Lifeline expansion will help provide broadband in affordable housing
WASHINGTON—Broadband Internet connectivity is a gateway to employment, education and opportunity for people in affordable housing, but far too many still lack access. The National Housing Conference’s research shows that low-income renters especially are stuck on the wrong side of the digital divide.
NHC’s Connectivity Working Group recommends many policy changes to help close the digital divide including actions by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that could support broadband in affordable housing. The FCC’s recently announced proposal to expand the Lifeline program to include home broadband subsidy for low-income consumers is a great step forward. NHC supports the expansion of the Lifeline subsidy and looks forward to the full order expected on March 31, 2016.
“By modernizing the Lifeline program to include broadband, the FCC can reduce costs of broadband service for low-income households, encourage public-private partnerships to serve low-income communities and make broadband part of coordinated neighborhood transformation strategies,” said Chris Estes, NHC’s President and CEO.
About the National Housing Conference:
The National Housing Conference represents a diverse membership of housing stakeholders including tenant advocates, mortgage bankers, nonprofit and for-profit home builders, property managers, policy practitioners, Realtors®, equity investors, and more, all of whom share a commitment to safe, decent and affordable housing for all in America. We are the nation’s oldest housing advocacy organization, dedicated to the affordable housing mission since our founding in 1931. We are a nonpartisan, 501(c)3 nonprofit that brings together our broad-based membership to advocate on housing issues. Learn more at nhc.org.
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Contact:
Radiah Shabazz
202.466.2121 (ext. 240)
rshabazz@nhc.org