Affordable housing:

Before I ever ran for office, I was the head of Portland Habitat for Humanity. That work changed my life, and it gave me a tremendous focus. Watching a family open a door to a home that they own for the first time, especially after they've suffered housing insecurity? I'll never forget the relief, the joy on the faces of these families.

Not everyone has been fortunate enough to experience this life-changing joy. That's because, while charity is essential, government must be a crucial and necessary partner in tackling homelessness. After all, homelessness isn't just a personal trauma, it's a community-wide crisis — one that impacts public health, public safety, our economy, and more.

I think we can all agree that America hasn't done nearly enough to support communities and help families who are struggling with homelessness in these difficult times.

The COVID-19 pandemic has cast this crippling problem in a bright light. And, it's shown exactly what we need to do.

We must invest in affordable housing.

We must do so at historic levels.

And we must ensure that our investments are done equitably.

Anyone who says that we cannot afford to do this is completely wrong.

Under Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell, we saw absurd tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans. Giving billions more to billionaires and multinational corporations is proof that we can do so much better, including investing in affordable housing.

... if only we have the political will and courage to see it done.

That's why I'm fighting to include housing in the infrastructure program working its way through Congress — and why I've introduced legislation to lower the cost of housing, reduce barriers to building affordable housing, investing in emergency housing, and building out support services to reduce homelessness.

I hope you'll help me fight for an America where every family has a safe home they can afford — no matter what they look like, where they come from, or which side of the railroad tracks they live on.

Jeff