During the most recent (July 19) national call on “HoUSed: Universal, Stable, Affordable Housing,” HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge joined us to discuss the historic opportunity to get significant housing investments in the infrastructure bill. Dan Threet from NLIHC provided an overview of this year’s data from NLIHC's Out of Reach 2021. We were also joined by Roxy Caines from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities who discussed details about an upcoming Child Tax Credit Navigator training. We heard the latest from NLIHC’s ERASE Project, learned about a new NLIHC research brief on direct-to-tenant assistance, discussed how to advance the HoUSed campaign’s priorities through the infrastructure package, and received field updates.

NLIHC’s Dan Threet gave an overview of the Coalition’s Out of Reach: The High Cost of Housing report. The report found the National Housing Wage is $24.90 for a two-bedroom apartment at fair market rent (FMR) and $20.40 per hour for a one-bedroom apartment at FMR; nowhere in America do minimum wage workers earn enough to afford a decent two-bedroom apartment at FMR.

Roxy Caines from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities discussed the Child Tax Credit and provided outreach resources and guidance on how to access payments. NLIHC’s Sarah Gallagher, Rebecca Yae, and Emma Foley provided End Rental Arrears to Stop Evictions (ERASE) updates, shared information on ERASE’s upcoming webinar series, and gave an overview of NLIHC’s new brief on direct-to-tenant payment implementation for emergency rental assistance programs.

NLIHC’s Sarah Saadian provided updates and stressed the need to call members of Congress and urge them to co-sponsor “Housing is Infrastructure Act” and the “Ending Homelessness Act.” If enacted, the bills would provide the robust resources needed to ensure the lowest-income and most marginalized households have safe, affordable, and accessible homes. Sarah Owsley from Empower Missouri and Meleah Spencer from The Kitchen, Inc., Eric Hauge from HOME Line Minnesota, and Anya Lawler from Public Interest Advocates in California provided field updates.

NLIHC hosts national calls every week. On today’s call we will be joined by Per Olstad from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), who will share a new toolkit and soon-to-be released ERA program locator from CFPB. Register for today’s call (Monday July 26, at 2:30 pm ET) at: https://tinyurl.com/ru73qan

Watch a recording of the July 19 call at: https://tinyurl.com/sfum4yfp 

View presentation slides at: https://tinyurl.com/4n6jsem8

View NLIHC’s full Out of Reach Report at: https://tinyurl.com/3vttx92x