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John,
There are only a few weeks left for Congress to pass a major end-of-year spending bill and we’re doing everything in our power to ensure that it includes protections and investments for critical needs programming.
People deserve access to safe, stable, affordable housing. It’s a human right. As inflation continues to cause pain at the gas pump and grocery stores, wages aren’t keeping up. In fact, 66% of workers say that inflation has outpaced the wage gains they’ve made in the past year.
According to recently released survey data by the U.S. Census Bureau, 43% of households earning $50,000 or less were spending over half of their income on rent. It’s a common rule of thumb that your housing cost should be no more than 30% of your gross income. But with rising housing costs and stagnant wages, that’s becoming more and more unachievable.
We can’t allow Congress to cut funding to critical programs that are needed to create vibrant, thriving communities. Click here to write a letter to your members of Congress urging them to invest in critical needs programs before the end of the year!
Right now, a full-time worker needs to earn $25.82 per hour to afford a modest, two-bedroom rental home and $21.25 per hour to afford a modest, one-bedroom rental home.
At the same time, too many families struggle to find and afford high-quality care that meets their needs, and the COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated these challenges. President Biden has proposed an historic investment in funding for child care and early education to help kids grow in these critical learning years and help support working families remain in the workforce.
Increased annual appropriations will be critical to ensure we build on recent relief investments and continue on the road to economic recovery. The dire effects of the pandemic will be felt for years to come and without investments in our future, we risk backsliding, further exacerbating racial wealth and income gaps.
Click here to tell Congress to pass an end-of-year spending bill that protects and expands critical human needs programs on everything from housing, to healthcare, to kids and families.
It’s said that a budget is a moral document. Now is the time to ask our senators and representatives what and who they truly value. Is it the poor, vulnerable, and marginalized? Or is it the wealthy elite who fund their campaign coffers?
Thank you for all you do,
Deborah Weinstein
Executive Director, Coalition on Human Needs
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