IT’S WELL PAST TIME TO ELIMINATE HOMELESSNESS IN AMERICA

Daily Action
Written By Barbara Isaacman

QUICK READ: America is in the midst of a decades-long, severe, widespread, worsening housing crisis. The MAGA response of scapegoating the homeless, reducing funds and eliminating agencies, and replacing the highly effective Housing First strategy with criminalization and forced treatment only makes things worse. Congress must change course and commit to solving this crisis, before more unnecessary trauma and deaths occur.

 
CONTENTS:

BACKGROUND

America’s in the midst of a widespread, worsening housing crisis due mostly to decades-long policies producing too little affordable housing and to housing prices greatly outpacing income gains:

  •  We’re 7.1 million housing units short of what’s needed;

  • In Oregon, only 20% of extremely low-income households have access to affordable rentals—15% below the national average;

  • Because only 1/4 of the 10+ million paying over half their limited income on rent receive assistance, the rest are always one crisis away from homelessness;

  • Every night another 770,000+ experience homelessness, which increased by 18% (39% for families with children) from 2023-2024; 

  • Tens of thousands annually die from dangers associated with homelessness, often from easily treatable illnesses, and their life expectancy’s 27 years less than average Americans’.

Trump, Musk, and the MAGA Congress make things even worse:

Congress must listen to American voters, who understand homeless is primarily caused by too little affordable housing (75%) and should be addressed through housing and services, not arrests (77%); reject MAGA cruelty; and commit to subsidizing both affordable housing construction and the unaffordable rent payments families have to make—before more unnecessary trauma and deaths occur.

ACTION One: Call the Senate.

Script for Oregon Senators

SEN. MERKLEY: Portland office: 503-326-3386 | D.C. office: 202-224-3753

My name is [--] and I'm a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

The vast majority of Americans understand that homelessness is primarily caused by too little affordable housing and that the housing crisis should be addressed through provision of housing and supportive services, not arrests. It is well past time to solve this decades-long crisis. As your constituent, I demand that you push this message in the halls of Congress, regularly take steps to demonstrate the many ways the millions of almost and actually homeless American families are suffering, and do everything in your power to tank the reconciliation bill.

SEN. WYDEN:

Portland office: 503-326-7525 | D.C. office: 202-224-5244

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

The vast majority of Americans understand that homelessness is primarily caused by too little affordable housing and that the housing crisis should be addressed through provision of housing and supportive services, not arrests. It is well past time to solve this decades-long crisis. As your constituent, I demand that you push this message in the halls of Congress, regularly take steps to demonstrate the many ways the millions of almost and actually homeless American families are suffering, and do everything in your power to tank the reconciliation bill.

Script for Republican Senators

D.C switchboard: 202-224-3121

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], [state], [zip code].

The vast majority of Americans understand that homelessness is primarily caused by too little affordable housing and that the housing crisis should be addressed through provision of housing and supportive services, not arrests. It is well past time to solve this decades-long crisis. As your constituent, I demand that you push this message in the halls of Congress, regularly take steps to demonstrate the many ways the millions of almost and actually homeless American families are suffering, and do everything in your power to tank the reconciliation bill.

ACTION TWO: Call the House.

Script for Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01)

Oregon office: 503-469-6010 | DC office: 202-225-0855

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

The vast majority of Americans understand that homelessness is primarily caused by too little affordable housing and that the housing crisis should be addressed through provision of housing and supportive services, not arrests. It is well past time to solve this decades-long crisis. As your constituent, I demand that you push this message in the halls of Congress, regularly take steps to demonstrate the many ways the millions of almost and actually homeless American families are suffering, and do everything in your power to tank the reconciliation bill.

Script for Cliff Bentz (OR-02)

Medford office: 541-776-4646 | DC office: 202-225-6730

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

The vast majority of Americans understand that homelessness is primarily caused by too little affordable housing and that the housing crisis should be addressed through provision of housing and supportive services, not arrests. It is well past time to solve this decades-long crisis. As your constituent, I demand that you push this message in the halls of Congress, regularly take steps to demonstrate the many ways the millions of almost and actually homeless American families are suffering, and do everything in your power to tank the reconciliation bill.

Script for Maxine Dexter (OR-03)

Oregon office: 503-231-2300 | DC office: 202-225-4811

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

The vast majority of Americans understand that homelessness is primarily caused by too little affordable housing and that the housing crisis should be addressed through provision of housing and supportive services, not arrests. It is well past time to solve this decades-long crisis. As your constituent, I demand that you push this message in the halls of Congress, regularly take steps to demonstrate the many ways the millions of almost and actually homeless American families are suffering, and do everything in your power to tank the reconciliation bill.

Script for Val Hoyle (OR-04)

Eugene office: 541-465-6732 | DC office: 202-225-6416

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

The vast majority of Americans understand that homelessness is primarily caused by too little affordable housing and that the housing crisis should be addressed through provision of housing and supportive services, not arrests. It is well past time to solve this decades-long crisis. As your constituent, I demand that you push this message in the halls of Congress, regularly take steps to demonstrate the many ways the millions of almost and actually homeless American families are suffering, and do everything in your power to tank the reconciliation bill.

Script for Janelle Bynum (OR-05)

DC office: 202-225-5711

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

The vast majority of Americans understand that homelessness is primarily caused by too little affordable housing and that the housing crisis should be addressed through provision of housing and supportive services, not arrests. It is well past time to solve this decades-long crisis. As your constituent, I demand that you push this message in the halls of Congress, regularly take steps to demonstrate the many ways the millions of almost and actually homeless American families are suffering, and do everything in your power to tank the reconciliation bill.

Script for Andrea Salinas (OR-06)

Salem office: 503-385-0906 | DC office: 202-225-5643

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

The vast majority of Americans understand that homelessness is primarily caused by too little affordable housing and that the housing crisis should be addressed through provision of housing and supportive services, not arrests. It is well past time to solve this decades-long crisis. As your constituent, I demand that you push this message in the halls of Congress, regularly take steps to demonstrate the many ways the millions of almost and actually homeless American families are suffering, and do everything in your power to tank the reconciliation bill.

FURTHER READING

Barbara Isaacman
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