Councilmember Kshama Sawant issued the following statement congratulating the Build 1,000 Homes Coalition members and housing justice activists on securing a 7-2 vote in favor of $29 million for affordable housing:
“Together, our movement has won $29 million for affordable housing. We didn’t get everything that we wanted today, but this is a significant step forward for the People’s Budget movement. It was only won because our remarkable and diverse coalition of over 75 organizations came together to demand Council invest in housing now. I want to thank everyone who joined, and the many activists who dedicated hour after hour to wresting this victory from the political establishment.
“Councilmembers who voted no have gone on record saying that debt financing is irresponsible for affordable housing, even though it was the same financing they proposed for the North precinct police bunker. Working people need to hold Councilmembers accountable when they come back wanting to allocate money with debt financing for a new North Precinct.”