[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 65 (Thursday, April 10, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Page S2568]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. PADILLA (for himself, Mr. Booker, Mr. Heinrich, Ms. 
        Hirono, Mr. Markey, Mr. Schatz, Mr. Schiff, Mr. Wyden, and Mr. 
        Lujan):
  S. 1477. A bill to address the homelessness and housing crises, to 
move toward the goal of providing for a home for all Americans, and for 
other purposes; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban 
Affairs.
  Mr. PADILLA. Mr. President, I rise to speak in support of the Housing 
for All Act of 2025, which I introduced today.
  Our Nation's homelessness and affordable housing crises have reached 
a breaking point. As of January, 2024, over 771,480 individuals in the 
U.S.--disproportionately people of color--experienced homelessness. The 
rate of homelessness has increased by 18 percent since 2023.
  The lack of adequate Federal investments in affordable housing and 
housing assistance programs are exacerbating these crises. There is 
currently a shortage of 7.1 million affordable and available rental 
homes in the U.S. According to a recent National Low Income Housing 
Coalition report, no State or county exists where a person working 40 
hours a week and earning the State or local minimum wage can afford to 
rent a modest two-bedroom apartment. Furthermore, over 21 million 
renters nationwide spend more than 30 percent of their income on just 
housing costs alone.
  The affordable housing and homelessness crises are not just a blue 
State issue or an urban problem; every State is impacted. From our 
metropolitan areas to our rural heartlands, our constituents everywhere 
feel the real impact of housing unaffordability. It is time for the 
Federal Government to step up, partner with our State and local 
governments alongside service providers on the ground and other 
stakeholders, and invest in solving these problems at a rate 
commensurate with the need.
  I am proud to re-introduce this bill, which represents a 
comprehensive approach to tackling housing and homelessness. If 
enacted, it would invest in and align Federal resources to support 
people experiencing housing instability. To address the affordable 
housing and homelessness crises, we must invest in proven policies that 
support strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and ensure quality, 
affordable homes for all.
  Specifically, this bill would address the affordable housing shortage 
by investing in the housing trust fund, the Section 202 Supportive 
Housing for the Elderly Program, Section 811 Supportive Housing for 
Persons with Disabilities Program, and the HOME Program. It establishes 
a commission to focus on racial equity in housing and homelessness.
  The bill would address homelessness by investing in Housing Choice 
Vouchers, Project-Based Rental Assistance, emergency solutions grants, 
and continuums of care. It also builds on locally developed and driven 
approaches by creating new grant programs to strengthen mobile crisis 
intervention teams; to support hotel and motel conversions to permanent 
supportive housing with services; to aid libraries in supporting 
persons experiencing homelessness; to provide people living in vehicles 
with a safe place to park overnight and facilitate a transition to 
stable housing; and to coordinate behavioral health care with 
homelessness services. And it commissions a report on the connection 
between evictions and emergency rental assistance during the pandemic, 
so we can make smarter policies moving forward.
  When I have traveled around California--from Los Angeles County and 
the Inland Empire--to the Central Valley, San Diego, and San 
Francisco--to better understand the needs for housing in different 
communities, some key elements stood out. On the production side, there 
is a need for more dedicated funding for affordable housing from the 
Federal Government. There is also missing middle-income housing for 
families, especially people of color. And there is not enough housing 
near transit. That is why my bill focuses on supporting inclusive, 
transit-oriented development. When I talked to researchers about 
keeping families housed, one main point they made was that we don't 
have enough data on renters and evictions, and that is why the bill 
includes a section on data, so we can make evidence-based policies.
  Right now, the cost to build low-income housing in California is very 
high in part because of land and material costs and the fragmented way 
funding is distributed in California. This is a common problem across 
the Nation--not just in California. That is why the bill includes a 
section to provide technical assistance for localities navigating 
Federal and State housing funding sources.
  Affordable housing is essential infrastructure. Every person deserves 
dignity, security, and a space of their own. At a time when the current 
aministration is gutting and dismantling key Housing and Urban 
Development Department programs and reducing protections for the most 
vulnerable among us, this bill has never been more important. Congress 
must step up so that our Nation's housing and homelessness crises are 
dealt with in a comprehensive and holistic way to ensure that every 
person and family in America has a place to call home.
  I want to thank Representatives Ted Lieu and Salud Carbajal for 
introducing this bill with me, and I hope our colleagues will join us 
in supporting this comprehensive solution to our nationwide affordable 
housing and homelessness crises.

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