Up for Growth: Asking You to Take Action Now on Housing

By Mike Kingsella, CEO, Up for Growth Action

After weeks of negotiations, President Biden today announced a new framework for his Build Back Better package, and is urging lawmakers to advance the bill in Congress.

Thanks to effective outreach by our bill endorsers and Up for Growth members over the past month – your calls, letters and emails to members of the U.S. House and Senate – the vital Unlocking Possibilities Program remains in the bill.

While we’re a long way from final passage, the announcement represents a significant victory in the battle for housing equity in America, as it reaffirms the Administration’s commitment to address the nation’s housing shortage and signals to future negotiators that this vital program is off the table.

However, we still need your help. Until passage is assured, we must redouble outreach efforts. Too many members of Congress are still undecided or in the “no” column on the overall package and must be made aware that a critical new housing program hangs in the balance.  In addition, we must urge our pro-housing champions on the hill to continue outreach to their colleagues and request that they remain firm on this major commitment. Here’s what you can do:

• Contact your senators and representatives and ask them to urge colleagues to support the Build Back Better framework that includes the Unlocking Possibilities Program – a groundbreaking provision that would empower states and local governments to address the nation’s affordable housing crisis.
  
  
• Remember to share the letter we sent to Congressional leaders on October 1 – signed by 16 organizations – urging Congressional leaders to preserve these vital housing provisions in the budget reconciliation package.

As outlined in the revised framework, the legislation will “create more equitable communities through investing in community-led redevelopments projects in historically under-resourced neighborhoods and...incentivizing state and local zoning reforms that enable more families to reside in higher opportunity neighborhoods.”

In fact, the Unlocking Possibilities Program is the only provision in the Build Back Better Act focused on eliminating exclusionary zoning and artificial barriers to housing, and we are pleased that Congress is poised to take meaningful action to advance this program.

As we await additional details and watch closely for next steps on Capitol Hill, we will be sure to stay in touch. Again, thank you for a great effort this month to advance the cause of affordable, accessible housing for communities nationwide.