WASHINGTON, DC – The National Housing Conference’s (NHC) President and CEO David M. Dworkin released the following statement in response to new actions announced by President Biden in his State of the Union address to lower housing costs for American families:
“This is the most consequential State of the Union address on housing in more than 50 years. President Biden’s call for Congress to tackle the urgent matter of housing affordability through tax credits, down payment assistance initiatives, and other measures is warranted and represents a crucial step in easing the burden of high rents and home prices. We have a deficit of 3-5 million housing units in this country. We dug this hole over 15 years. We are going to have to get out of it the same way. One shovel at a time.”
Currently, Congress is considering two pivotal pieces of legislation that could provide much-needed relief to hardworking Americans nationwide: the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act (AHCIA) and the Neighborhood Homes Investment Act. Provisions from the AHCIA were incorporated into the House-passed Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act representing a vital stride toward funding the construction of over 200,000 affordable homes if enacted. NHC strongly calls on the Senate to immediately pass this crucial bipartisan legislation so hardworking Americans across the country can receive relief on their rent payments and have access to safe, affordable housing.
The United States is experiencing the worst housing affordability crisis in recent history. Every American is impacted directly or indirectly by this crisis – the people we rely on to take care of our kids, serve our food, clean our teeth, and teach in our schools. According to NHC’s Paycheck to Paycheck database, the need for affordable housing is clear when compared to wage data. Childcare workers can afford to rent a one-bedroom apartment in only 15 out of 390 metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs). Cashiers can afford to rent a one-bedroom apartment in only 13 of 390 MSAs. This is true for higher-paid workers as well. Dental assistants can’t afford to rent a one-bedroom unit in 101 of 390 MSAs, and Middle School Teachers cannot afford a one-bedroom apartment in 17 of those areas.
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About the National Housing Conference (NHC): Founded in 1931, the National Housing Conference is the oldest and broadest housing coalition in America. NHC is a diverse continuum of affordable housing stakeholders who convene and collaborate through dialogue, advocacy, research, and education, to develop equitable solutions that serve our common interest—an America where everyone is able to live in a quality, affordable home in a thriving community. Politically diverse and nonpartisan, NHC is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. To learn more about NHC, visit www.nhc.org.