This story in The Hill titled “Affordable housing crisis demands urgent, sustained action” pained me. It is what I see locally right here in Atlanta. It is the reason I work so hard to expose the unfairness throughout the area.
Every year, Americans gather with family and friends to celebrate Thanksgiving. Before settling in for a big meal and time with loved ones, many also dedicate time to volunteering at soup kitchens and shelters.
Unfortunately, for too many Americans reliance on shelters and soup kitchens isn’t confined to the holiday season—it is their everyday reality. While taking time to volunteer to help the less fortunate is valuable community service, there is much more that we should be doing as a nation to reduce the need for soup kitchens and shelters in the first place.
Our nation is in the grips of an affordable housing crisis. Nationally, we have a shortage of 7 million affordable homes for the lowest income renters. In Hawaii, we are short over 24,000 such homes. Only three affordable homes are available for every 10 of the lowest-income seniors, people with disabilities, veterans, families with children, and others.
The article is worth the read.