Yesterday, Rep. Jimmy Gomez (CA-34) hosted the first-ever National Summit on the Housing Affordability Crisis on Capitol Hill, bringing together lawmakers, advocates, labor, industry, and community leaders to confront America’s growing housing emergency.
Throughout the summit, lawmakers and experts tackled the crisis from every angle, from boosting the supply of affordable homes to protecting renters, preventing evictions, and addressing homelessness head-on.
As part of that effort, Rep. Gomez also highlighted his Revitalizing Downtowns and Main Streets Act (RDMA), bipartisan legislation that would convert vacant office buildings into housing that is affordable through a new federal tax credit. The bill would require at least 20% of new units to remain affordable for working families for at least 30 years, helping communities like Los Angeles expand housing supply while revitalizing struggling commercial corridors.
The day-long summit also featured House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and leading voices from across the Democratic Caucus, united in the call for bold action on housing.
“I hosted the first-ever National Summit on the Housing Affordability Crisis to send a clear message: we need bold, national solutions now,” said Rep. Jimmy Gomez. "This isn’t just a housing crisis. It’s a crisis of confidence in the American system itself. When families working full time are still forced to choose between rent, food, or health care, they begin to question if their leaders, institutions, and government truly fight for them. America needs a housing boom: one that prioritizes affordability, fairness, and accessibility.”
“The cost of housing is a crisis for working families,” said Congressman Greg Casar. “We’ve made it too hard to build new housing, invested too little in affordable housing, invested too little in helping people afford the housing we have, and allowed big corporations to buy up housing and jack up prices. We need big ideas to tackle this crisis so that folks working hard in America can afford a decent place to live.”
“As co-chair of the Homelessness Caucus and former director of a homeless service organization, I understand that the crisis of housing affordability is real, and it is pervasive. We must urgently work to make housing more affordable, accessible, and sustainable,” said Congresswoman Ramirez. “While the Trump Administration wants to roll back the clock on the progress we have made, we must demand even more to realize HOUSING AS A HUMAN RIGHT! That’s why I was so grateful to attend the National Housing Summit to discuss how we fight back and realize bold housing solutions for working families”
