Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) introduced the Green New Deal for housing again on Thursday. They want to bring attention and resources to create affordable housing and fight climate change.
The bill would put up to $234 billion over 10 years into making public housing more energy efficient and creating unionized jobs. It would also remove the Faircloth Amendment, which has restricted the construction of new public housing developments.
Sanders said, “Together, we have made a piece of legislation that deals with some major issues in America.”
“We’re going to change our energy system and build sustainable housing that doesn't rely on fossil fuels. We need to provide good quality affordable housing for millions of Americans and create well-paying union jobs at the same time. This is a win-win-win situation.”
Ocasio-Cortez said the bill is part of a push for a “different world” where public housing creates a healthier and self-sustaining community.
The bill was first introduced in 2021 with a suggested $172 billion in funding but was never passed out of committee in the House or Senate.
Diane Yentel, president of the National Low Income Housing Coalition, said there is currently a shortage of 7.3 million affordable apartments for the lowest-income renters. This means that for every 10 families in this bracket, there are less than 4 affordable apartments.
Yentel said this is partly because Congress has not invested in public housing, resulting in more than $70 billion in unmet capital needs and 10,000 to 15,000 public housing units decaying or becoming unusable every year.
Jasmin Sanchez, a New York City Housing Authority organizer and public housing resident, attended the press conference. She said the affordability and stability of her unit has been crucial for her family.
“The way we preserve our communities and social networks is by investing in public housing so that people don’t have to move,” Sanchez said. “And ensuring that our communities and development become resilient so that in times of crisis, we are prepared.”
The bill is likely to face opposition in the Republican-held House and is unlikely to pass in either chamber. But Ocasio-Cortez said the legislation is a part of a larger effort to encourage advocacy by Americans and hold lawmakers accountable.
“Public housing has been under-capitalized for so long partly because Republicans have had control over the House or Senate in some way,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “ This is why it's important for Democrats to prioritize public housing and not treat it as negotiable or dismissed.
Ocasio-Cortez hopes more Republicans will consider the struggles of many Americans with housing.
“My message to them is that money doesn’t vote, billionaires are just a handful of votes,” Ocasio-Cortez said.
“We are responsible to all of the American people, and virtually all of the American people are struggling with the high cost and poor quality of housing. So it’s time to be realistic and it’s time to make laws for the country.”
