[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 75 (Wednesday, May 9, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H3837-H3838]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       AFFORDABLE HOUSING CRISIS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Lee) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of every family 
struggling to pay rent, every student facing homelessness, and every 
city that is seeing historic communities displaced.
  We are facing an affordable housing crisis, and we cannot ignore this 
epidemic. Over 38 million families struggle to pay rent and put food on 
the table every day because they spend more than a third of their 
income on housing. Now, in my district, in the East Bay in northern 
California, the average renter in Oakland would be forced to spend a 
staggering--mind you, staggering--70 percent of their income on housing 
if they were to move today. That is 70 percent. Clearly, the affordable 
housing crisis is off the scale in my district.
  In April, I sent an email to my constituents asking for their stories 
and suggestions on how to address this very important issue. Today I 
would like to share just a few of those stories which really touched my 
heart.
  One woman shared how, being unable to afford a place to live, she had 
to put herself in harm's way to have shelter. She said: I stayed in an 
unsafe and shared housing situation much longer than I would have had I 
been able to find an affordable place to move. I have found a place now 
but no longer have any disposable income. I worry that an unexpected 
event could lead to being unhoused. I have many friends who are single 
mothers with children who are sleeping in cars or bouncing from couch 
to couch.
  The housing crisis has also taken a devastating toll on seniors in my 
district. One woman wrote: Many of my longtime friends and 
acquaintances have been forced to move out of the State. My husband and 
I have lived in an old place for a long time, and the rent is 
relatively low; but the building may be sold, and I don't know what we 
would do. I am a cancer survivor and fear moving out of the State would 
make me lose my health insurance. I would also have a hard time finding 
a new job at 62. We have applied at numerous senior housing apartments, 
but all have long waiting lists.
  These stories also highlighted the impact of the housing crisis on 
public sector workers and students in our community.
  One gentleman wrote: As a teacher, I cannot afford to stay in 
Oakland. Home ownership is out of the question. Even as a dedicated 
public servant, I can't afford to work in urban schools in the Bay 
area.
  A former student wrote me: I had to withdraw from classes at UC 
Berkeley so I could find stable housing and enough income to afford my 
monthly rent.
  Mr. Speaker, our community, our country, cannot function without 
nurses, teachers, or young people living in decent affordable housing. 
We need to solve this crisis before it is too late. These stories 
represent just a small number of the responses I received. I heard from 
many constituents who are delaying having children and passing up 
opportunities to open a business or switch careers because they cannot 
afford to move or to live where they want to live.
  I heard from some residents who live in cars, on couches, or on the 
streets because the cost of rent has soared. Now I see, sadly, homeless 
camps with sofas, chairs, and tables. So many people have been evicted 
with nowhere to go.
  Believe you me, there are many more in my district and across America 
who are homeless right now: seniors, veterans, single moms raising 
children. They have nowhere to sleep at night. We must do better so 
that no one is forced to live on the streets. We must do better to 
ensure that no child is homeless. And we must do better to ensure that 
no senior has to choose between food and rent. We must do better 
because there is no option. The affordable housing crisis is tearing 
apart families and communities. This is not a partisan issue; it is a 
human one.
  That is why I hope my colleagues on both sides of the aisle will 
cosponsor my affordable housing resolution which I introduced 
yesterday, H. Con. Res. 120, and affirm that all people deserve access 
to basic living standards. We need to begin this debate, and it needs

[[Page H3838]]

to be bipartisan. People deserve to hear that from their 
representatives.
  And I hope that these stories which I shared will inspire all of my 
colleagues to ask their constituents about this crisis and convince 
them to join me in bolstering Federal resources for affordable housing. 
We can't delay any longer.
  Mr. Speaker, as a person of faith, there is no way that I can stand 
by and watch so many people living on the streets without shelter, 
without food. They deserve a chance at the American Dream, also.

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