Ilhan Omar: “``Mashallah,'' ``God has willed it,'' to Representative Jamal Bowman for that incredible speech and for giving a…”

“``Mashallah,'' ``God has willed it,'' to Representative Jamal Bowman for that incredible speech and for giving a shout-out to my Homes for All Act. I thank Representative Ramirez for yielding and for bringing all of us together to be able to advocate for housing. Mr. Speaker, in the richest nation on Earth, it is a moral failure that we have a housing crisis, but moral victories are not won by words but by urgent actions and bold policies. Fortunately, our localities are stepping up with sensible housing reforms and creative development models. In Minneapolis, our Public Housing Authority just unveiled its largest development in decades. The Minneapolis Public Housing Authority created 84 new units that are deeply affordable family housing across Minneapolis, using an innovative modular construction approach that cut development time by 30 percent. In Montgomery County, local leaders created their own version of an affordable housing development by setting up a revolving loan fund to develop dense, mixed-income, municipally owned housing. Now, their public developer model is being replicated in other communities across the country. These local initiatives are vital to strengthening housing affordability, but they need more support. The solution to our housing shortage cannot be piecemeal. It demands a combination of local innovation and bold Federal leadership. Congress cannot sit on the sidelines. We have the responsibility and capacity to solve this crisis.…”