The outcome of this election will profoundly affect whether millions of low-income people have access to safe, affordable housing. Nearly 20 years ago, I founded Affordable Housing Online with the mission to help low-income renters find housing assistance. As my team and I continue to devote ourselves to this mission, we cannot sit on the sidelines with so much at stake.
I, and Affordable Housing Online, endorse Joe Biden and Kamala Harris for President and Vice President of the United States.
The Biden-Harris ticket has a solid plan to build more affordable housing and help low-income households afford the rent.
A Biden-Harris administration will invest $640 billion over 10 years to make sure all Americans can have a decent home they can afford. They will also strengthen fair housing laws so that our communities can move away from a past of segregation to a future of opportunity.
The Biden-Harris plan will increase affordability for millions of low-income renters. A Biden-Harris administration is committed to fully funding Section 8 rental assistance so that everyone who qualifies can receive help paying the rent. Right now, three out of four families eligible for assistance do not receive it. The Biden-Harris plan would also create a Renters Tax Credit that will help those who earn too much to qualify for Section 8, but who still struggle to pay the rent.
Rents continue to skyrocket, largely because there is not enough affordable housing. The Biden-Harris plan calls for building hundreds of thousands of new units. They would increase funding for the national Housing Trust Fund and expand the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC). The new administration would also push for a $100 billion Affordable Housing Fund to build affordable housing in areas of the country where it is scarce.
Homelessness decreased for eight years straight before growing in Trump’s first three years in office. Biden-Harris plan commits to a comprehensive approach to ending homelessness. They would invest $13 billion over 10 years to build 400,000 new units for homeless people. They would direct programs to follow the Housing First approach that has helped millions of homeless people quickly get off the streets and into stable housing. They are committed to ending veterans homelessness.