“The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities congratulates House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and House Financial Services Committee Chair Maxine Waters (D-CA) and those who voted for swift passage of the HEROES Act today. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the crisis of homelessness and housing insecurity for our most vulnerable households, a crisis that has devastated America’s communities for too long. Thank you to House leadership for their strong support in addressing the growing and unmet need for rental assistance.
The time is now for a widespread and unequivocal commitment to increasing rental assistance. One of the most effective ways to deliver that relief is though our nation’s public housing authorities. The Housing Choice Voucher program serves 2.2 million low-income households and private landlords across the country and should be considered a primary vehicle for delivering rental assistance during this pandemic and beyond.
The COVID-19 pandemic presents a rare opportunity to address a systemic challenge. Research over the years has demonstrated that a housing voucher is the most effective way to provide for long-term housing stability. And we know that housing stability directly impacts health and income disparities. A substantial expansion of the Housing Choice Voucher program is desperately needed now if our nation is to fully recover from this pandemic and prosper after."
About the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities
The Council of Large Public Housing Authorities is a national non-profit organization that works to preserve and improve public and affordable housing through advocacy, research, policy analysis and public education. CLPHA’s 70 members represent virtually every major metropolitan area in the country. Together they manage 40 percent of the nation’s public housing program; administer more than a quarter of the Housing Choice Voucher program; and operate a wide array of other housing programs. Learn more at clpha.org and on Twitter @CLPHA and follow @housing_is for news on CLPHA’s work to better intersect the housing field and other areas of critical importance such as health and education.