Support the Opportunity Starts at Home Campaign
Adopted at the 86th Annual Meeting in 2018
WHEREAS, communities across the country are challenged by ongoing federal disinvestment in affordable housing; and
WHEREAS, a 2015 report by the National Low Income Housing Coalition found that almost 10 million extremely low-income households are paying more than 30% of their income toward housing, with 8 million paying more than 50% of their income toward housing; and
WHEREAS, affordable housing frees up more family income for other necessities, such as nutritious food, transportation, health care, and savings; and
WHEREAS, the research is clear that housing is inextricably linked to nearly every measure of having a quality life "? education, health care, civil rights, economic mobility, poverty reduction, wealth building, economic productivity and growth, social unity, homeless prevention, veterans care, and more; and
WHEREAS, a broad, multi-sector partnership has formed the Opportunity Starts at Home campaign to generate widespread support for federal policies that protect and expand affordable housing for low-income people; and
WHEREAS, the vision of Opportunity Starts at Home is to ensure that America's low-income households have access to safe, decent, and stable affordable housing in neighborhoods where everyone has equitable opportunities to thrive; and
WHEREAS, this vision is further defined by four goals: (1) to advance federal housing solutions that bridge the growing gap between renter incomes and rising housing costs, (2) to provide aid to people experiencing job losses or other economic shocks to avert housing instability or homelessness, (3) to expand the affordable housing stock for the lowest income renters, and (4) to defend existing rental assistance and other targeted housing resources from harmful cuts;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the US Conference of Mayors, through the Committee on Community Development and Housing, supports and affirms the goals of the Opportunity Starts at Home Campaign.