Letter to the Authorizing Committees on Housing Priorities

The Honorable Sherrod Brown
Chairman
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510

The Honorable Tim Scott
Ranking Member
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510

The Honorable Patrick McHenry
Chairman
Committee on Financial Services
United States House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

The Honorable Maxine Waters
Ranking Member
Committee on Financial Services
United States House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Chairmen Brown and McHenry and Ranking Members Scott and Waters,

As members of the Advisory Committee of the J. Ronald Terwilliger Center for Housing Policy, we write today with an urgent request—that the 118th Congress make addressing our nation’s housing affordability crisis a top legislative priority.

Every American deserves to live in a decent, affordable home. Stable housing in a safe neighborhood is essential for families’ physical and mental well-being. Access to affordable housing in a high-opportunity community can also have a transformative impact on the trajectory of a person’s life.

Unfortunately, the severe shortage of affordable homes, combined with rising housing costs that are outpacing wage growth, are negatively affecting far too many Americans. Today, millions of low- and moderate-income families pay unsustainable rents, often in excess of 50% of their monthly paychecks. Millions of other households, frequently working multiple jobs, simply cannot afford to buy their first home—the primary means by which most families build wealth. Each day, hundreds of thousands of Americans live on the streets as part of a growing homeless population.

The housing affordability crisis demands a comprehensive, bipartisan response. Housing policy is one of the most powerful tools to drive economic prosperity for families and communities, yet ambitious housing measures have not been a top bipartisan legislative priority in recent years. Congress has a legacy of bipartisan collaboration to advance housing solutions: in 1949, members of both political parties came together to pass the Housing Act, setting forth a clear national objective to provide “a decent home and a suitable living environment for every American family.” Today, nearly 75 years later, it is time for Congress to make that powerful aspiration a reality.

All of us, Democrats and Republicans, have devoted much of our careers working on solutions to our nation’s housing challenges. We are united in our belief that Congress must take decisive action to increase the supply of affordable homes, preserve the existing affordable housing stock, and help families struggling with high housing costs. Taking these steps has the potential to improve the lives of millions of Americans while enhancing upward economic mobility and strengthening our nation’s economy.

Over the past year, the Terwilliger Center has worked to identify key elements of a comprehensive, evidence-based, and bipartisan housing bill that builds on the best ideas from both parties. The result is the American Housing Act, a proposal that we believe offers an effective response to our nation’s housing affordability crisis and a roadmap for future legislative action.

As the new Congress gets to work, we urge lawmakers to prioritize the kinds of bipartisan solutions we have outlined in the American Housing Act. We stand ready to assist you in any way possible.

Sincerely,

Ron Terwilliger

Carlos Curbelo

Jeb Mason

Scott Brown

Shaun Donovan

Pamela Hughes Patenaude

Henry Cisneros

Renee Lewis Glover

Egbert L. J. Perry