening housing affordability, but they need more support. The solution

31:05 to our housing shortage cannot be price mealed. It demands a combination

31:12 of local initiatives and bold federal leadership. Congress cannot say...

31:17 Cannot sit on the sight lines. We have the responsibility and the capacity

31:23 to solve this crisis. We can start by authorizing significant federal funding

31:28 and public financing options for true public and social housing. This is

31:33 why I am reintroducing the Homes for All Act to transform what housing

31:39 could look like in the United States, rooted in the right reforms and

31:43 policies. It repeals the Faircloth Amendment, allowing public housing

31:48 authorities to build more housing on a massive scale like we once did

31:54 in times of great need. To ensure federal disinvestment and neglect does

31:59 not happen again, the bill also converts public housing operating and capital

32:05 expenses into mandatory spending. It makes historic investments in our housing

32:12 stock, building 8.5 million new public housing units and 3.5 million new

32:19 private housing units for working families. Finally, my bill would

32:24 establish a fund to help localities develop pro housing programs that

32:29 can also prevent residential segregation and displacement. Congress needs

32:35 to play a more active and direct role in strengthening our housing supply.

32:39 This includes making sure that public and private dollars for affordable

32:44 housing are used effectively and equitably by supporting local zoning

32:49 reforms and robust tenant protections. Such policies can work together if

32:55 crafted carefully. Last Congress, Senator Merkley and I introduced the

33:01 Affordable Home Act to provide that comprehensive approach of ensuring

33:07 housing construction and acquisition efforts are fair, inclusive and

33:11 sustainable. For renters and first time home buyers, this legislation

33:16 provides robust funding for direct rental assistance and down payment

33:21 assistance. This bill also establishes programs for a national right of

33:26 first refusal and right to counsel and ban sources of income discrimination

33:32 and no cost evictions. For people experiencing homelessness, the bill

33:37 provides billions of dollars in funding for permanent supportive housing

33:43 and not only covering capital costs, but also expanding rental subsidies

33:48 and wraparound services. For communities, the bill invests in innovative

33:54 housing models, such as resident owned cooperatives and community land

33:59 trusts. My bills are only a couple of examples that could help guarantee

34:05 housing as a human right. I am proud to share this floor with my

34:09 dedicated colleagues who have championed housing policies that are

34:13 centered on the needs of our communities and advocates. I also want

34:18 to shout out Representative Esther Apaje, Representative Aisha Gomez,

34:24 Representative Mike Howard and Representative Hodan Mohamed, who are

34:29 leading the charge in the state of Minnesota to make sure housing is

34:33 available for all. Everyone deserves access to a safe and stable place

34:38 to live. Thank you so much to Representative Ramirez for your great

34:43 partnership in this important fight and I yield.

34:45 Thank you, Congresswoman. The truth is, as I hear you talk, there are bills

34:52 prepared to bring solutions to this issue. And what we need in Congress is

34:58 the will, the courage to prioritize our communities. Thank you so much for

35:02 your leadership. The work that we do can't be done without the people on

35:08 the ground that are constantly working to make sure that the people that

35:14 need to be seen are seen and heard. These are leaders in our community

35:19 that often are unsung heroes, but that do all of the work so that members

35:25 of Congress like me could be here. And it's why I rise today to recognize

35:32 my constituent, Catherine Serpa, who is a local organizer, living her

35:38 commitment to safe, to dignified, affordable housing. From Humboldt Park,

35:44 Serpa is a resident of Chicago's Housing Authority's Public Housing,

35:49 knowing firsthand the challenges families in Chicago and around the

35:53 nation face when it comes to affordable housing. As president of the North

35:58 Central Scattered Sites, she has worked tirelessly to organize her neighbors,

36:03 including Section 8 voucher recipients, to protect their rights as tenants.

36:08 Serving on the board of the Central Advisory Council, Catherine brings

36:12 the voice, the perspective, and the concerns of the neighbors living in

36:16 a public housing to ensure that they are represented in the decisions that

36:21 impact them daily. Her work has been central to ensuring public housing

36:27 residents have clean, dignified, well maintained homes, and a key voice

36:33 in strengthening my legislation, the tenants' right to organize. On behalf

36:39 of Illinois' third congressional district, it is my great honor to honor,

36:45 to commend Catherine Serpa for her contributions to our community and her

36:50 commitment to housing for all. Thank you, Catherine. Congratulations.

36:59 And Mr. Speaker, I also rise today to commend my constituent, a leader,

37:08 an inspiration, Jose Zayas, for his more than five decades of service

37:14 and activism in our communities to realize housing as a human right.

37:18 Jose's family migrated from Puerto Rico in the 1950s, and they moved into

37:23 Lathrop Homes, a historic public housing development on the northwest side

37:28 of the city. Jose made strong connections with his neighbors as he

37:32 grew up, and he became a staunch defender of the community and a steward

37:37 of the strong generational relationships built there. For years, progress

37:42 to redevelop Lathrop Homes to provide hundreds more promised apartments

37:47 has stalled. And while the fight has been long, Jose's leadership has

37:53 been constant. He has been a committed advocate testifying, marching, and

37:58 calling for accountability. And as a Lathrop alumni leader, he has consistently

38:03 held public officials accountable to do more to preserve and protect public

38:08 affordable housing. On behalf of Illinois' Third Congressional District,

38:12 it is my great honor to commend Jose Zayas for his leadership and commitment

38:18 to fight for public and affordable housing for our communities. Jose, thank

38:25 you. It is my honor to congratulate you with this congressional commendation.

38:29 To continue to hear about the work that needs to be done around housing

38:36 throughout the country and the ways that Congress can actually act, I'd like

38:40 to now yield to the gentleman, my friend from California, Mr. Garcia.

38:47 Thank you so much, Representative Ramirez. Mr. Speaker, our nation faces

38:54 a severe housing crisis, and it's time for Congress to start working on

38:59 real solutions for working families. Now, we know that we're facing a

39:03 shortage of 3 million homes across the country. That's unacceptable. And

39:10 the deficit has led to years of rising costs for every American.

39:13 Housing is a human right, but today there are millions of people with

39:18 no access to a safe home, no access to a stable home, and this is

39:23 happening in cities and towns across America. And we know that millions

39:28 more are at risk. In 2020, almost half of American renters were forced

39:34 to spend more than 30% of their income just on housing, and 23% were

39:40 forced to spend more than half their income on rent. We just know that

39:44 rent is too damn high. Now, this is unacceptable, and it's a single

39:50 driver of our country's homelessness crisis. In places like LA County

39:55 that I represent, and in communities across America, rents are going

40:00 up, and housing stock is becoming more and more difficult, and we know

40:06 that working families and middle class families have less and less

40:10 access to not just buying a home, but even renting a home that they

40:16 can afford. We know that our most vulnerable constituents are facing

40:21 the most severe consequences of this crisis, and it impacts especially

40:26 black and brown and low-income communities across America. We also

40:30 know this is a crisis for seniors, for people on a fixed income who

40:35 can't keep up with skyrocketing housing costs. And it's impacting

40:40 young people who are entering the job market and starting families,

40:43 but realizing, sadly, that they'll never be able to afford a home.

40:49 Now, for the past 70 years, being able to buy a home and build wealth

40:52 has been the gateway to the middle class for millions of families.

40:56 It's made the American dream possible for so many generations, but now

41:01 we're allowing that American dream to crumble. The shortage of

41:05 affordable housing is estimated to cost us approximately $2 trillion

41:11 a year due to lower wages and productivity. We need to build more

41:17 housing. And housing is a social justice issue. Housing is a climate

41:25 issue. We know that communities that adopt smart housing policies

41:31 can build more affordable housing. And not only does our federal

41:35 government need to invest in more housing, in more vouchers, in more

41:40 affordability, and focus on more not just local, but national tenant

41:45 protections. We also need to take a smart approach to growth.

41:50 That's why last year I also introduced the People Over Parking Act

41:54 to eliminate minimum parking requirements near high-quality public

41:59 transit. Now, for those that don't know, parking minimums force

42:02 property owners to create a certain number of spaces regardless of

42:06 the needs of the people who live in those homes. In fact, parking

42:11 minimums are oftentimes the single largest driver of housing costs

42:17 across America, leading to less and less affordable housing. And

42:22 additionally, many of these spaces go unused, even as the financial

42:27 costs are passed on to renters and tenants, even folks that may not

42:32 even own a car. We need to reduce parking minimums. We need to

42:37 increase density across the country. We need to look at our zoning

42:42 to ensure that we can spur more multifamily units and developments

42:46 across neighborhoods and across communities in this country. And

42:50 we must expand the low-income housing tax credit. We invest in

42:54 housing that's affordable and accessible, and that's what the

42:57 low-income housing tax credit can do. Let's pass common-sense

43:01 policies. Let's protect renters and tenants. Let's ensure that

43:05 neighborhoods are for everyone and that folks have access to the

43:09 middle class. Housing is a human right. Thank you, and I yield

43:13 back.

43:14 Thank you, Congressman Garcia. And you are absolutely right. The

43:18 rent is too damn high. With skyrocketing inflation and increasing

43:23 rents, tenants, like you said, are often finding themselves in a

43:26 vicious cycle of being rent-burdened and vulnerable to unfair

43:30 housing prices. And while the Fair Housing Act and other

43:34 nondiscrimination work is critically important, we know most

43:38 incidents of housing discrimination go undetected or they go

43:41 unreported. Marginalized communities, especially non-native

43:46 English speakers, new arrivals, immigrants, black and brown people

43:50 can be afraid to speak out against unfair or discriminatory

43:53 housing policies because they fear retaliation. And that is why the

43:58 protection of tenant unions and tenant organizing rights are

44:02 critical. Every tenant should be able to use their voice to

44:05 address the concerns they have regarding their housing

44:07 situation. And it's why I was proud to lead my friends and

44:11 colleagues, Rep Rashida Tlaib, Rep Ayanna Pressley, Rep Jimmy

44:15 Gomez, Rep Greg Casar, in the introduction of the Tenants'

44:18 Right to Organize Act, a historic measure that protects and

44:22 expands the community power, changing the landscape of housing

44:26 for everyone. So what will it do? It protects the organizing

44:30 rights of tenants with housing vouchers and tenants living in

44:34 low-income housing tax credits, and it expands protections to

44:37 mixed-status families and those who may not be eligible for

44:41 tenants-based rental assistance. All tenants must have the right

44:45 to organize, and protecting and strengthening tenant organizing

44:48 and protecting tenants' union is just another way that we help

44:52 people stay housed. I want to also give a shout out to

44:56 Representative Norma Hernandez in the state legislature in

45:00 Illinois, who has an identical bill in the state house to begin

45:05 doing this work specifically in Illinois. Rep Norma Hernandez,

45:09 we are so grateful, grateful for your work. And the truth is

45:14 that in parts of my district, gentrification is a dire threat

45:19 to housing as a human right. It drives up housing costs, it

45:22 displaces families, it destroys webs of relationships and

45:25 communities' history. And that's why I'm so inspired of the work

45:29 of Palenque LSA, a predominantly Latine community-based

45:33 organization in Illinois 3. Palenque's youth and mother

45:37 leaders have fought to resist displacement and address

45:41 gentrification by expanding community control of local land

45:45 use and zoning. In much the same way that we protect renters and

45:49 homeowners right at the federal level, I encourage us to be

45:54 inspired by the work of the organizations like Palenque to

45:57 encourage the models of the future that help us think

46:00 beyond the status quo, community control, community land

46:04 ownership, and collective financial models, because I know

46:08 that those are the ways of the future. And as we think about

46:12 our future, we have to reckon with the consequences of climate

46:15 change on our collective housing stability. For instance, in my

46:20 district, polar vortexes are more frequent and lower average

46:25 temperatures that require more heat, which increase household

46:29 energy consumption and associated expenses. And even if

46:33 we stabilize rents and we make housing more affordable, we also

46:38 have to address how climate change and climate inaction

46:42 puts us all at risk. It is why we have to realize bold policy

46:47 action and investments to secure the future of our public

46:51 housing, prioritize climate and racial justice, and boost our

46:56 economy and labor force. And it is why I'm proud to stand with

47:00 Representative Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Sanders and

47:04 introducing the Green New Deal for public housing, a bold

47:08 solution to confront unprecedented challenges. The

47:12 sweeping legislation aims to retrofit, rehabitate, expand,

47:17 and decarbonize the entire nation's public housing stack

47:21 through an estimated $162 to $234 billion investment over the

47:28 next 10 years. And while we must consider how we future-proof

47:32 our housing against climate uncertainty, we have to pay

47:36 particular attention to ensure that the 1.6 million people who

47:40 live in our nation's public housing are protected. Because

47:45 you see, working families continue to invest in our

47:48 communities. They work, shop, eat, worship, learn, and play in

47:53 our neighborhood towns. And they deserve to be rooted and

47:56 deeply connected to the people and places that shape them. And

48:00 that includes the power to put down roots in the communities

48:03 that they have lived. And that requires for us long-term

48:07 affordability for long-term stability. And listen, the

48:11 solutions we look for are already in our communities. From

48:14 Humboldt Park to West Chicago, leaders and neighbors and

48:18 organizations are working in solidarity to create affordable

48:22 housing opportunities. And our role to expand and support

48:25 their efforts with transformative investments and

48:28 common-sense legislation that prioritize our communities is

48:32 how we lead the progressive fight for housing as a human

48:37 right. And it is why I am so grateful for the leadership of

48:44 people who have grown up in the community and continue to do

48:48 the work to get us closer to housing as a human right. And

48:52 it's why, Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize my

48:56 constituent, Lisette Castaneda. She's an experienced and

49:01 trailblazing voice for fair housing. From the Hermosa

49:05 neighborhood, Lisette Castaneda has dedicated more than 15

49:09 years of her life to helping the members of our community

49:12 find a place they can call home, to keep families safely

49:16 housed, to fight for the creation of affordable housing

49:20 and vibrant communities. And as the former executive director

49:23 of Lucha, an affordable housing organization serving in my

49:27 district, Lisette has uplifted the voices and the

49:32 perspectives of longtime residents in our communities to

49:36 fight for the housing and resources they need to thrive.

49:40 In February, Lisette Castaneda made history by being appointed

49:46 and confirmed as the very first ever Latina commissioner of

49:51 the Department of Housing in Chicago's history. I've been

49:55 honored to work with her for many years as we fight to

49:58 maintain and expand affordable housing. I know that

50:02 Commissioner Castaneda will serve our communities well,

50:06 fighting tirelessly for all Chicagoans to have safe, to

50:10 have dignified housing. And so on behalf of Illinois' third

50:14 congressional district, it is my great honor to commend

50:17 Lisette Castaneda for her visionary leadership and her

50:22 service to our communities. Congratulations, Lisette.

50:25 I also today rise, Mr. Speaker, to honor Sally Heyman and Dr.

50:35 Anne Sheets, community activists for the preservation

50:39 of affordable housing who exemplify the true spirit of

50:44 solidarity. For more than a decade, Sally and Anne have

50:48 been strong supporters of our communities' fight for housing

50:52 affordability and accessibility. And in a time

50:56 where gentrification threatens to erode the fabric of our

51:00 communities, they have demonstrated what solidarity

51:05 and fraternity look like. To support the cause of

51:09 affordable home ownership, Sally and Anne donated their

51:16 house to a community land trust, the Here to Stay

51:21 Community Land Trust, to ensure they remain affordable

51:24 home options. How many people would donate their home so

51:30 that another family can have the dream of owning a home?

51:35 Through their actions and the land trust mission, long-time

51:40 residents will now find access to affordable home ownership,

51:43 ensuring that families with roots in Logan Square can

51:47 continue to thrive and flourish in the neighborhood that they

51:51 call home. On behalf of Illinois' third congressional

51:55 district, it is my great honor to commend Dr. Anne Sheets

52:00 and Sally Heyman for their decades of activism, solidarity,

52:05 and actional commitment. Sally and Anne, you are a true

52:12 inspiration for Congress. Congratulations.

52:16 I've talked a lot today about the importance of addressing

52:26 homelessness, not criminalizing people experiencing

52:30 homelessness. We've talked about the importance of rental

52:34 housing, creating it, and legislation that actually

52:37 creates a solution. We certainly know that there's so

52:41 much work to be done around home ownership, and this

52:45 Congress has the ability, this Congress here, to actually

52:50 make it possible for people to be able to have housing as a

52:56 human right. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues who have

53:00 joined me tonight, the Progressive Caucus Special Order

53:03 Hour, as we've talked about the progressive fight for housing

53:06 as a human right. And tonight we've heard from courageous

53:10 leaders about the work that they're doing. You heard about

53:13 people in my district, leaders, inspiring leaders, who are

53:18 literally giving their life so that others can have housing as

53:22 a human right. There is power in being rooted, and when we

53:26 are rooted in ways that nurture safety, dignity, security, love,

53:30 and joy, well, Mr. Speaker, we bloom. Our community blooms. Our

53:35 neighborhoods bloom. This Fair Housing Month, I call us to

53:40 reaffirm our commitment to home ownership as an accessible

53:44 American dream to housing for all, as a just social security,

53:50 and to housing as a human right, regardless of race and

53:54 gender. But before we wrap up, Mr. Speaker, I do want to take

53:59 a moment to talk about a situation that is weighing very

54:02 heavily in my heart. You see, for over two years, Ukrainians,

54:11 their way of living and democracy have been under

54:14 attack by a dictator, a warmonger, and an extremist. And

54:19 while this country promised to stand by them, we have failed

54:23 to deliver the aid they desperately need to protect

54:27 their homes, to care for their wounded and sick, and to

54:30 recover from Putin's attacks. To my Ukrainian constituents,

54:36 whose families and hearts are still in Ukraine, know that I

54:40 stand ready to vote in favor of stand-alone legislation that

54:45 provides assistance and humanitarian aid to Ukrainians.

54:50 I call on my colleagues to bring Ukrainian aid to the

54:54 floor without conditioning support on the well-being of

54:57 asylum seekers, or the lives in Palestine, or any other

55:01 position pill. We have to support Ukrainian families

55:05 without a delay, and we can do that today. As I wrap up, Mr.

55:12 Speaker, I realize that today is a special day, that coming

55:18 to Congress, and sometimes we have extended sessions, it

55:20 means that we may be missing important days back at home.

55:24 Well, today, April 17th, is a very important day for the love

55:29 of my life. Today is the birthday of Boris Noel Hernandez,

55:35 my better half, and in this Congress floor, I want to wish

55:39 him a very happy birthday. I also want to thank the staff

55:45 who work so diligently to make sure that we can do this work,

55:49 that we can move legislation, and I want to give a special

55:52 thank you to Catherine Bray, who is working with me today,

55:56 and to the leaders across the country, to the people that are

56:00 just a moment from homelessness. Know that while I am here, and

56:07 while the Congressional Progressive Caucus stands, we

56:10 will fight like hell every single day until housing

56:16 becomes a human right in this Congress, in this state, in

56:21 this country. And with that, Mr. Speaker, I yield back.

56:27 Under the speaker's announced policy...

Delia Ramirez Leads House Progressive Caucus Special Hour To Declare 'Housing Is A Human Right'

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