Last November, the House of Representatives passed the Build Back Better Act (BBBA), including the largest investment in local fair housing enforcement, $10 billion for First Generation Downpayment Assistance, and $5 billion dollars for the Neighborhood Homes Investment Act – recognizing the critical role that stable housing plays to ensure every family has access to opportunities that help them thrive and contribute to their communities and our national economy.  However, the Senate has yet to take up the measure delaying passage of an important priority of the Biden-Harris Administration.  Failing to include the housing investments in the BBBA would be a grave disservice to our nation’s urban and rural communities that are overwhelmed by rising housing costs.  The American public expects policymakers to address our nation’s housing crises and the Build Back Better Act is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to do that.   

Tell your Representatives and Senators to have the courage to continue fighting for all the Build Back Better Act’s housing investments, especially:  

• $800 Million for Local Fair Housing Enforcement through the Fair Housing Initiatives Program (FHIP) and Fair Housing Assistance Program (FHAP) to ensure that grassroots private fair housing enforcement organizations and local and state civil and human rights government agencies can better address ongoing and emerging forms of housing and lending discrimination in their local housing markets. 

• $10 Billion for Targeted First-Generation Down Payment Assistance (DPA) to begin to close the racial homeownership and wealth gaps.  

• $5 Billion for New Construction and Property Rehabilitation that would result in the building or renovating of 125,000 affordable homes. 

Instructions on How to Advocate:

• Email your Representatives and Senators by clicking the link below.  Fill out the corresponding form to identify your members of Congress and personalize the email template we provide.   
• Call your members of Congress by dialing 202-224-3121.  Ask the operator to connect you with your Representatives’ or Senators’ offices and use the email template available at the link below as a script when you are connected to a staff person.   
• Please feel free to use our Advocacy and Social Media Toolkit for additional talking points.   
• Please contact Jsoto@NationalFairHousing.org if you have questions or want to share any feedback you received from the offices you reached out to.