Rep. Salinas Introduces Bill to Provide Essential Home Furnishings for Families in Need

Washington, D.C. - Today, Congresswoman Andrea Salinas (OR-06) introduced the Housing to Homes Actto support community furniture banks and provide home furnishings for families transitioning out of homelessness and into permanent housing.

"When people move into a new house after a difficult chapter, the smallest comforts - a bed to sleep on or a table to eat around - help rebuild a sense of home and stability," said Rep. Salinas. "Every day, furniture banks help recently housed families turn houses into homes by providing basic household goods like furniture, kitchen supplies, and bedding. My bill delivers much needed federal support to these furniture banks so more families can start the next phase of their life with dignity."

Furniture banks, working in tandem with housing and homelessness assistance organizations, gather donated furniture and household essentials to distribute to eligible families. According to Furnish Together, 32% of Americans are currently experiencing furniture poverty, and furniture banks face an average waitlist of 100 families. There are currently 2 furniture banks in Oregon and 114 nationwide, per the Furniture Bank Network.

The Housing to Homes Actwould expand access to federal funding for furniture banks. Specifically, it would:

• Amend the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Actto explicitly allow payment to a furniture bank for the costs of delivery, installation, and assembly of household furnishings as an eligible use of funding under the Continuum of Care Program.
• Define "Furniture Banks" as registered charities, non-profits, or social enterprises that provide household furnishings to homeless individuals and families at little to no cost.
• Specify that furnishings provided under this provision shall become the sole property of the individual or family receiving them.
• Require a national report on furniture poverty to better understand its scope and its impact on housing stability.

"The introduction of this bill is a crucial step in recognizing the vital role furniture banks play in helping our neighbors transition from homelessness," said Anna Kurnizki, Executive Director of Community Warehouse. "Furnishing a home is not a luxury-it's a necessity. A bed to sleep on, a table to share meals, and a chair to sit on are essential components of a stable, healthy, and hopeful environment. Without these essentials, a housing unit can feel empty and temporary, and the risk of returning to homelessness remains all too real. We're deeply grateful to Congresswoman Salinas for championing this bill to support people on their path to stability."

"The Housing to Homes Act recognizes the lived realities our unhoused neighbors face," said Amy Javaid, President & CEO of A Wider Circle. "Housing brings immense relief, but too many families - often with children - step into completely empty units and spend their first nights on the floor. Without the means to buy even the basics, they face an impossible choice: remain in an empty, unlivable space or return to the shelter they hoped to leave behind. A bed to sleep in, a table to share a meal - these aren't luxuries. They are the minimum for dignity, safety, and stability. This legislation helps ensure a house becomes a home, and a foundation for families to begin again."

The Housing to Homes Act is endorsed by Community Warehouse and A Wider Circle. Community Warehouse is a furniture bank with sites in Tigard, Gresham, and Portland that has served the area for over two decades. Meanwhile, A Wider Circle serves the greater Washington, D.C., area.

To read the full text of this legislation, click here.

###