Cortez Masto Highlights Work to Address Housing Crisis, Celebrates Progress at Carville Park Apartments in Reno

Reno, Nev. - Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) highlighted her work to address the housing crisis alongside Building and Construction Trades Council of Northern Nevada (BCTNN) Secretary Treasurer Rob Benner and Nevada Rural Housing Executive Director Bill Brewer. They also celebrated the renovation and preservation of hundreds of new affordable accessible homes at Carville Park Apartments in Reno.

"Making sure Nevadans have access to quality affordable housing - like Carville Park - has always been one of my priorities. Having a roof over your head isn't just shelter - it's security, it's health care, and it's stability," said Senator Cortez Masto. "I'm proud to have supported legislation throughout my time in the Senate to increase our supply of homes, but there's always more work to do. Congress must finish what we started and get the 21^st Century ROAD to Housing Act to the President's desk."

"Behind every affordable home is the right financing, the right partnerships, and the right federal policy. Union workers built this country, and the Building Trades are proud to keep building Northern Nevada with projects like Carville Park Apartments and Clear Acre Commons. Senator Cortez Masto's 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act gives us the tools to keep delivering union-built affordable housing for Northern Nevada families," Rob Benner, Secretary Treasurer of the Building and Construction Trades Council of Northern Nevada.

"Expanding access to affordable housing in Nevada, especially in our rural communities, requires the right tools and strong federal partnership. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto understands what it takes to get housing built, and the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act brings together the resources we rely on to deliver. These tools make projects like our Pioche Apartments possible, even in some of the most rural parts of our state, and help ensure more Nevadans can find a place to call home," Bill Brewer, Executive Director of Nevada Rural Housing.

BCTNN's Carville Park Apartments, when fully renovated and preserved, will provide inclusive, accessible housing options to seniors who use federal Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers. This redevelopment was made possible through funding from the state infrastructure bank and investment from Northern Nevada labor unions.

In discussing her work to address the housing crisis, the Senator highlighted the bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act,which overwhelmingly passed the Senate last month. This legislation includes provisions from Cortez Masto's HOME Investment Partnerships Reauthorization and Improvement Act (HOME Act) and the Preservation and Reinvestment Initiative for Community Enhancement (PRICE) Act, which she introduced last year to address the affordable housing crisis in Nevada and across the country. This legislation would also:

• Remove regulatory red tape that slows down housing development;
• Help more homeless veterans access VA housing;
• Reform the existing Rural Housing Service to help preserve affordable housing in rural areas; and
• Create a pilot program at HUD to offer grants and forgivable loans to homeowners and small landlords to address home repair needs and health hazards.

Senator Cortez Masto has been a leader working to lower housing costs and build more homes. Last year she secured $40 million in investments from the FHLBank of San Francisco to support the single-family bond program in Nevada. She introduced the Affordable Housing Bond Enhancement Act, which would make homeownership more accessible and sustainable for working families. Last Congress, her AACE Act to cut red tape to speed up federal land transactions and lower housing costs was signed into law. She has also been a champion for making it easier to build affordable housing on federal land.

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