Housing

According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), 4.9 million households containing some 10.9 million people face "worst-case housing needs." These families are renters receiving no government assistance; make less than 50 percent of the area median income; pay more than 50 percent of their income for rent and utilities; and/or live in housing with severe physical deficiencies, such as not having hot water, electricity, toilet, bathtub or shower. Of the nearly 11 million individuals living in worst-case housing situations, 3.6 million are children, 1.4 million are elderly, 1.3 million are disabled adults.

Congresswoman Barbara Lee is dedicated to ensuring that everyone has access to safe and affordable housing.

She has led the effort to expand affordable housing availability and protect HUD affordable housing programs, like the Community Development Block Grant, needed funding to localities to invest in safer and more affordable communities, and Section 8, which allows tenants to have a choice in their housing needs through the use of vouchers. She has also fought to create a National Housing Trust Fund that would build and preserve 1.5 million units of rental housing for the lowest income families over the next 10 years.

Congresswoman Lee has also worked to promote homeownership and protect consumers from predatory lenders. She supports legislation to promote financial literacy, and to create and enforce significant penalties against banks, brokers, and lenders who take advantage of consumers.

She has championed legislation to make low income neighborhoods safer by reducing the prevalence of drugs, providing after school programs and adequate police presence, and protecting victims of domestic violence.

Recognizing that the majority of America’s working poor live one-paycheck away from homelessness, Congresswoman Lee continues to fight for more funding for homeless, transitional and supportive housing programs. She has also worked to reduce the barriers that prevent homeless children from attending school, to increase free and reduced school lunch for children living in shelters and to support children and their families with counseling and transitional assistance.