Mayors Take the Fight for Affordable Housing to Capitol Hill

By one estimate, the number of homeless people living without shelter grew by 9 percent last year. More than half a million Americans experienced homelessness on a given night in 2017, sheltered or out on the streets. This alarming surge comes at a time when the Trump administration is threatening deep budget cuts for housing assistance.

A new coalition launched by Ed Lee, the late mayor of San Francisco, is taking action to address this crisis before it gets any worse. Mayors & CEOs for U.S. Housing Investment aims to boost investment in affordable housing and emergency services for the homeless while giving the federal government a kick in the pants to remind it of its commitments. With 14 mayors from U.S. cities working together with business leaders, the coalition may be the broadest campaign yet to fight the housing crisis.