One Year After the Default on America Act: Central Valley Residents Call on Congressman Duarte to Lower Housing Costs
Residents and Advocates Also Urge Congressman Duarte to Support the Biden’s Administration’s Budget that Would Support Lowering Housing Costs
Modesto, California –Yesterday, Valley Families Unite along with Central Valley constituents and advocacy groups rallied to call on Congressman Duarte to lower the high costs of housing impacting thousands of Californians.
The rally also coincided with the one year anniversary of Congressman Duarte voting in favor of the Default on America Act. This bill threatened affordable housing for over 80,000 California families, including vulnerable groups such as seniors, people with disabilities, and families with children.
Rally goers chanting for Rep. Duarte to support the administration’s budget | Photo Credit: Valley Families Unite
One year later, Central Valley residents called on Congressman Duarte to support the Administration’s Budget, to help address the pressing need for affordable housing. The budget proposes to:
Increase affordable housing supply through grants and tax credits for building, renovating, and preserving homes.
Expand the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit.
Offer tax credits for first-time homebuyers and middle-class families.
Assist first-generation homebuyers with down payments.
Increase funding for rural affordable housing.
The President's budget presents viable solutions, including grants and tax credits tailored to increase affordable housing, provide support for veterans and foster care graduates, and offer assistance for first-time homebuyers – many of whom reside in the Central Valley.
Irene Kao, Courage California and Valley Families Unite Executive Director, added, “Rep. Duarte’s vote on the Default on America Act jeopardized housing stability of working families, particularly communities of color and essential workers. It further underscored a troubling agenda, one marked by relentless attempts to undermine essential programs and services for working families by congressional Republicans. We urge him to support the Administration's budget to alleviate housing costs and promote economic security for Central Valley families.”
Pedro Ramirez, a Central Valley Community Organizer, emphasized, "Our communities are suffering due to a lack of affordable housing options. We urge Congressman Duarte to support initiatives that alleviate this crisis and ensure every individual has access to safe, stable and affordable housing. It’s time Rep. Duarte puts the interests of working families in his district before the corporate interests of his wealthy donors.The time to act is now. We urge Congressman Duarte to stand with his constituents, prioritize affordable housing, and support the Administration's budget to address this critical issue facing the Central Valley and beyond"
The need for affordable housing in the Central Valley is dire, reports from the California Housing Partnership Corporation revealed a shortfall of nearly 35,000 units in affordable housing in Fresno alone, while the National Low Income Housing Coalition estimates a 41,000 unit shortfall for Fresno county overall. Additionally, about 45% of households in Central Valley counties are renters, facing challenges exacerbated by the housing crisis. According to data from Stanislaus Community System of Care, nearly 3,000 people, including children, are homeless in Stanislaus County alone.
For media inquiries or further information, please reach out to Mario Vasquez Zuniga at 661-483-4927 or mario@valleyfamiliesunite.org.
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Valley Families Unite represents a shared vision of economic prosperity for working families and accountable leadership in California. With the collective strength of Courage California, Inland Empire United, Communities for a New California Action Fund and Lower Costs California, we are eager to hold our elected officials accountable for fighting for the economic well-being of California families.
