Like the Silicon Valley region she represents, Congresswoman Anna G. Eshoo exemplifies innovation. She’s creative, boundary breaking and productive. She is a problem solver and a consensus builder. In Rep. Eshoo’s two decades in Congress, she has defended consumers, promoted American competitiveness and innovation, fought for access to health care for families and children, protected the environment, and encouraged development of clean energy technology.
Rep. Eshoo’s work consistently earns the highest approval from a wide range of organizations, including the League of Conservation Voters, the Humane Society, the American Association of University Women, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans, the Biotechnology Industry Organization, the American College of Emergency Physicians, and the Science Coalition. The San Jose Mercury News named her one of the ten most powerful women in Silicon Valley “because she sits on committees that oversee the Internet and biotech—areas vital to the valley’s interests.”
Silicon Valley is becoming a region where only the wealthiest can afford to live. Rising housing costs continue to force more and more middle- and working-class residents to leave the area in search of affordable housing. This is unacceptable and threatens the composition and identity of our local communities.
Solutions to address the affordable housing crisis must come from a partnership of federal, state, and local governments working in cooperation with non-profits and the private sector. The most important role for Congress to play in fostering solutions is to provide robust federal funding to help develop new affordable housing in the Bay Area and protect existing stock. Rep. Eshoo is a strong supporter of funding for federal programs like Community Development Block Grants; the HOME Investment Partnership Program; NeighborWorks; Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing; and Section 8 Vouchers, and she will continue working to ensure these programs receive the highest amount of funding possible.
In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Rep. Eshoo voted for the American Rescue Plan Act in March 2021, which provided $25 billion for rental assistance and $10 billion for mortgage assistance. This funding has helped struggling renters and homeowners make payments on time and avoid eviction and foreclosure without shifting the cost burden to housing providers.