OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Letter to Donald Trump - Shutdown Housing Crisis

Letter

By: John Garamendi, Mark DeSaulnier, Anna Eshoo, Katie Hill, Linda Sánchez, Katie Porter, Scott Peters, John Larson, Jahana Hayes, Darren Soto, Frederica Wilson, Tulsi Gabbard, Jan Schakowsky, John Yarmuth, Lori Trahan, Stephen Lynch, David Trone, Tom O'Halleran, Doris Matsui, Jim Costa, Jimmy Panetta, Ted Lieu, Lucille Roybal-Allard, Alan Lowenthal, Diana DeGette, Rosa DeLauro, Lisa Blunt Rochester, Alcee Hastings, Sr., Hank Johnson, Jr., Chuy Garcia, Cheri Bustos, Clay Higgins, Katherine Clark, Andy Harris, Chellie Pingree, Debbie Dingell, Ilhan Omar, Bennie Thompson, Frank Pallone, Jr., Bonnie Watson Coleman, Thomas Suozzi, Nydia Velázquez, Max Rose, Eliot Engel, Joe Morelle, Mark Warner, Mike Thompson, Eric Swalwell, Zoe Lofgren, Judy Chu, Gil Cisneros, Lou Correa, Susan Davis, Joe Courtney, Eleanor Norton, Kathy Castor, Sanford Bishop, Jr., Robin Kelly, Bill Foster, Cedric Richmond, Joe Kennedy III, Bill Keating, Jamie Raskin, Andy Levin, Betty McCollum, Kilili Sablan, Donald Norcross, Don Payne, Jr., Steven Horsford, Grace Meng, Jerry Nadler, José Serrano, Paul Tonko, Tim Ryan, Earl Blumenauer, Mary Scanlon, Steve Cohen, Donald McEachin, Rick Larsen, Denny Heck, Dianne Feinstein, Tom Carper, Dick Durbin, Ben Cardin, Jeanne Shaheen, Catherine Cortez Masto, Tim Kaine, Maria Cantwell, Raul Grijalva, Jerry McNerney, Ro Khanna, Salud Carbajal, Jimmy Gomez, Nanette Barragán, Juan Vargas, Ed Perlmutter, Jim Himes, Al Lawson, Jr., Lois Frankel, David Scott, Mike Quigley, André Carson, Jim McGovern, Ayanna Pressley, Anthony Brown, Jared Golden, Rashida Tlaib, Lacy Clay, Jr., Alma Adams, Albio Sires, Deb Haaland, Kathleen Rice, Hakeem Jeffries, Carolyn Maloney, Sean Maloney, Joyce Beatty, Kendra Horn, Brendan Boyle, Conor Lamb, Filemon Vela, Jr., Jennifer Wexton, Pramila Jayapal, Gwen Moore, Michael Bennet, Brian Schatz, Elizabeth Warren, Angus King, Jr., Tom Udall, Ron Wyden, Bernie Sanders, Dan Kildee, Angie Craig, Emanuel Cleaver II, Annie Kuster, Bill Pascrell, Jr., Ben Luján, Jr., Gregory Meeks, Yvette Clarke, Adriano Espaillat, Kirsten Gillibrand, Marcy Kaptur, Suzanne Bonamici, Dwight Evans, David Cicilline, Bobby Scott, Peter Welch, Adam Smith, Doug Jones, Richard Blumenthal, Mazie Hirono, Ed Markey, Debbie Stabenow, Martin Heinrich, Jeff Merkley, Patty Murray, Anthony Gonzalez, Peter DeFazio, Susan Wild, Marc Veasey, Don Beyer, Jr., Derek Kilmer, Mark Pocan, Kamala Harris, Chris Coons, Tammy Duckworth, Chris Van Hollen, Jr., Maggie Hassan, Jacky Rosen, Patrick Leahy, Tammy Baldwin
Date: Jan. 17, 2019
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Government Operations Housing and Property

Dear President Trump:

We write to express our deep concern regarding the harmful impacts the current government shutdown is having on the ability of Americans to afford their homes. This partial shutdown is undermining both the short-term operations and long-term viability of our affordable housing programs that serve over four million Americans, the majority of whom are seniors and people with disabilities living on a fixed income. For the sake of the families whose homes are at stake, we urge you to end the shutdown and protect the American people.

An immediate result of the shutdown is that the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has been forced to scramble to find funds to renew federal contracts for over 1,100 project-based rental assistance properties, housing tens of thousands of low-income renters, that have expired since the government shutdown began. Additional contracts will expire later in January and February, should the shutdown continue, as HUD does not have funding to renew contracts while the government is shut down. HUD proposes that private owners use their individual funding reserves, where available, to cover shortfalls. The longer the shutdown continues, the more untenable this guidance becomes.

Additionally, the shutdown will delay public housing authorities from receiving funding to help address pressing capital needs, such as fixing boilers and repairing leaking roofs. Funding is also dwindling for grants that support developmental projects and programs in local communities that depend on such funding to serve low-income families. Finally, the lapse in federal funding is curbing economic growth as more Americans are unable to purchase homes due to the Federal Housing Authority's (FHA) delay in processing loans.

The American people should not be used as leverage, or be held hostage, to fulfill a political agenda. The longer we extend the shutdown, the more harm will be done to seniors, families with children, people with disabilities, and other Americans who rely on these programs. We urge you to end this shutdown and provide immediate relief to Americans being impacted by this funding crisis. In these times of uncertainty and tension, we must continue to prioritize the American people. We owe it to the people we serve to choose their best interest over politics.


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