‘Most are living check to check’ Congress on efforts to improve public housing
Many in public housing units say their home is not in livable condition or located in an unsafe community
WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - Public housing and the renewed efforts to revamp more than a million affordable housing units is getting attention on Capitol Hill.
Millions of Americans say their public housing units don’t provide a safe space for their families and congress is addressing this growing problem with millions in funding.
“Change is going to take place from the grassroots on up,” said Senator Bernie Sanders. “We need to mobilize millions of people to demand that every American has decent and affordable housing.”
Public housing is intended to provide low-income families with a safe and clean space to live but many people living in public housing say the units are in terrible condition and often located in less favorable neighborhoods.
“We don’t have to accept this,” said House Democrat, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. " Imagine waking u in your beautiful apartment where the energy that powers your home isn’t filling up your lungs, you don’t have to worry that the paint is exposing your kids to lead - the water that you drink is fresh and all of this can be done without bankrupting ourselves.”
House Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said that most American’s are currently living check to check, which leaves low-income families at an even larger disadvantage when it comes to housing availability.
“Most of us are contending with the fact that we can barely afford housing. Whether it’s high rent, mortgage, inaccessibility to pubic and social housing,” said Ocasio-Cortez. “We do not have to accept this world that we are living in now. We can imagine and achieve something new.”
Ocasio-Cortez joined Bernie Sanders in introducing the renewed efforts of the Green New Deal for Public Housing. This initiative seeks to allocate more than $150 billion to improving the living conditions for millions of American’s living in public housing, over the next 10 years.
“Millions of people are paying 50% or more of their limited income for housing. We’re saying no more; affordable housing is a living right,” said Senator Bernie Sanders. “What we’re also saying I not only do we need jobs in America we need jobs that are paying a living wage. We’ve put together a piece of legislation that addresses some of the major crisis in America.”
In addition to providing millions for repairs which include eliminating carbon emissions, the Green New Deal also is projected to create thousands of jobs for people working on the renovations.
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