[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 194 (Thursday, November 4, 2021)]
[House]
[Page H6187]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        HOUSING IS A BASIC RIGHT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Espaillat) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of millions of 
individuals across our country who rely on public housing to keep a 
roof over their heads and for millions who need access to safe, stable, 
and affordable housing across our country.
  Housing is a basic right and the foundation on which we build our 
lives and our families, and though it is clear that this is essential, 
far too many Americans struggle to keep a safe roof over their heads. 
In fact, homelessness is now at epidemic levels across our country. 
Particularly in our urban cities, families are homeless. Children, 
women, seniors, and veterans are homeless.
  When we speak of the Build Back Better program and our agenda, we 
speak of introducing the importance of prioritizing the most at-risk 
communities. This is whom we are focusing on in the Build Back Better 
agenda, the most at-risk communities in our country. We speak of 
equitable access to the basic needs of the American people. That is 
what we speak about when we speak about Build Back Better.
  We have included provisions that ensure children in need have access 
to free school lunches. We have worked to expand Medicare benefits for 
seniors. We have fought to include and boost the child tax credit, 
which will provide families with much-needed financial health, lifting 
children, Mr. Speaker, out of poverty. We have included historic 
provisions that will be better for our Nation for years to come.
  But today, Mr. Speaker, I want to focus on the significant 
investments the Build Back Better Act secures for public and affordable 
housing needs.

                              {time}  1100

  The Build Back Better Act will make the single largest, most 
comprehensive investment in affordable housing in our entire history. 
Over $150 billion for housing is an enormous investment toward solving 
our pressing housing challenges and needs across the country.
  Importantly, this bill includes billions to expand rental assistance, 
$24 billion for new housing vouchers, and as we know, Mr. Speaker, many 
people are backed up on their rent. But in addition to that, Mr. 
Speaker, $65 billion to address public housing repair backlog for 2.5 
million residents, a significant resource for the National Housing 
Trust Fund to build and preserve thousands of homes for low-income 
families who are disproportionately people of color.
  This is a major investment, an unprecedented investment in housing in 
my district, which has the largest stock in the New York City Housing 
Authority of public housing, and it has the highest number of rent-
stabilized apartments, and the city of New York will benefit greatly.
  Due to the COVID-19 global crisis, we are on the brink of a housing 
crisis, Mr. Speaker, an eviction tsunami, and up to 40 million people 
in America are at risk of being displaced. This crisis is here, and we 
want to act on it right now. It will take generations for our Nation to 
recover.
  Plus, we are now experiencing a shortage of 7 million affordable 
homes for working-class and low-income families nationwide. For every 
10 households in need, Mr. Speaker, there are fewer than four 
affordable, available homes. Not a single city, State, or district, has 
enough housing to meet these dire demands. And even when housing is 
available, it may not necessarily mean that housing is safe.
  My district has the largest concentration of public housing and it 
has, as I said earlier, the highest number of rent-stabilized 
apartments in New York City. Yet, they lack the critical resources 
needed to create habitable living. This is a great investment, Mr. 
Speaker. The Build Back Better program is an immense investment in 
housing.

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