For Johnny Magee, mayor of Laurel, Mississippi, the need for affordable, safe housing isn’t abstract policy — it’s personal.
Magee grew up in a six-person household in a three-room home with no running hot water. When Magee’s family eventually moved into a home operated by the Laurel Housing Authority, they had reliable plumbing and heating for the first time. That experience, he says, continues to shape his leadership and his fight for federal housing resources.
“Affordable housing is key to the survival of a city,” Magee reflected. “I’ve experienced the joy on people’s faces when they find out they are going to be assisted in their houses. It means the world to them.”
As Congress debates the future of federal housing investments, local leaders across the country like Magee are raising the alarm about the potential impacts of cuts to key programs like the HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME). Magee has seen, firsthand, how this type of program makes the difference between stability and despair for hundreds of residents in his city.
Multiple Challenges and Growing Need
Laurel faces several challenges: an aging housing stock, a large population of seniors on fixed incomes, and limited local resources. For Mayor Magee, HOME funding isn’t just another program — it’s a lifeline.
“Laurel is an aging city, and so we have a lot of elderly people who own their homes but are unable to do the routine maintenance that they need.” Magee explained. “When HOME funding is available, it allows us to step in and help.”
The scale of need in Laurel is staggering, Magee said. When the city is awarded HOME funding, it can rehabilitate or replace around a dozen homes, many fewer than the number of applications.
“We normally have enough when we are funded to maybe do 11 or 12 houses, but the number of applications we have seeking assistance is into the hundreds,” Magee said.
Without HOME, residents are often left to live in unsafe conditions, unable to afford repairs like roof, foundations, or electrical systems. And for many seniors, these repairs aren’t cosmetic — they’re critical to health, safety, and quality of life.
HOME’s Ripple Effect
The impact of HOME funding goes far beyond individual houses, however, each project setting off ripple effects throughout Laurel’s neighborhoods.
“It puts electricians to work, it puts plumbers to work, it puts carpenters to work,” Magee noted. “And it also tends to have what I call a ‘clean green’ effect — when somebody’s home is improved through the HOME grant, it tends to make the neighbor next door want to improve their house.”
These programs are crucial for building strong, solid communities.
In a city where most households qualify as low-income, these ripple effects matter. They not only create jobs, but they also stabilize neighborhoods and encourage private investment, strengthening the local economy.
The need in Laurel and in communities like it cannot be met without federal partnership, Magee stresses. The city’s housing authority operates multiple sites, all with extremely long waiting lists.
“Without HOME funding, cities like Laurel simply wouldn’t be able to meet the demand,” Magee said, adding that he believes additional federal investment is needed. “These programs are crucial for building strong, solid communities.”
Magee added: “If decisionmakers had to experience this type of living situation, I think their minds would change.”
'Making People's Lives Better'
Every time Laurel holds a public hearing about housing assistance, the turnout is overwhelming. Residents pack the room, hoping for the chance to live in safe, decent housing. For Magee, that alone is proof that programs like HOME are not optional — they are essential.
“We portray ourselves as being a country that is good, that tries to do good around the world. But there is a lack of good being done in this country, in this state, in this city,” said Magee. “Comfortable housing could play a great role in making people’s lives better.”
As Congress weighs funding decisions, the voices of local leaders like Mayor Magee highlight the real-world consequences. Without HOME, countless families in Laurel — and across the country — will be left waiting for the help they desperately need.
Enterprise encourages Congress to continue funding the HOME program to ensure families have access to safe, affordable housing options.