The National League of Cities (NLC) has formed a national task force to address how communities can better respond to the growing challenge of housing availability, affordability, investment, and quality. The committee will be led by NLC President Karen Freeman-Wilson, Mayor of Gary, Indiana and will be chaired by Washington, D.C. Mayor, Muriel Bowser.
“Every American deserves a place to call home. But in cities across the country, serious shortages of adequate housing means that too many residents don’t have the security of a stable home,” said Freeman-Wilson. “Local leaders are on the front lines of ensuring that residents have safe, affordable housing and through the formation of this task force we will leverage our collective experience to help solve this urgent challenge.”
The task force will include 18 elected city leaders, representing a diversity of city sizes, geography, roles in their respective regions, and market types. They are tasked with developing a set of practices at the local level, as well as policy recommendations to federal and state governments.
“The affordable housing crisis is one of the most critical issues we are facing in this country, and one on which we are effectively working to tackle in Washington, DC. From investing hundreds of millions of dollars for affordable units in new developments to building creative livings spaces like grand-family housing for seniors raising their grandchildren, we know that mayors will lead the way in providing innovative solutions,” said Bowser. “I am honored to serve as the Chair of the National League of Cities Housing Task Force and look forward to working with NLC President Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson and other city leaders to advance solutions for our residents.”
