Sec. 2. Findings

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Congress finds the following: The United States has a deficit of 7,000,000 units of housing due to slowed development after the Great Recession. Public-private partnerships can spark a boost in construction to address this lack of available and affordable homes. During the last 20 years, rent has increased faster than income for renters in all 50 States and the District of Columbia. There is no county in the United States in which an individual working at minimum wage can afford a modest 1- or 2-bedroom home.

A renter would need to make more than $20 an hour to afford the average 1-bedroom rent. In no State does the minimum wage exceed $16 an hour. Artificial limits on construction and development of diverse types of housing limit supply, increase housing prices, and often induce sprawl. The most affordable and environmentally friendly types of housing developments are illegal in many jurisdictions in the United States. Dense, multifamily housing creates far fewer carbon emissions than standalone single-family housing.

In 10 States, Housing Choice Voucher recipients wait longer than 3 years for assistance. Nationwide, only 1 in 4 households eligible for housing assistance receives it. More than 1,500,000 children in the United States experienced homelessness in 2018, including students staying in other people’s homes due to lack of alternatives. More than 11,000 children were living outside in 2020. Children living in or exiting the child welfare system are especially vulnerable to homelessness.

The strongest indicator that a person will experience homelessness as an adult is if the person experienced homelessness as a child. Experiencing homelessness harms children educationally, socially, emotionally, and physically. Unsheltered homelessness has increased in recent years, and Black, Indigenous, and Hispanic Americans are severely overrepresented in the population of people experiencing homelessness. Extremely low-income renters are much more likely to be non-White, as 1 in 5 Black renters, 18 percent of Indigenous renters, and 16 percent of Hispanic renters are extremely low-income, while only 6 percent of White renters are extremely low-income.

In 2020, the difference in homeownership rates between Black and White Americans was larger than in 1960, before the enactment of the Fair Housing Act (title VIII of Public Law 90–284 ; 82 Stat. 81), reflecting the pervasive impact of systemic racism in the housing market and overall economy including redlining, appraisal bias, wage gaps, and decades-long oppression. Stable, safe, and affordable housing is a significant social indicator of health, and investments in affordable housing result in tangible benefits in neighborhood, household, and individual health and economic stability.

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Pub. L. 90-284
82 Stat. 81

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Sec. 2

Findings

Pub. L.Pub. L. 90-284

Stat.82 Stat. 81

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