Heinrich Cosponsors Transformative Legislation

Category: Non-Local News Releases Non-Local News Releases
Published: 05 March 2024 05 March 2024

Heinrich Cosponsors Transformative Legislation to Expand Access to Affordable Housing, Tackle Homelessness in New Mexico 

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) cosponsored the Housing for All Act, comprehensive legislation to expand access to affordable housing in New Mexico and supporting those experiencing homelessness.  

The bill would invest in proven solutions and provide a historic level of federal funding for strategic, existing programs to keep people housed and reduce homelessness, as well as for innovative, locally developed solutions to help vulnerable populations experiencing homelessness. 

“Tackling New Mexico’s affordable housing and homelessness crises requires an all-hands-on-deck approach,” said Heinrich. “By developing comprehensive solutions that incentivize partnership between federal, state, local, and Tribal governments, the Housing For All Act will help give more working families a stable and safe place to call home and the opportunity to thrive.” 

The Housing for All Act would take a comprehensive approach to combat the affordable housing and homelessness crises, including investments from the federal government in housing solutions. Specifically, the bill would: 

Address the affordable housing shortage by investing in the National Housing Trust Fund, the HOME Investment Partnerships program, the Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly Program, and the Section 811 Supportive Housing for People with Disabilities; 

Address the homelessness crisis by investing in Housing Choice Vouchers, Project-Based Rental Assistance, the emergency solutions grant program (which helps with outreach, rapid re-housing assistance, emergency shelter, and homelessness prevention), and Continuums of Care; and 

Support innovative, locally developed approaches to these crises by investing in hotel and motel conversions to permanent supportive housing with supportive services, the Eviction Protection Grant Program to support experienced legal service providers in providing legal assistance to low-income tenants at risk of or subject to eviction, mobile crisis intervention teams to help those with medical or psychological needs get the care that they need, programs that offer a safe place to park overnight and facilitate access to rehousing services and essential services, library programs that support people experiencing homelessness, inclusive transit-oriented development and infill development, and improve coordination of culturally competent, trauma-informed behavioral health and homelessness services. 

The legislation was led by U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.). 

Alongside Heinrich, the bill was cosponsored by U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.). 

The Housing for All Act has been endorsed by the National Alliance to End Homelessness, National Low Income Housing Coalition, Matt Desmond of the Princeton University’s Eviction Lab, LeadingAge, National Rural Housing Coalition, and more. 

The text of the bill is here. 

Last year, Heinrich introduced the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act, which would help build over 14,000 new affordable homes in New Mexico over the next decade, generating over $2.5 billion in wages and business income.  The legislation would support the financing of more affordable housing by expanding and strengthening the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, our country’s most successful affordable housing program.  

Heinrich also introduced the Delivering Essential Protection, Opportunity, and Security for Tenants (DEPOSIT) Act, which would help an estimated 12,000 New Mexican families access rental housing through the Housing Choice Voucher Program to pay security deposits and get into a rental home. 

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