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Affordable Housing: There's Help!

07/19/2024

SEIU member and daughter start a new chapter in their lives

Latreca Pryor Affordable Housing Blog Post July2024 cropped wide

Everyone deserves to live in an affordable home, but affordable housing—whether renting or owning—hasn't been addressed and prioritized nearly enough by elected leaders.

A recent housing poll that interviewed 2,500 voters across 5 swing states found that while renters only hear politicians addressing housing costs 49% of the time (as opposed to say abortion and immigration 78% and 74% respectively), 82% feel their personal situation would be "better or much better" if lawmakers prioritized working on that issue.

Thankfully the Biden-Harris Administration this past spring acknowledged the large deficit in accessible and affordable homes and announced a historic investment of more than $258 billion to:

  • Build or preserve over 2 million housing units;
  • Support millions of first-time homebuyers;
  • Guarantee affordable housing for hundreds of thousands of extremely low-income veterans and youth aging out of foster care; and
  • Advance efforts to end homelessness

In addition, the Administration's American Rescue Plan has greatly helped homebuyers such as Las Vegas healthcare worker and SEIU Local 1107 member Latreca Pryor, who secured $15,000 toward a down payment!

"I’ve always dreamed of owning my own home, but it always felt out of reach… Then I got a good union job and received down-payment assistance from President Biden’s American Rescue Plan. Now I have my own home and hope for my family’s future."

When co-workers come together in unions, they create worker power that improves their family situations for generations to come—thanks to higher pay, better benefits, safe workplaces, and more.

Electing leaders like Vice President Harris, who prioritize working families in concrete ways and who embrace worker power is key. "I want my family to be comfortable, not have to worry about struggling. Electing pro-worker leaders is part of making that a reality."

Latreca and her daughter Ikina (pictured above) met President Biden in March, who gifted them with a plant for Ikina's new bedroom window! Watch their story.