Susan Gittelman

For one week last month, while many Americans were on vacation, thousands of people across the country mobilized around a cause that most people seldom think about but that affects millions of people – having a safe and affordable place to call home.

People gathered as a part of a larger effort called “Our Homes Our Voices,” and almost 100 events were held in 26 states and the District of Columbia.

In a living room in a home on Commonwealth Avenue in Newton, six residents discussed how a suburban community like theirs is affected by the housing issue and what they can do to help.

On a larger scale there was a major rally at Faneuil Hall on the last day of July, as well as other actions, including our own event in Brighton. Joined by staff from Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s office, we focused on raising awareness among local seniors about the consequences of losing precious housing resources.

All of these efforts were part of a call to action by the National Low Income Housing Coalition, partnering with more than 60 other organizations.

But why now? Because while federal funding for housing assistance has been challenged by budget pressures for years, drastic reductions outlined in a draft 2018 budget by the Trump Administration sent shock waves through the housing community and the vulnerable people it serves. As the National Center on Budget and Policy Priorities recently reported, these spending cuts could drive housing assistance to its lowest level in 40 years.

In Newton, Josephine McNeil, a committed housing activist and a co-chair of U-CHAN, a housing advocacy organization in Newton, called the week’s events “consciousness-raising activities” and said, “We really do have a housing crisis in this country and in Massachusetts – especially in Eastern Massachusetts. And all communities, including Newton, are impacted.”

Amplifying Voices Everywhere

Even in a time of a recovering economy, housing has become less affordable for millions of people. The positive impact of secure housing on families cannot be overstated – it is a fundamental element of better physical and mental health, childhood development, educational attainment and contributions to the economy.

An inconvenient truth in our country, in our state and in each community, is the reality that some families are barely getting by.

Elayne Weiss, senior policy analyst at the National Low Income Housing Coalition, said this is one of the largest call to action the coalition has ever put together.

“After the elections and hearing about the Trump budget proposal, people really felt the urge to do something to raise awareness around investment in communities and affordable housing,” she said.

Weiss was the author of “A Place to Call Home: The Case for Increase Federal Investments in Affordable Housing,” a report that outlined the growing problem the lack of affordable housing. Federal caps required by the Budget Control Act of 2011, when Congress limited increases across the board, have constrained Congress’s ability to keep pace with the need.

Housing advocates say HUD and USDA affordable housing programs have been chronically underfunded. Today, of the families who qualify for housing assistance, only a quarter will get the help that they need.

“What we are asking for now is for Congress to work together as in the past to come to agreement to lift budget caps that have artificially depressed spending on affordable housing,” Weiss said. In fact, the Senate recently released its Transportation-HUD spending bill that rejected most of the cuts proposed in the administration’s budget, but advocates fear in this time of political dysfunction the risk of more spending cuts is high.

The housing community is coalescing perhaps like never before.  In Massachusetts, the Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association (CHAPA), a nonprofit umbrella organization dedicated to affordable housing and community development, was a leading organizer of the energetic Boston rally, which drew Boston Mayor Martin Walsh, U.S. Rep. Katherine Clark and hundreds of housing activists and groups. As CHAPA CEO Rachel Heller reflects, these are unusual political times.

“With home prices rising and wages not keeping pace, threats to housing and community development programs at the federal level will diminish the ability of Massachusetts to expand affordable housing opportunities,” said Heller. “The effects of these cuts will be deep and wide.”

Our Homes Our Voices is about amplifying voices everywhere. Whether they be in living rooms, in shelters, in municipal halls or on Capitol Hill, these voices reflect what is at stake in the event that reckless politics prevail.

Susan Gittelman is the executive director of B’nai B’rith Housing, a nonprofit, affordable housing developer currently working in Boston, Sudbury and Swampscott.