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AOC, SANDERS RENEW FIGHT FOR GREEN NEW DEAL FOR PUBLIC HOUSING  
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Jessica Corbett
March 21, 2024
Common Dreams
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_ "Every American deserves to live in a safe, vibrant, and
environmentally conscious community—including public housing
residents," said Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. _

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Backed by dozens of progressive groups and congressional Democrats,
U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
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Sen. Bernie Sanders
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Thursday reintroduced
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tackle both the affordable housing crisis and the climate emergency.

The New York Democrat and Vermont Independent are leading the renewed
fight for the Green New Deal for Public Housing Act
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which would invest up to $234 billion over a decade into
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electrifying, and modernizing our public housing so that it may serve
as a model of efficiency, sustainability, and resiliency for the rest
of the nation."

Ocasio-Cortez noted that "years of grassroots organizing on behalf of
vulnerable Americans led to the creation of the first federal public
housing units—but, for decades, the federal government has allowed
our limited public housing stock to fall into disrepair."

"Residents are dealing with mold growth, lead-based paint hazards,
lack of central cooling and heating, failing water infrastructure, and
numerous other safety concerns," the congresswoman said. "It is beyond
time for the federal government to take responsibility and pass
legislation that offers comprehensive, public solutions."

"The Green New Deal
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Act will allow for an increase in public housing units, create an
estimated 280,000 jobs, and invest up to $23 billion a year over 10
years for highly energy-efficient developments," she explained. "This
will produce on-site renewable energy, expand workforce capacity, and
focus on community development. Every American deserves to live in a
safe, vibrant, and environmentally conscious community—including
public housing residents. I am confident this legislation is how we
make that a reality."

The jobs estimate comes from an analysis released
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by the Climate and Community Project and the Socio-Spatial Climate
Collaborative—which also found that the proposed upgrades to U.S.
public housing stock would cut carbon emissions by 5.7 million metric
tons, the equivalent of taking 1.26 million cars off the road each
year.

"Public housing is an essential source of stable and affordable
housing for 1.7 million Americans, and our research shows we are
rapidly losing units to conversions, demolitions, and deterioration,"
said Kira McDonald of Climate and Community Project. "This legislation
would constitute decisive action to stave this loss and transform
living conditions for public housing residents. In so doing, it would
improve residents' health, safety, help eliminate carbon emissions,
and help build the new green industries we need to decarbonize."

As Ocasio-Cortez's office summarized, the bill would:

* Expand federal programs to provide residents with meaningful work
investing in their communities, to own and operate resident
businesses, to move toward financial independence, and to participate
in the management of public housing;
* Expand resident councils so that public housing residents have a
seat at the table for important decisions regarding their homes; and
* Replenish the public housing capital backlog and repeal
the Faircloth Amendment
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which limits the construction of new public housing developments.

The legislation would also create two grant programs for deep energy
retrofits
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community workforce development; upgrades to energy efficiency,
building electrification, and water quality; community renewable
energy generation; recycling; resiliency and sustainability; and
climate adaptation and emergency disaster response.

As world leaders dragged their feet on climate action last
year, declining
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a global phaseout of planet-heating fossil fuels at the most recent
United Nations climate conference, all life on Earth was forced
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with record high temperatures. The United States alone saw 28
disasters that each caused at least $1 billion in damage,
collectively costing
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billion.

"In these difficult times, we must move forward boldly to address the
systemic and existential crises facing us today and that includes
urgently combating climate change and making sure every American has a
safe and decent place to call home," Sanders said Thursday. "It is
unacceptable that, on a single given night in America, over 650,000
people are homeless."

That record number comes from an annual report released
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the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in December.
As _Common Dreams_reported
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academics and advocates have long stressed that the formal figure only
represents a faction of the people dealing with housing insecurity
nationwide.

"It is unacceptable that, in the richest country in the history of the
world, people are choosing between paying rent and putting food on the
table," argued Sanders. "It is unacceptable that our nation's public
housing is in a state of chronic disrepair and energy inefficiency
after generations of government neglect. It is unacceptable that we
have not done more to transform our energy systems, our communities,
and our infrastructure away from fossil fuels and toward renewable
energy. This legislation is a major step in the right direction, and I
am proud to partner with Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez in introducing it
today."

Joining the pair in backing the bill are 55 other House Democrats and
Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Ed Markey
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(D-Ore.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Elizabeth Warren
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Peter Welch (D-Vt.).

Markey, who has spearheaded
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broader battle for a Green New Deal with Ocasio-Cortez, said that "in
the five years since its introduction, Green New Deal advocacy has
catapulted environmental justice to the top of the national agenda,
helped deliver historic victories, and charted a course for a better
future."

The Green New Deal for Public Housing Act is also endorsed by over 70
advocacy groups and labor unions, including the American Federation of
State County and Municipal Employees, American Federation of Teachers,
Center for Popular Democracy (CPD) Action, Movement for Black Lives,
MoveOn, National Low Income Housing Coalition, Public Citizen
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Movement. [[link removed]]

"Our opponents use tactics like the Faircloth Amendment to defund our
public housing. And then they point to our public housing and say,
'Look, it's not working.' That's what they do—but we're not
confused," declared DaMareo Cooper, co-executive director of CPD
Action.

"We're in another awakening right now. People have been through too
much. They are tired. We are tired. Enough is enough," Cooper added.
"We all know that it's impossible for you to think that a government
in this day and age cannot create housing for everyone."

_Jessica Corbett is a senior editor and staff writer for Common
Dreams._

_Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of
informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the
world a better place.  We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every
single supporter makes the difference._

* Green New Deal
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* public housing
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* Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
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* Bernie Sanders
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