One would hope our elected leaders have learned the lesson that federally guaranteed anything simply drives up the price of whatever the federal government says should be a "guarantee." Look no further than the rising college loans crisis as proof. But, sadly, many have not learned this lesson. Founding member of "The Squad" and socialist Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar announced this week forthcoming legislation titled, "Homes for All." The point of this legislation is supposedly to give a home to every single American. Rep. Omar said it was a "mortal stain" on the United States that the nation had homeless people, something that shocked her as a refugee when she first came to America.
"It is a moral stain on our country that we have half a million or more people facing homelessness, and we have millions of people are living with the stress and the worry of being evicted because they may not be able to pay rent," Rep Omar said a "She The People" progressive caucus event.
"In few weeks, we are going to introduce our Homes For All legislation, which will, hopefully, guarantee a home for everyone," she said to applause.
.@IlhanMN: “It is a moral stain on our country that we have half a million or more people facing homelessness ... In few weeks, we are going to introduce our Homes For All legislation, which will, hopefully, guarantee a home for everyone." pic.twitter.com/H53wrXanTP
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) October 25, 2019
According to Omar's website, she will pay for the plan through federal tax dollars. It is unclear how much this cost. Here's her, term used as loosely as possible, plan for the legislation:
Establish a progressive Homes for All program that provides an influx of federal housing funding with the goal of jumpstarting the market and producing 1 million units over 5 years to ensure that no one is denied a healthy home in a livable community
Fully fund the National Affordable Housing Trust Fund, and expand the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit to ensure a steady and timely addition of affordable rental units
Fully fund Section 8 vouchers to help the millions of families languishing on the waitlist of assistance and invest in public housing infrastructure in order to address the outrageous backlog of repair needs
Her "Homes for All" legislation also calls for a "Renters' Bill of Rights.":
We must do more than simply providing more affordable housing. We must address the power imbalance between renters and landlords. We must empower renters to advocate for their own interests, and protect them against unjust actions by their landlord.
I will work to pass a national renters’ bill of rights, including:
Just-cause eviction protection
Right of tenants to organize into a union
Right to live in safe and healthy conditions
Relocation assistance for those displaced
Non-discrimination protections for LGBTQIA+, undocumented and formerly incarcerated people to access housing
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