Rep. Ilhan Omar said she plans to introduce a “Homes For All” bill that she hopes will guarantee a home for every person in the U.S.
“It is a moral stain on our country that we have half-a-million or more people facing homelessness,” the Minnesota Democrat said Thursday at a congressional town hall for women of color. “In a few weeks, we are going to introduce our ‘Homes For All’ legislation, which will, hopefully, guarantee a home for everyone.”
Omar said homes would be guaranteed by having the federal government invest “in the creation of millions of homes.” She added that Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and “the squad” would be joining her in sponsoring the bill.
“I am really excited for the opportunity to work on this legislation and get it done so that we don’t have an Ilhan that arrives in America and gets to see — have it be the first thing she sees, people sleeping on the side of the streets in a country where people come to seek prosperity and hope,” she added.
The first congressional town hall for women of color is starting soon. Join me as I talk policy and progress with my colleagues and @Weact4progress and @_shethepeople.
Watch live at @nowthisnews! pic.twitter.com/iLKDCjpp25
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) October 24, 2019
During a town hall last summer, Ocasio-Cortez claimed that luxury apartments were “basic rights” and not just a privilege.
“Another world is possible. We can live in places, and we can live with either responsible landlords or we can live in buildings that are not-for-profit or tenant-owned,” she said. “There are so many ways that we can slice this. And we can structure it in a way where all people have a right to a dignified home, and it’s not science fiction and it’s not just for the rich. Because what we have been taught and what we have been conditioned is that basic rights are a luxury and a privilege when they are not.”
The defense came after the New York Democrat took criticism for living in a luxury apartment herself.
Ocasio-Cortez is the author and Omar is a supporter of the Green New Deal, which seeks an overhaul of U.S. environmental and economic policy. The “Homes For All” legislation would be an extension of the aggressive Democratic socialist agenda the congresswomen have put forward.
