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ICYMI: Ranking Member Maxine Waters Held Part 1 of Three-Part Housing Crisis Response Initiative Briefing Series

Washington, DC, July 24, 2024

        

Recently, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), the top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, hosted the first session in a three-part briefing series as part of her Housing Crisis Response Initiative. Launched at this year’s Democratic Issues Conference, the Housing Crisis Response Initiative aims to improve coordination between Democratic Members in the House, housing stakeholders, and local officials to lower the cost of development and reduce other local barriers to fair and affordable housing.

The first briefing entitled, “What Do Locals Do? Understanding the Role of Local Officials in Housing and Community Development,” was intended to help Members understand how federal housing funding reaches local communities, how localities make decisions about what happens with that funding, and how Members can engage with local officials to reduce barriers to fair and affordable housing.

The panel included: Diane Yentel, President and CEO, National Low Income Housing Coalition; Ann Oliva, President and CEO, National Alliance to End Homelessness; Clarence Anthony, CEO & Executive Director, National League of Cities; Garth Rieman, Director of Housing Advocacy and Strategic Initiatives, National Council of State Housing Agencies; and Terry Hickey, Director of Housing and Community Development, Baltimore County on behalf of the National Association of Counties.

During this briefing, Congresswoman Waters brought together housing experts to discuss:

  • The role of local governments in housing;
  • How to improve federal and local coordination to reduce barriers to the development of fair and affordable housing;
  • How federal efforts, like Congresswoman Waters’ legislative housing package, can help to combat the housing and homelessness crisis; and
  • How both the Community Development Block Grant program and HOME program can help local communities meet their housing goals.

Congresswoman Waters also informed Democratic Members about the proposed investments in her legislative housing package, which includes: the “Housing Crisis Response Act of 2023,” the “Ending Homelessness Act of 2023,” and the “Downpayment Toward Equity Act of 2023.”

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