Ranking Member Mike Quigley Statement at the Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Request Hearing for the Department of Housing and Urban Development

Congressman Mike Quigley (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee, delivered the following remarks at the Subcommittee's hearing on the fiscal year 2025 budget request for the Department of Housing and Urban Development:

Thank you, Chairman. I too want to welcome Acting Secretary Todman before this Subcommittee.  It is great to have you here both as Acting Secretary of HUD and as an experienced affordable housing practitioner.

You have led one of the nation’s largest housing authorities, and have seen first-hand the challenges of addressing homelessness, preserving public housing, and creating housing opportunities for low-income families. I look forward to the very valuable and nuanced perspective your experience will bring to our conversation today.

As you know, this nation faces significant challenges with housing affordability and homelessness. According to HUD’s 2023 report on “worst-case housing needs,” over 8.5 million of the lowest income households in the United States pay more than half of their income for rent, live in severely inadequate conditions, or both.

This is an increase of 760,000 households compared to the previous year.

The solutions to these challenges are sometimes complex, but this subcommittee has risen to the occasion on a bipartisan basis each year to help HUD meet its mission to create affordable housing opportunities and strong, sustainable communities.

In fiscal year 2024, we were able to: Prevent evictions for nearly 5 million low income households; Invest in programs that help mayors and governors fund locally driven solutions by expanding grants to reduce barriers to affordable housing production; and Target $418 million more for Homeless Assistance Grants to help over 750,000 people move out of homelessness and into permanent housing.

While we have made important strides to address homelessness among veterans and families with children in particular, the fight to end homelessness is far from over.

Data from HUD’s most recent national count of people experiencing homelessness on a single night in 2023 showed a striking increase of 12 percent over 2022. This is the single largest one-year increase since HUD began collecting data in 2007, and it was reflected across all subpopulations.

While these numbers are sobering, they are not cause for hopelessness – when you talk to local leaders, they know what works.

I hope we all feel the urgency of providing the resources and flexibility that localities need to support and house our most vulnerable communities. Without it, the impacts of this housing crisis can be felt beyond our housing systems - hospitals, schools and criminal justice systems all bear a huge burden.

Secretary Todman, I am pleased that you have brought before us a budget that would continue our progress in addressing these complex challenges.

I look forward to working with you and the Chairman to come to a fiscal year 2025 agreement that adheres to the Fiscal Responsibility Act requirements without compromising our responsibility to ensure millions of Americans remain stably housed and receive the support they need to build a safe and thriving future.

I look forward to your testimony and our conversation today.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.