Lydia Edwards、Mike Connolly 推動成立「居者有其屋核心小組」

麻州參議員Lydai Edwards。(檔案照片，周菊子攝)

              (Boston Orange 編譯) 麻州議會在參議員Lydia Edwards和眾議員Mike Connolly推動下，由61名議員成立「居者有其屋核心小組 (Housing for All   Caucus) 」，並於7日舉行了首次會議。

將以防止流離失所，保護租客，支持首次購屋者，興建可負擔住宅，改革區域規劃，增加稅收以支持地方可負擔性，反對歧視，保護民權等，為制定政策的優先方向。

眾議員Mike Connolly表示，在近代歷史中，麻州對可負擔住宅的需求，從來沒有這麼迫切過。因此這一議題需要所有議員們攜手努力。

參議員Lydia Edwards則指出，她幾乎每天都能聽到轄區內傳出有家庭面對逼遷危機，或租金上漲，可能沒地方住了的消息。她決心要動用所有可以動用的資源來解決住屋問題，為有需要的家庭送上紓解方案，和各方合作，找出一個真正的居者有其屋辦法。

該小組的成立目的是在議會成員間建立共識，和麻州住宅及社區發展廳廳長 (DHCD Secretary)合作，以解決有關住房危機的所有層面問題。 

Senator Lydia Edwards & Representative Mike Connolly launch Housing for All Caucus

(BOSTON – 02/07/2023) Senator Lydia Edwards and Representative Mike Connolly, joined by 60 of their colleagues, launched the Housing for All caucus in the Massachusetts Legislature. At the inaugural meeting, legislators presented their priority housing policy ideas for the current legislative session on a myriad of topics including: homelessness prevention, tenant protections, support for first-time homebuyers, affordable housing production, zoning reform, revenue to support local affordability, anti-discrimination, and civil rights. 

“I am proud to launch the Housing for All caucus with Senator Lydia Edwards and so many of our legislative colleagues,” Representative Mike Connolly (D-Cambridge) said. “Today’s affordable housing emergency is without any precedent in modern history, so it requires all of us to come together to seek consensus on comprehensive solutions that can address each aspect of this ongoing crisis.”  

“I’m thankful to be joined by Representative Mike Connolly and many of my colleagues from the legislature in this work,” said Senator Lydia Edwards (D-Boston). “Every day I hear from families in my district who are facing eviction, rent increases, and housing instability. I am committed to using every tool available to address the housing crisis, deliver immediate relief to families in need, and to work collaboratively to create a system that makes housing truly affordable for all.”

The purpose of the caucus is to build consensus for policies addressing all aspects of the housing crisis. Initial areas of interest include: advancing the vision of Housing as a Human Right, working to end housing discrimination in all its forms, building support for local affordable housing policies and programs, and working with DHCD Secretary and the future Secretary of Housing to improve systems currently in place. The caucus will achieve these aims by supporting legislation, advancing budget priorities, expanding the knowledge base of members, staff, and the public, and by building collaborative relationships with the administration, legislative leadership, local housing authorities and affordable housing developers, and other key community stakeholders.