Shadow Hearing Held Amid Trump Housing Crisis, Cuts to Critical Housing Assistance Programs

“We cannot talk about closing the racial wealth gap or stabilizing families without talking about housing as what it is: our most important infrastructure.”

Pressley Opener + Question Line | Full Hearing

WASHINGTON –Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), alongside Congresswomen Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03) and Ilhan Omar (MN-05) held theCongressional Progressive Caucus’ (CPC) Lowering Costs Taskforce’s first shadow hearing, titled “Building the New American Dream: Lowering Housing Costs for All.” The shadow hearing brought together housing experts and CPC Members to advance solutions to lower costs by building more affordable, public, and market-rate housing; cracking down on corporate and landlord greed; and expanding federal assistance for low-income families.

“We cannot talk about closing the racial wealth gap or stabilizing families without talking about housing as what it is: a human right and our most important infrastructure,” said Congresswoman Pressley in a statement. “My constituents in the Massachusetts 7^th aren’t asking for miracles—they are demanding the basic dignity of a safe, affordable, and stable home. It is past time our laws reflected that moral mandate. I’m grateful to Chair Casar, Deputy Chair Omar, and Congresswoman Ansari for their partnership on this important conversation and doing the work of housing justice.”

In her opening remarks, Congresswoman Pressley emphasized that housing is a critical social determinant and a racial, wealth, climate, and economic justice issue. She shared the story of Anthony, a constituent from Somerville who was forced to look for housing outside of Massachusetts due to the skyrocketing cost of rent, and called on Congress to act boldly to lower housing costs and affirm housing as the fundamental human right that it is.

In her questioning of witnesses, Congresswoman Pressley discussed the need to confront the policies that helped create the housing crisis in America—like exclusionary zoning, redlining, restrictive covenants, and land-use restrictions—which have made it difficult to build affordable housing and driven up prices for working families. Congresswoman Pressley also called for the passage of her Innovation Fund Act, which was included in the landmark ROAD to Housing Act and would reward communities that are taking innovative steps to increase housing supply.

A transcript of the Congresswoman’s opening remarks is available below and video is available here. For video of the entire hearing, click here.

Transcript: Pressley Co-Chairs Hearing on Housing Affordability, Demands Congress to Affirm Housing as a Human Right
Congressional Progressive Caucus Shadow Hearing
January 14, 2026

REP. PRESSLEY: Good afternoon, everyone. My name is Ayanna Pressley. I’m the Congresswoman who has the honor of representing the Massachusetts 7th Congressional District. This is a district that is vibrant, diverse, dynamic and deeply unequal, and that’s true across all outcomes, but including and especially when it comes to housing and health care outcomes.

In a three mile radius from Cambridge to Roxbury, life expectancy drops by 30 years. A three-mile radius from Cambridge, home to Harvard and MIT, to Roxbury, the Blackest part of my district. And median income drops by $50,000 again, that’s a three mile radius from Cambridge to Roxbury. 

The Federal Reserve of Boston. in fact, put out a Color of Wealth report, which cites that the average wealth for a Black Boston family is $8 whereas for a white family, it is $250,000. 

I believe these disparities have everything to do with housing, and certainly as a critical social determinant, this is a matter of health care justice as well. It is a racial justice issue, a climate justice issue, and, of course, an economic justice issue. 

I’m grateful to the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Chair Casar, Deputy Chair Omar and Lowering Costs Task Force Chair Ansari for convening this important conversation. When I initially reached out about this idea, the CPC jumped at the opportunity to make it happen. 

Congress can and must act boldly to lower housing costs and affirm housing as the fundamental human right that it is. 

In community, I hear from families every day who are being squeezed by skyrocketing rents, predatory corporate landlords, and a housing market that simply isn’t working for them. 

I’ll share one story. Anthony, he resides in Somerville in my district, and he wrote to my office that he has successfully operated a handyman business for eight years now. He earns about $5,000 per month. Despite consistent income and high demand for his services, he cannot afford to rent a studio apartment within ten miles of Boston. 

Local landlords commonly require tenants to earn about four times the monthly rent, meaning a $2,000 studio would require an income of $8,000 per month. This far exceeds what’s required in other states. 

As a result, he’s being forced to look for housing outside of Massachusetts. This crisis was not inevitable. It is the result of policy choices that favored corporate profits over people’s basic dignity. But the good news is we have the power to make different choices. 

I serve on the House Financial Services Committee and have been advocating for reforms and resources needed to build affordable housing, to fully fund programs and resources that keep people safely housed. 

Federal intervention can and should level the playing field for families who have been locked out of generational stability for far too long, and that includes investing in public and social housing. 

Public housing is not a relic. It’s a necessity. It’s a cornerstone of a just and inclusive economy. We cannot talk about closing the racial wealth gap or stabilizing families without talking about housing as what it is: our most important infrastructure. 

So today, we’re here from our esteemed panel of witnesses and will remain anchored in our shared truth everyone deserves safe, stable and affordable housing. 

—

As a Member of the Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance of the House Financial Services Committee (FSC), Rep. Pressley has fought for equitable and affordable housing policies and pushed back against the Trump administration’s cuts to vital housing programs. In December, Rep. Pressley convened local advocates and community partners to sound the alarm on the housing crisis created by Donald Trump.

Rep. Pressley has consistently advocated for policies that affirm housing as a human right and center the dignity and humanity of all people.

• In December 2025, Rep. Pressley underscored the need to support grandfamily and kinship households, which are vital to preventing homelessness and keeping families and communities whole.
• In November 2025, on National Housing Day, Rep. Pressley introduced the Appraisal Modernization Act, legislation to promote equity and combat systemic bias in the home appraisal process that has disadvantaged many current and aspiring homeowners—especially homeowners of color.
• In October 2025, Rep. Pressley introduced the Innovation Fund Act to establish a program to reward communities that are taking innovative steps to increase housing supply.
• In May 2025, Rep, Pressley, along with Representatives Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), and Greg Casar (TX-35), reintroduced the Tenants’ Right to Organize Act, legislation to protect the power of tenants, including those with federal vouchers, to organize.
• In June 2024, Rep. Pressley, along with Representatives Maxine Waters (CA-43) and Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), re-introduced the Tenant Empowerment Act, bold legislation to strengthen HUD tenant protections and provide renters with the tools necessary to improve the quality of their homes.
• In March 2024, Rep. Pressley, along with Mayor Wu, visited Roxbury to celebrate the $1,000,000 in federal funding she secured to provide emergency childcare support for families experiencing homelessness in the City of Boston.
• In March 2024, Rep. Pressley, along with Senators Warren and Markey, applauded the final passage of $850,000 in federal community project funding for The Pryde, an affordable housing development for LGBTQ+ seniors in Hyde Park.
• In March 2024, Rep. Pressley urged Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell to cut interest rates to boost home affordability and construction of affordable housing.
• In January 2024, Rep. Pressley, during a House Financial Services Committee Hearing, highlighted the growing housing crisis and how appraisal bias and discriminatory tenant screening practices exacerbate the racial wealth and homeownership gaps, especially for Black communities.
• In January 2024, Rep. Pressley celebrated the $2.4 million in federal funding she secured to support the community-led transformation of the Clarendon Hill housing community, an ethnically, linguistically and economically diverse neighborhood in Somerville.
• In December 2023, Rep. Pressley requested the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to provide data on housing needs for Medicaid beneficiaries and feedback on challenges the agency is having in covering housing support for people requiring home and community-based services (HCBS).
• In July 2023, Rep. Pressley, along with Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) and Congresswoman Cori Bush (MO-01), reintroduced the Housing Emergencies Lifeline Program (HELP) Act, critical legislation to provide much-needed assistance to those facing eviction amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. 
• In June 2023, Rep. Pressley and Rep. Rashida Tlaib introduced the Housing for Formerly Incarcerated Reentry and Stable Tenancy (Housing FIRST) Act, bold legislation to help people who are formerly incarcerated and those with criminal histories access safe and stable housing.
• In September 2021, Rep. Pressley joined Rep. Bush and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) in introducing the Keeping Renters Safe Act of 2021 to enact an urgently needed nationwide eviction moratorium. 
• On July 2021, ahead of the expiration of the previous CDC eviction moratorium, Reps. Pressley, Bush, Gomez and their progressive colleagues sent a letter renewing their calls for President Biden and CDC Director Rochelle Walensky to extend the federal eviction moratorium and prevent the historic and deadly wave of evictions that would occur if the government failed to do so. 
• On July 30, 2021, Rep. Pressley joined House Financial Services Committee Chairwoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) in introducing the Protecting Renters from Evictions Act of 2021, legislation to extend the eviction moratorium through the end of the year. 
• In June 2021, Rep. Pressley, along with Reps. Gomez and Bush, led over 40 of their colleagues on a letter urging President Biden and CDC Director Walensky to extend and strengthen the moratorium for the duration of the public health crisis. 
• In June 2021, Congresswoman Pressley, along with Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), re-introduced the Rent and Mortgage Cancellation Act, a bill to institute a nationwide cancellation of rents and home mortgage payments through the duration of the coronavirus pandemic.
• On May 18, 2021, Reps. Bush and Pressley sent a letter to the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), calling on the CDC to strengthen and extend the federal moratorium on evictions, ensuring families can remain safely in their homes for the duration of the COVID-19 global health emergency.
• On July 28, 2020, Rep. Pressley, Rep. DeLauro and Sen. Harris introduced the Housing Emergencies Lifeline Program (HELP) Act to provide much-needed, layered assistance to those facing eviction amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
• On July 24, 2020, in a Financial Services Committee hearing, Rep. Pressley discussed the unprecedented financial cliff facing millions of renters and homeowners, the economic consequences of millions losing their homes, including the ability to return to work, and why funding for legal representation is so critical.
• On May 11, 2020, Reps. Tlaib, and Joe Neguse (D-CO) urge House and Senate leadership to include $11.5 billion in funding for Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) in the next relief package to aid the nation’s homeless population who are experiencing heightened vulnerability during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• On April 10, 2020, Rep. Pressley urged Congressional leadership to prioritize recurring monthly cash payments to those most at-risk during the COVID-19 crisis. This funding would allow people to cover all their bills, including rent.
• On April 17, 2020, Reps. Pressley, Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and colleagues introduce the Rent and Mortgage Cancellation Act, a bill to institute a nationwide cancellation of rents and home mortgage payments through the duration of the coronavirus pandemic.

• On March 23, 2020, Reps. Pressley and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) introduced the Public Health Emergency Shelter Act of 2020, legislation to provide critical funding to states and local governments responding to the needs of families and individuals experiencing homelessness during the COVID-19 crisis. This legislation was included and passed through the HEROES Act and H.R. 7301, the Emergency Housing Protections and Relief Act of 2020.
• On March 19, 2020, Rep. Pressley, along with progressive lawmakers and organizations, introduced the Housing is a Human Right Act to authorize more than $200 billion in federal spending over 10 years for crucial housing infrastructure and reduce homelessness.
• On March 18, 2020, Reps. Pressley, Katie Porter (D-CA) and Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) wrote to HUD calling for a moratorium on evicting renters during the coronavirus pandemic.
• In July 2019, Rep. Pressley announced legislation that would prohibit the use of biometric recognition technology in most public and assisted housing units funded by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), protecting tenants from biased surveillance technology. 
• In November 2019, Rep. Pressley and Rep. Tlaib wrote to HUD blasting the agency for ignoring low-income tenants seeking to save their homes.

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