A Better Deal for Public Housing & Ladders of Opportunity for American Families Would Empower Residents, Create Economic Opportunities, Foster Safe & Healthy Neighborhoods
BOSTON, MA – Today, U.S. Senator Edward J. Markey (D-MA) joined U.S. Congressman Jeffries (NY-8), Co-Chair of the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee (DPCC), U.S. Congressman Stephen F. Lynch (MA-8), Boston Mayor Marty Walsh and residents of the Anne M. Lynch Homes at Old Colony to unveil A Better Deal on Public Housing & Ladders of Opportunity for American Families. This comprehensive proposal would reinvest $70 billion in America’s public housing developments and offer solutions that will empower residents, create economic opportunities and foster safe and healthy neighborhoods.
“Instead of addressing this crisis head-on, Republicans in Congress and in the White House are turning their backs and handing down a raw deal to the American people. They have proposed rent hikes for low-income working families while making significant cuts to public housing developments that will leave even more people without a stable home and without the chance to climb the economic ladder,” said Congressman Jeffries, a member of the House Democratic Leadership. “The millions of seniors, children and working families who depend on public housing deserve a safe place to call home. They deserve a better deal.”
“President Trump wants to push low-income families over a cliff, while Democrats will offer them a ladder to economic opportunity. Everyone should have equal access to housing opportunity regardless of his or her socio-economic status, and that means supporting public housing. Every family should be able to live in a safe, clean and healthy environment, and this proposed investment in America’s public housing will help renew both housing developments and hope in a brighter future,” said Senator Edward J. Markey.
“Being able to live in a safe and affordable neighborhood is a basic part of the American dream. Growing up in the Old Colony Public Housing Development in South Boston, I saw first-hand how critical safe public housing is for so many families,” said Congressman Lynch. “There are too many people in this country today that work full-time, or even multiple jobs, and still struggle to keep a roof over their heads. There are basic investments we should be making now to ensure that future generations have the opportunity to grow up in a stable, safe and decent place. A lot of people in Washington talk about public housing as just another government program. For my five sisters and me and our mom and dad, it was our home. We would have been out on the street without it. Public housing saved us. It kept us together during a difficult time in our lives. Strengthening public housing across our country is the right thing to do; it will ultimately benefit all of us if every child in this country is set up to succeed and contribute positively to our economy and to our communities.”
“Public housing plays a critical role for our families and seniors and funding must be prioritized for this important safety net," said Mayor Walsh. “By properly investing in our public housing stock, we are not only putting a roof over the heads of those that need it most, we are leveraging more resources, advancing our workforce development, public health, and environmental goals, and working to create more jobs for our neighbors and grow our middle class. Providing more opportunity for our low-income families to financially stabilize and thrive is key to moving this country forward. “
A Better Deal for Public Housing & Ladders of Opportunity for American Families will invest more than $70 billion over the next five years to revitalize thousands of neighborhoods across the country and bring America’s public housing programs into the 21st century by focusing on the following:
More details on A Better Deal for Public Housing & Ladders of Opportunity for American Families can be found here.
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