FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
San Diego Habitat for Humanity
Ellen Immergut | Director of Communications
Mobile: 619-379-5793
ellen.immergut@sandiegohabitat.org
MEDIA RELEASE
SAN DIEGO, CA (OCTOBER 26, 2020)—Housing is a basic human need and yet, one in six families in the United States spends more than half their income every month on housing. This election season, families across America — in cities, suburbs and rural communities — will look to Washington to support policies that address their housing needs.
San Diego Habitat and Habitat organizations in all 50 states and the District of Columbia are urging candidates for office to prioritize housing and address housing affordability challenges in our communities.
The critical need for affordable housing solutions is intensified due to the devastation caused by COVID-19. For months, families have faced economic hardship from lost wages or layoffs. Yet, they are forced to continue making impossible choices between paying their rent or mortgage and basic essentials like food, healthcare, education, and transportation.
“Our state, local, and federal candidates must support policies that promote greater access to safe, decent and affordable housing,” said Lori Holt Pfeiler, President and CEO of San Diego Habitat for Humanity. “With unemployment numbers reaching unprecedented levels, the national eviction ban ending December 31, and 14.6 million homeowners not covered by forbearance or foreclosure protections created by the federal CARES Act, the time is now for candidates to work toward solutions for our most vulnerable communities.”
Through Cost of Home — Habitat’s national advocacy campaign — Habitat is expanding efforts to influence policy and systems change at the local, state and federal level in four key areas: supply and preservation of affordable homes; equitable access to credit; land use; and communities of opportunity. Habitat aims to improve home affordability for 10 million individuals through advocacy over the five-year campaign.
In San Diego, the housing needs are clear: we need to be producing more homes that are affordable to our local workforce, reducing barriers to housing development, and taking care of our neighbors experiencing homelessness or those who are in danger of becoming so. Measure A in the City of San Diego is one solution that will provide 7,500 affordable homes for lower-income families, workers, seniors, and people living with disabilities. That’s why San Diego Habitat has joined a growing list of local organizations and individuals in support of Measure A.
San Diego Habitat challenges every candidate for office to examine our community. The families in our area represent the more than 18 million American families in need of housing stability. Even before the pandemic, far too many families were already facing these circumstances. Every candidate must act now — to strengthen our communities and our nation.
About San Diego Habitat for Humanity
People in our community partner with San Diego Habitat for Humanity to build or improve a place they can call home. Habitat homeowners build their homes alongside volunteers and pay an affordable mortgage. With our help, Habitat homeowners achieve the strength, stability, and independence they need to build a better life for themselves and their families.
Habitat for Humanity exists through volunteer labor and contributions of money, land and materials, including purchases and donations to the ReStore, Habitat’s discount home improvement retail center, which is open online during COVID-19 related closures of brick and mortar locations. For more information, visit www.sandiegohabitat.org or call 619-283-HOME (4663).
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