New York lawmakers are leading a push to overhaul public housing across the country, proposing legislation that would repair units and make them energy efficient, creating jobs in the process. 

The legislation, dubbed the Green New Deal for Public Housing, has been introduced before — but its rollout this year comes as rising housing prices and rents are helping to drive inflation, which is a central issue in this year’s elections. 

Bronx Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is leading the effort, joined by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, Westchester County and Bronx Congressman Jamaal Bowman and others. 

What You Need To Know

  • Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is proposing a Green New Deal for Public Housing, aimed at overhauling and repairing public housing units nationwide to make them energy efficient, and creating jobs in the process 

  • In New York City, Ocasio-Cortez says the proposal would help the city’s housing authority (NYCHA) tackle the backlog in needed improvements

  • The bill, which faces steep odds in the GOP-led U.S. House, would also eliminate a federal policy that restricts the construction of more public housing units
  • Its rollout comes as Democrats are increasingly turning their focus to housing costs and rent, which continue to fuel inflation. President Biden invoked housing costs at his State of the Union this month

“We have to return to an era of rebuilding public housing in the United States. And we have to reject the idea that it's broken policy,” Ocasio-Cortez said at a press conference rolling out the legislation Thursday. 

According to the congresswoman’s office, the bill would invest between $162 billion and $234 billion over a decade into rehabilitating and decarbonizing the nation’s public housing stock. 

It also would eliminate a federal policy, the so-called Faircloth Amendment, that restricts the construction of more public housing units. 

In New York City, Ocasio-Cortez says the proposal would help the city’s housing authority (NYCHA) tackle the $40 billion backlog in needed improvements, while also creating tens of thousands of jobs. 

“Transitioning from our boilers to solar. Transitioning from gas to electric. Transitioning our appliances from dirty to clean. And we would also make sure that all of that work is being done by NYCHA residents, and by union labor,” Ocasio-Cortez said.

Bowman, in his remarks, echoed Jimmy McMillan, saying, “the rent is too damn high, y’all.”

“Housing is healthcare. Housing is about self-esteem and self-worth,” Bowman said. 

Jasmin Sanchez, a resident of Baruch Houses in Lower Manhattan, labeled the bill critical, saying low income communities are especially vulnerable to the effects of climate change.

“We see heat waves, poor air quality and extreme weather and climate events ravage through poor communities without a second look,” said Sanchez, who is a NYCHA organizer. 

The bill faces steep odds in Congress, where Republicans control the U.S. House. 

However, its rollout comes as Democrats are increasingly turning their focus to housing costs and rent, which continue to fuel inflation. For example, at the State of the Union earlier this month, President Joe Biden proposed a tax credit for first-time home buyers. 

Ocasio-Cortez called the inclusion of the issue in the speech encouraging, but stressed that lawmakers should do more. 

“We need to step it up to a new level,” she said. “We need to make sure that when we talk about housing, this is not just about who can afford a mortgage, it’s about who can afford rent.”