The bill would fund the creation of the Herschel Lashkowitz Housing Partnership Fund, named after the former North Dakota state senator and mayor of Fargo, whom Cramer describes as an affordable housing advocate.
The bill aims to “improve the federal government’s largest rental assistance program by attracting and retaining participating landlords,” the lawmakers said in an announcement.
“Additionally, it increases funding to the Tribal Department of [HUD] Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing program, uses neighborhood-specific data to set rents fairly, reduces inspection delays, and refocuses HUD’s evaluation of housing agencies.”
Such reforms would “reduce barriers to low-income housing,” the lawmakers said.
The bill has garnered bipartisan support in the Senate from John Curtis (R-Utah), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.).
“Increases in housing costs mean millions of renters struggle to find affordable places to live,” Cramer said in a prepared statement. “The success of the [HCV] program is contingent on landlords providing adequate housing options.
“Herschel Lashkowitz’s legacy of affordable housing advocacy lives on through this commonsense bill by boosting the supply of options for renters to use their vouchers.”
Coons described his support of the bill through perspectives gained during prior positions as a county executive and county council president. He said these experiences illuminated the value of affordable housing availability.
“Families in the first state and across the nation need better options when they are looking for a home, and landlords need support to be able to bring their properties into the Section 8 market,” Coons said in a statement. “This bill is a huge step forward towards those goals so more Americans in every corner of our country can feel at home.”
Cramer’s office also released a list of organizations that have endorsed the bill. These include the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC), Habitat for Humanity International and Enterprise Community Partners.
It’s unclear how able or willing either chamber will be in advancing the bills. The federal government is one week away from running out of funding, a key priority that will need to be addressed by Congress in order to avoid a government shutdown.
HUD programs and staff have also been targets of the Trump administration’s aggressive cost-cutting initiatives, drawing ire from some lawmakers.
And if recent high-profile speeches from Democrats and Republicans are any indication, housing issues may be taking a backseat in Washington for the time being.
