Ritchie Torres: “I would not be here today as a United States Congressman were it not for affordable housing and the opportunity it gave…”

“I would not be here today as a United States Congressman were it not for affordable housing and the opportunity it gave me and my family. So the fight is deeply personal, and I am honored to stand in the trenches with Chair Waters and Chair Cleaver as we fight for affordable housing at a critical moment. We cannot build back better without realizing the vision of housing as a human right and without realizing the vision of housing as infrastructure. We cannot build back better without making America affordable to all Americans. Housing is not an afterthought; housing is foundational, not only to who we are but to who we become. We know from the research of Professor Raj Chetty that ZIP Code is often destiny and that where you live determines your access to opportunity. It often determines the quality of the schools you attend and the services you access. We know that housing is not only foundational but also intersectional. It intersects with climate. In New York City, we saw not one, but two record rainfalls. And as our city has become less and less affordable. More and more Americans are living in illegal basement apartments that were heavily flooded by the remnants of Hurricane Ida, and those Americans died at the intersection of the housing crisis and the climate crisis. Housing intersects with public health. As our city has become less and less affordable, more and more New Yorkers and Americans are living in overcrowded apartments.…”