BEDS Plus Care Newsletter: Oct. 28, 2021

BEDS Special Bulletin: Homelessness and Housing in Building Back Better

The Build Back Better Act includes unprecedented investments that could reshape affordable housing across the country, and we’d like to look at its scope and implications for our work. First, we should probably start with a disclaimer: BEDS Plus Care, Inc. does not endorse political parties, officeholders, or candidates. Our clients, staff, volunteers, and stakeholders span the political spectrum, but we share a fundamental commitment to reducing and ending homelessness. We try to educate our stakeholders and ourselves about policies, trends, and cultural issues around homelessness, and we welcome your questions and feedback.

What Does the Build Back Better Act Include?
The Build Back Better Act is one of two signature policy proposals put forth by the Biden Administration (the other, a major infrastructure spending bill passed earlier this month). Most people are familiar with the Act’s original $3.5 trillion price tag; however, a CBS poll found that 29 percent of Americans do not know what the bill includes with an additional 28 percent only having “a general sense, without any specifics” of the plan. So, it’s worth taking a quick look at what it entails. The Act funds a wide range of social priorities; its marquee proposals originally included universal preschool, free community college, expanded Medicare and Medicaid, lower prescription drug costs, higher child tax credits, paid family leave, climate tax incentives, and, most importantly for our purposes, affordable housing investments.

How Does the Build Back Better Act Deal with Homelessness?
Homelessness stems from and is exacerbated by a lack of affordable housing (we’ve previously shared the National Low Income Housing Coalition’s (NLIHC's) 2021 Out of Reach report, which found that a full-time minimum wage worker cannot afford a two-bedroom apartment anywhere in the country). Higher rents force low-income households to the edge of homelessness and block people already experiencing homelessness from returning to homes. The NLIHC identifies three key priorities in the Build Back Better Act that will help more people afford housing and preserve and create more affordable housing options.

Housing advocates describe the Act’s housing investments as a generational opportunity to end homelessness.

How Would Funding for These Priorities Support BEDS Work?
Our region does not have enough affordable housing to meet our clients’ and other low-income households’ needs. For example, the De Paul Institute of Housing Studies 2021 State of Rental Housing in Cook County report found significantly fewer affordable homes than necessary in some areas we serve (please note that the report does not fully cover our service region):
  • La Grange/Burbank: 2,609 fewer units
  • Orland Park/Lemont: 2,627 fewer units
  • Oak Lawn/Blue Island: 3,334 fewer units

We have built relationships with area property owners and engaged housing search staff and volunteers to help clients find homes; ninety percent of the people who come to us successfully leave our programs for independent housing. The Build Better Act’s investments in housing vouchers, public housing, and the housing trust fund will further stem homelessness in our communities and streamline our work.

What is the Status of the Build Back Better Act?
Internal Democratic Party deliberations have pared down the Build Back Better Act’s originally proposed $3.5 billion to an expected $1.7 to $1.9 billion in spending. Party members continue to decide how to allocate these funds among the Act’s priorities; some provisions, like tuition-free community college and a long term expanded child tax credit, appear to have been abandoned. The NLIHC and others argue that cuts or changes to Build Back Better must not come at the expense of affordable housing solutions for households with the greatest needs.

How Can I Support Housing Priorities in Build Back Better?
You can contact La Grange area Congresspeople using the information below. If you are outside of the La Grange area, you can find your representatives here.

The National Low Income Housing Coalition encourages us to advocate for full funding of the three housing priorities above: housing choice vouchers ($90 billion), public housing ($80 billion), and the housing trust fund ($35 billion).
 
As always, you can support BEDS work to return people to housing here.