Ways and Means Hearing on Poverty Signals Need for Affordable Housing

On February 15, the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Human Resources held a hearing on “The Geography of Poverty” to discuss the unique challenges that poverty creates in urban, suburban and rural communities. The lack of affordable housing was identified as one of the prominent factors leading families into poverty. Elizabeth Kneebone, fellow at the Brookings Institution, explained that there are an increasing number of low-income people living in the suburbs, partially driven by families searching for affordable housing options outside of the city. Suburbs have been largely unprepared for this influx and often lack the capacity to scale services to meet the needs of low-income households. Investing in our nation’s infrastructure, as both the Trump Administration and Congress have identified as a top priority, offesr a critical opportunity to develop more affordable housing that is accessible to public transportation and job opportunities, an important first step to alleviate poverty in all types of communities.