Political Quotes

“Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman, my colleague from the great city of Detroit and from Michigan, for showing this leadership. ``None of us are home until all of us are home.'' This is the slogan of Project HOME, an organization in my district that empowers individuals to break the cycle of poverty and homelessness, starting with permanent supportive housing. Safe, affordable housing is the basis of stability and well-being. Secure housing improves health outcomes, helps children perform better in school, and can break generational cycles of poverty. But given the skyrocketing cost of rent, which is outpacing incomes, secure housing is out of reach for many low-income families. Lacking a fixed address makes it harder to land a job, enroll children in school, apply for assistance and benefits. {time} 1600 The affordable housing shortage is a crisis in my district and in many other cities and neighborhoods across the Nation. I represent Philadelphia, a city which has a poverty rate of around 25 percent. Let me repeat that, a city with a poverty rate of about 25 percent. Most low-income renters spend at least half of their income on housing. This leaves no room for unexpected expenses such as medical bills, which can quickly send vulnerable families into housing inability, eviction, and, sometimes, homelessness.…”