On the recordDecember 5, 2019
I thank Representative Tlaib for her leadership on this and so many social justice issues. I really appreciate her organizing this Special Order hour, and I hope that, in some ways, it assures the American people that we have not lost sight of them and that this Congress continues to lead and to legislate on those issues of care, concern, and consequence to the American people. I know this is the number one constituent call that my district office receives, and I am certainly not alone in that. Housing First is not just an approach to ending homelessness; it is a fundamental truth that should guide everything we do in these Chambers. When we speak of our priorities, when we speak of the important work we hope to do here, housing must come first. Housing is the foundation of everything, and, therefore, must be foundational to everything that we seek to accomplish here as a body. Housing is a critical determinant of health and wealth and must be the foundation of our fight for greater justice for all. I also would like to reiterate some of the points made earlier regarding our young people learning. Earlier today, we heard from some young people about many of the barriers and obstacles to their readiness to learn. Housing was chief amongst them. As we see our families destabilized by growing gentrification and displacement and more families experiencing homelessness, this is certainly a contributor and a barrier to their readiness to learn.…
