The National Fair Housing Alliance Applauds the House Select Committee for Its Approval of Bridging the Divide: Building an Economy that Works for All
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 8, 2022
Contact: Izzy Woodruff | iwoodruff@nationalfairhousing.org
NFHA is pleased the report includes priorities of the Fair Housing Movement
Washington, D.C. — Yesterday, Bridging the Divide: Building an Economy that Works for All was approved by the House Select Committee. The report contains recommendations from the National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA), including reforming exclusionary zoning, prioritizing housing affordability, funding First-Generation Downpayment Assistance in the Downpayment Toward Equity Act and Restoring Communities Left Behind Act, and increasing affordable housing by providing greater funding for housing vouchers for families with children.
As stated by NFHA’s Executive Vice President, Nikitra Bailey, in testimony to the Select Committee and as quoted in the report:
“One’s ZIP code is often life-impacting. Where people live determines their access to home ownership, the type of credit they use, their ability to attend a well-resourced school, their exposure to toxins and pollutants, and their employment opportunities — all of which are consequential to their economic status and level of wealth.”
Housing is the core driver of inflation, with housing being the single largest expense for the average consumer and shelter accounting for 33 percent of the Consumer Price Index. The Federal Reserve lacks the tools to tackle housing’s outsized role in inflation on its own. Congress must work with the Biden Administration to develop a national, comprehensive housing strategy to create fair and affordable housing opportunities. Fair housing must be embedded in every housing program and considered a responsibility of every federal agency and department, including the Low Income Housing Tax Credit and all community development housing programs.
In addition to the Select Committee’s priorities above, NFHA recommends support for:
- Local fair housing enforcement agencies that fight over 4 million incidents of housing discrimination;
- The Neighborhood Homes Investment Act, with strong fair housing oversight; and
- The housing needs of Native communities, elder Americans, people with disabilities, and households most impacted by the housing affordability crisis.
Fair and equitable housing policies create jobs, and voters have repeatedly demanded action.
NFHA urges the 118th Congress to move quickly to implement the recommendations. You can read the full report, Bridging the Divide: Building an Economy that Works for All, here.
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The National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) is the country’s only national civil rights organization dedicated solely to eliminating all forms of housing and lending discrimination and ensuring equal opportunities for all people. As the trade association for over 170 fair housing and justice-centered organizations and individuals throughout the U.S. and its territories, NFHA works to dismantle longstanding barriers to equity and build diverse, inclusive, well-resourced communities.