Secretary Fudge, HUD Regional Administrators to lead a Department-wide Day of Action for Our Way Home Campaign Launch
U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia L. Fudge on Wednesday launched the Our Way Home initiative, a new effort to boost the nation’s affordable housing supply. Our Way Home builds on the Biden-Harris Administration’s actions to address communities’ housing supply needs in an equitable, inclusive, and sustainable fashion.
Our Way Home is a national initiative that uplifts the unique housing supply successes in local communities and connects cities, counties, Tribal communities, states, and U.S. Territories to the tools and resources needed to help preserve and produce affordable housing in their area.
“Easing the burden of housing costs for families is a top economic priority for this Administration,” said Secretary Fudge. “For too long and in too many communities, housing supply has not kept up with the growing demand. It’s going to take government working at all levels to help close the housing supply gap. I am excited to launch Our Way Home, an initiative that will not only build on the momentum that’s already begun at the federal level, but will also put into focus the unique challenges and successes in communities when it comes to making sure we all find our way home.”
On Wednesday morning, Secretary Fudge will be joined by Mayor Muriel Bowser to formally launch Our Way Home during an event at the Spring Flats affordable housing complex in Washington, DC. On Wednesday afternoon, Deputy Secretary Adrianne Todman will travel to Wilmington, Delaware for a roundtable with U.S. Senators Chris Coons and Tom Carper.
As part of the Day of Action, HUD Regional Administrators will hold events throughout the country on Wednesday and Thursday to recognize the launch and directly engage with local and state leadership:
HUD Region 1: Regional Administrator Juana Matias will hold a roundtable at Stuart Apartments, a newly constructed affordable housing development in Colchester, Vermont. She will be joined by Vermont Governor Phil Scott and others.
HUD Region 2: Regional Administrator Alicka Ampry-Samuel will host a tour and roundtable at Holland Gardens in Jersey City, New Jersey. She will be joined by U.S. Representative Donald Payne, Jr., and others.
HUD Region 3: Regional Administrator Matthew Heckles will hold an event and roundtable at Amala Way II, a construction site in Wilmington, Delaware. He will be joined by Deputy Secretary Adrianne Todman, HUD Chief of Staff Jenn Jones, U.S. Senator Chris Coons, U.S. Senator Tom Carper, and Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki.
HUD Region 4: Regional Administrator José Alvarez will host an outdoor event at the Woodlawn Foundation in Birmingham, Alabama. He will be joined by Dr. Meghan Venable-Thomas, Director of Community Development representing Mayor Woodfin, and Melinda Williams, District Director representing Congresswoman Sewell.
HUD Region 5: Regional Administrator Diane M. Shelley will hold an event and roundtable at the former Phillis Wheatley School redevelopment in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She will be joined by Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, and others.
HUD Region 6: Regional Administrator Candace Valenzuela will host a tour and roundtable at the Luminaria Senior Community in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Isidoro Hernandez, Executive Director and CEO of the New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority, and Linda Bridge, Executive Director of the Albuquerque Housing Authority will be in attendance.
HUD Region 7: Regional Administrator Ulysses “Deke” Clayborn will host a local event and roundtable at the North 30th Choice Neighborhoods Project in Omaha, Nebraska. He will be joined by Councilwoman Juanita Johnson, Omaha Housing Authority CEO Joanie Poore, and others.
HUD Region 8: Regional Administrator Dominique Jackson will host a roundtable and tour at Alto Apartments in Westminster, Colorado. Westminster Mayor Nancy McNally, Adams County Commissioner Emma Pinter, and others will be in attendance.
HUD Region 9: Regional Administrator Jason Pu will host an event at the Los Angeles County Hall of Administration in Los Angeles, California. He will be joined by Los Angeles Deputy Mayor Jose “Che” Ramirez and Los Angeles County Board Chair Holly J. Mitchell.
HUD Region 10: Regional Administrator Margaret Salazar will host a roundtable and press conference at Thomas Logan Apartments in Boise, Idaho. She will be joined by Boise Mayor Lauren McClean; Dean Pape of deChase Miksis Development; and Gerald Hunter, President and Executive Director of the Idaho Housing and Finance Association.
Our Way Home builds on HUD’s commitment to state, tribal, and local leaders to help them utilize federal resources and funding to meet their affordable housing supply needs, and to build new and preserve existing units of affordable housing – rental and homeownership – into their pipelines.
Last month, the Biden-Harris Administration announced its Housing Supply Action Plan, which included over a dozen legislative and administrative steps aim to close the housing supply gap within the next five years.
“The shortage of affordable housing has been growing for decades – but this is a solvable crisis,” said Secretary Fudge. “Across the country, we are seeing many communities ending exclusionary zoning, building affordable housing in communities that previously did not allow it. We are seeing communities use innovative building models and materials, and design homes that are sustainable and resilient. And we’re seeing communities tackle homelessness by building permanent affordable housing with services. These are the types of community wins that we want to elevate with Our Way Home and encourage others to follow.”
Through the American Rescue Plan, communities now have historic levels of housing resources, including $5 billion in HOME grants and significant investments to preserve and protect housing on tribal lands, to help more Americans obtain stable housing.
As part of the Our Way Home initiative, HUD will continue to elevate community wins and learn from communities that are building and preserving affordable homes. The Department will be engaging communities in discussions on housing supply policies and resources in the coming months.
To learn more about the Our Way Home initiative, visit: hud.gov/ourwayhome.