[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 150 (Friday, October 29, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2218]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      OUR NATION'S HOUSING CRISIS

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. JANICE D. SCHAKOWSKY

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 28, 1999

  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, families in America are facing a housing 
crisis. Unfortunately, at a time of unprecedented economic growth and 
record unemployment, many are a paycheck away from losing their home.
  A report released by Catholic Charities confirms that sad truth. 
Cardinal Francis George, the Catholic Archbishop of Chicago, has 
sounded the alarm that, despite being in the midst of an economic boom, 
the housing needs of low-income families in Chicago and Illinois are 
unmet.
  The report found that 245,000 low-income renters in the Chicago area 
are competing for 155,000 apartments with affordable rent. More 
disturbing, the report also found that most of those earning minimum 
wage spend more than two-thirds of their income on rent.
  Using the phrase ``housing crisis'' too often may blunt its 
effectiveness, but there is no other way to describe what is happening 
in our cities and communities. Sadly though, no matter how many times 
we say it on the House floor, in committee hearings, in community 
meetings with our constituents and local elected officials, and in news 
conferences, there are some that choose to turn a deaf ear.
  That is why I submit this Chicago Tribune editorial describing the 
efforts of Cardinal George on behalf of families in Chicago and 
Illinois. I am hopeful that in addition to his voice, we can break 
through and find a permanent solution to the housing needs of all 
families.

                     The Cardinal Leads on Housing

       Unemployment is below 5 percent, new housing starts are at 
     record levels and nearly two-thirds of American families now 
     live in their own homes.
       So what's all this talk about a housing crisis?
       It's not just talk. It's a growing reality for millions of 
     low- and middle-income working families. For them, the recent 
     boom at the top has meant fewer rooms at the bottom.
       To some this may sound like left-liberal cant. (Has there 
     ever not been a crisis in affordable housing?) But the 
     problem will not be so easily dismissed now that it has been 
     described at length by Cardinal Francis George, the Catholic 
     archbishop of Chicago.
       By placing his personal stamp on a new report by Catholic 
     Charities here, Cardinal George has sounded a wake-up call to 
     those who thought the economic boom had solved the region's 
     low-income housing squeeze. It has not.
       Using data from several official sources, the report 
     estimates there are 245,00 low-income renters in the Chicago 
     area competing for just 115,000 apartments with rents deemed 
     ``affordable'' (less than 50 percent of a family's monthly 
     income). Statewide, some 400,000 people are in families 
     spending more than half their incomes on rent and utilities. 
     Those earning just the minimum wage routinely spend more than 
     three-quarters of their take-home pay on a typical two-
     bedroom apartment, leaving precious little for food and other 
     necessities. Catholic Charities says its phone lines are 
     buzzing with calls for emergency assistance and its homeless 
     shelters are at capacity.
       Several factors are behind this pinch amid plenty. While 
     low mortgage rates and generous tax deductions have fueled 
     the upscale market, the economics of rental housing--for both 
     landlord and tenant--remain lackluster by comparison. Then 
     there's galloping gentrification, whereby close-in Chicago 
     neighborhoods are redeveloped for wealthier professionals 
     while less-affluent families go packing. Meanwhile, the 
     Chicago Housing Authority is demolishing its dysfunctional 
     high-rises and sending thousands of impoverished tenants into 
     the private market armed with federal rent vouchers.
       Calling the housing squeeze a threat to family stability 
     across the region, Cardinal George is urging action on 
     several fronts. He wants Congress and the Illinois 
     legislature to fully fund proven subsidized housing programs. 
     He wants local municipalities--and not just Chicago--to 
     redouble efforts to include affordable units in their housing 
     mix. And importantly, he wants all Chicagoans, including 
     landlords, to be more accepting of members of racial and 
     cultural minorities moving into their neighborhoods.
       Good points all. Their implementation would extend the 
     world's most productive housing market to families that have, 
     so far, been untouched by its bounty.

     

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