Recently, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), the top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, hosted the final session in a three-part series as a part of her Housing Crisis Response Initiative. The final briefing, entitled “America’s Diverse Housing Needs: A Primer on Regional Differences,” was intended to help House Democratic Members understand regional differences in the national housing crisis, learn more about local housing initiatives, and how the Congresswoman’s legislative housing package would bolster nationwide efforts to end the housing and homelessness crisis.

Earlier this Congress, Congresswoman Waters reintroduced 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.”

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

• The importance of applying a fair housing lens when assessing trends and crafting solutions to the affordable housing and homelessness crisis;
  
• Specific federal programs that are critical to addressing rising housing needs in rural America and how to help scale affordable housing efforts in rural and urban communities; and
  
• Policy solutions that reach the lowest income families and individuals who we know face the greatest need.
  

The panel included: Rasheedah Phillips, Director of Housing at PolicyLink; Chris Herbert, Managing Director, Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies; Lance George, Director of Research and Information, Housing Assistance Council; Sarah Karlinsky, Research Director, Terner Center for Housing Innovation at UC Berkeley; and Janneke Ratcliffe, Vice President, Housing Finance Policy and Interim Vice President for Metropolitan Housing and Communities Policy Center at the Urban Institute.

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