Ocasio Cortez, Sanders relaunch Green New Deal for housing

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (R-Vt.) on Thursday launched a housing project to draw attention and resources to building affordable housing and combating climate change. reintroduced the Green New Deal.

The bill would invest up to $234 billion over 10 years to upgrade the public housing stock to be more energy efficient and create union jobs. The bill would also include a new provision repealing the Faircloth Amendment, which restricts the construction of new public housing developments.

“What we’ve done together is put together a bill that addresses some of America’s greatest crises,” Sanders said.

“We will stand up and transform our energy system to create sustainable housing that is free from fossil fuels. We all must provide decent quality, affordable housing for millions of Americans. And at the same time, we’re creating good-paying union jobs. It’s a win-win-win situation.”

Ocasio-Cortez said the bill is part of a push for a “different world” where public housing creates healthier, more independent communities.

Diane Yentel, president of the National Low Income Housing Coalition, said there is currently a shortage of 7.3 million affordable apartments for low-income residents. This means that for every 10 households she has in this group, she has fewer than 4 affordable apartments.

Yentel said this is in part due to the sale of public housing by Congress, resulting in more than $70 billion in unmet funding needs.

Jasmine Sanchez attended the press conference as an organizer and public housing resident for the New York City Housing Authority. She said the affordability and stability of the unit were very important to her and her family.

“The way to maintain communities and social networks is to make real investments in public housing so people don’t have to move,” Sanchez said. “And to ensure our communities and development are more resilient and prepared in times of crisis.”

The bill is firmly opposed in the Republican-controlled House and is unlikely to pass in both chambers. But Ocasio-Cortez said the bill is part of a larger effort to advocate for Americans and hold lawmakers accountable.

“One of the reasons public housing capital has been cut for so long is because somehow Republicans control housing and control the Senate,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “That’s why it’s important that Democrats keep public housing front and center and not make it something negotiable or ignored, as it has been in the past.”

Ocasio-Cortez said she hopes more Republican lawmakers will take into account the many Americans in need of housing.

“My message to them is money doesn’t vote, billionaires are just a handful of votes,” Ocasio-Cortez said.

“We are responsible for all Americans, and in fact the vast majority of Americans, for what is hurting our backs in terms of housing costs and housing quality. It’s time to go back and legislate for this country.”