--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you're a progressive, you believe…" description: "\"If you're a progressive, you believe every American deserves safe, decent, and affordable housing, and there's no institution in American life more ded..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c65/ritchie-torres-6334_affordable-housing_if-you-re-a-progressive-you-believe-ever_2130551.jpg" --- # If you're a progressive, you believe every American… ![“If you're a progressive, you believe every American deserves safe, decent, and affordable housing, and there's no institution in American life more dedicated to that proposition than the New York City Housing Authority.” quote by Ritchie Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c65/ritchie-torres-6334_affordable-housing_if-you-re-a-progressive-you-believe-ever_2130551.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c65/ritchie-torres-6334_affordable-housing_if-you-re-a-progressive-you-believe-ever_2130551.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c65/ritchie-torres-6334_affordable-housing_if-you-re-a-progressive-you-believe-ever_2130551.jpg) > “If you're a progressive, you believe every American deserves safe, decent, and affordable housing, and there's no institution in American life more dedicated to that proposition than the New York City Housing Authority.” [Ritchie Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritchie-torres/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Everyone deserves safe, decent, affordable housing; NYC Housing Authority leads this effort. **In simple terms:** All Americans need decent homes, and NYC sets an example. Key Takeaway Support and expand affordable housing programs. Themes housing equity social welfare Mood hopeful urgent Type policy advocacy When to use this quote - city council sessions - tenant advocacy - budget allocations - community outreach Key Concepts urban planning public policy Questions to Reflect On - What policies can increase funding for affordable housing? - How can residents influence housing decisions? A Different Perspective Funding constraints often limit program reach. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Affordable housing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/affordable-housing/) [American](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american/) [American Deserves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-deserves-754121/) [American life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-life/) [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [City](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/city/) [Housing Authority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/housing-authority-4389634/) [Housing Institution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/housing-institution-4389635/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [New](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new/) [New york city](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-york-city/) [Progressive Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/progressive-believe-3838834/) [York City](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/york-city/) ## Related quotes > [I am fiscally prudent and socially progressive. I believe in protecting a woman's right to choose. I believe in marriage equality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-cuomo/i-am-fiscally-prudent-and-socially-progressive-i-believe-in/) [Andrew Cuomo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-cuomo/) > [We have to create and preserve enough affordable housing to meet the demand, because the affordability crisis is imposing a hardship on millions of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritchie-torres/we-have-to-create-and-preserve-enough-affordable-housing-to-meet-the/) [Ritchie Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritchie-torres/) > [Every American deserves a shot at the American dream without having to make the impossible choice of earning a degree or being saddled with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-padilla/every-american-deserves-a-shot-at-the-american-dream-without-having/) [Alex Padilla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-padilla/) > [Every single American - gay, straight, lesbian, bisexual, transgender - every single American deserves to be treated equally in the eyes of the law…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/every-single-american-gay-straight-lesbian-bisexual-transgender-every/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Every single American deserves to be treated equally by their fellow Americans and under the law.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulsi-gabbard/every-single-american-deserves-to-be-treated-equally-by-their-fellow/) [Tulsi Gabbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulsi-gabbard/) > [Every American deserves a shot at the American dream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-campos-duffy/every-american-deserves-a-shot-at-the-american-dream/) [Rachel Campos-Duffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-campos-duffy/) > [The president, just as any other American, deserves a legal defense against personal lawsuits not related to his office. But the costs of that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-nighthorse-campbell/the-president-just-as-any-other-american-deserves-a-legal-defense/) [Ben Nighthorse Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-nighthorse-campbell/) > [We are still a country where hard work and perseverance can earn you a better life... Yet we are rightfully troubled that many of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/we-are-still-a-country-where-hard-work-and-perseverance-can-earn-you/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [Every American deserves their day in court. Every American is innocent until proven guilty. These are core values enshrined in our founding document -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-garamendi/every-american-deserves-their-day-in-court-every-american-is-innocent/) [John Garamendi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-garamendi/) > [Every American deserves to live in freedom, to have his or her privacy respected and a chance to go as far as their ability…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-dodd/every-american-deserves-to-live-in-freedom-to-have-his-or-her-privacy/) [Christopher Dodd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-dodd/) > [There are masses of people who need affordable housing in New York. I think that, politically, it is very difficult to give preference to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-zukin/there-are-masses-of-people-who-need-affordable-housing-in-new-york-i/) [Sharon Zukin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-zukin/) > [If you really believe that you're making a difference and that you can leave a legacy of better schools and jobs and safer streets,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bloomberg/if-you-really-believe-that-you-re-making-a-difference-and-that-you/) [Michael Bloomberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bloomberg/) > [ “One \[project of Teddy Cruz's\] is titled Living Rooms at the Border. it takes a piece of land with an unused church zoned for… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/one-project-of-teddy-cruz-s-is-titled-living-rooms-at-the-border-it/) [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) > [There's a major underlying idea as you grow up that you need to just save your money and get that affordable housing at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-oberst/there-s-a-major-underlying-idea-as-you-grow-up-that-you-need-to-just/) [Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/) > [The people who are working, paying their taxes are put into the system so that affordable housing could be built in neighborhoods that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-bolling/the-people-who-are-working-paying-their-taxes-are-put-into-the-system/) [Eric Bolling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-bolling/) ## More by Ritchie Torres > [My younger self could not imagine standing on the floor of Congress as a member of Congress voting on legislation that, if enacted, would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritchie-torres/my-younger-self-could-not-imagine-standing-on-the-floor-of-congress/) [Ritchie Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritchie-torres/) > [I am both black and Latino - there's no need to artificially barricade one from the other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritchie-torres/i-am-both-black-and-latino-there-s-no-need-to-artificially-barricade/) [Ritchie Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritchie-torres/) > [I've had to face housing insecurity and food insecurity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritchie-torres/i-ve-had-to-face-housing-insecurity-and-food-insecurity/) [Ritchie Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritchie-torres/) > [Exercising dominion over Puerto Rico, as the U.S. has done for more than a century - without granting Puerto Ricans the full franchise in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritchie-torres/exercising-dominion-over-puerto-rico-as-the-u-s-has-done-for-more/) [Ritchie Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritchie-torres/) > [I don't hire ideologues or zealots.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritchie-torres/i-don-t-hire-ideologues-or-zealots/) [Ritchie Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritchie-torres/) > [Racial identity is chosen and given. It is as much a product of the world's perception of you as it is of your own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritchie-torres/racial-identity-is-chosen-and-given-it-is-as-much-a-product-of-the/) [Ritchie Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritchie-torres/) > [I lived in public housing and had to struggle with depression and substance abuse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritchie-torres/i-lived-in-public-housing-and-had-to-struggle-with-depression-and/) [Ritchie Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritchie-torres/) > [With a multi-billion dollar market capitalization, crypto is here to stay. It's not going anywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritchie-torres/with-a-multi-billion-dollar-market-capitalization-crypto-is-here-to/) [Ritchie Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritchie-torres/) > [I spent almost all my life in poverty, raised by a single mother who had to raise three children on minimum wage, which in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritchie-torres/i-spent-almost-all-my-life-in-poverty-raised-by-a-single-mother-who/) [Ritchie Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritchie-torres/) > [I'm grateful for the blessing and burden of public service; I promised my constituents that I would work my heart out for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritchie-torres/i-m-grateful-for-the-blessing-and-burden-of-public-service-i-promised/) [Ritchie Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritchie-torres/) > [I take an expansive view of infrastructure. For me, infrastructure is more than roads and bridges. It's about the quality of the water we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritchie-torres/i-take-an-expansive-view-of-infrastructure-for-me-infrastructure-is/) [Ritchie Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritchie-torres/) > [New York City should and must embrace crypto if it is to remain the financial capital of the world. We no longer live in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritchie-torres/new-york-city-should-and-must-embrace-crypto-if-it-is-to-remain-the/) [Ritchie Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritchie-torres/) > [I feel no shame in admitting that I take an antidepressant every day. That enables me to be a productive public servant who's risen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritchie-torres/i-feel-no-shame-in-admitting-that-i-take-an-antidepressant-every-day/) [Ritchie Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritchie-torres/) > [There's a sense in which the media narrative diminishes me. I resist the temptation to fit into a preconceived narrative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritchie-torres/there-s-a-sense-in-which-the-media-narrative-diminishes-me-i-resist/) [Ritchie Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritchie-torres/) > [My openness about depression is rooted in my lived experience as an LGBTQ person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritchie-torres/my-openness-about-depression-is-rooted-in-my-lived-experience-as-an/) [Ritchie Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritchie-torres/) [Explore all 99 Ritchie Torres quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritchie-torres/) ## More Affordable housing quotes > [The people who are working, paying their taxes are put into the system so that affordable housing could be built in neighborhoods that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-bolling/the-people-who-are-working-paying-their-taxes-are-put-into-the-system/) [Eric Bolling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-bolling/) > [There's a major underlying idea as you grow up that you need to just save your money and get that affordable housing at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-oberst/there-s-a-major-underlying-idea-as-you-grow-up-that-you-need-to-just/) [Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/) > [ “One \[project of Teddy Cruz's\] is titled Living Rooms at the Border. it takes a piece of land with an unused church zoned for… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/one-project-of-teddy-cruz-s-is-titled-living-rooms-at-the-border-it/) [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) > [If you really believe that you're making a difference and that you can leave a legacy of better schools and jobs and safer streets,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bloomberg/if-you-really-believe-that-you-re-making-a-difference-and-that-you/) [Michael Bloomberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bloomberg/) > [There are masses of people who need affordable housing in New York. I think that, politically, it is very difficult to give preference to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-zukin/there-are-masses-of-people-who-need-affordable-housing-in-new-york-i/) [Sharon Zukin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-zukin/) > [“This city-and-corporate-led “pro-arts” agenda runs the risk of not only driving out present art-making residents out via a combination of gate-keeping and escalating living…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-city-and-corporate-led-pro-arts-agenda-runs-the-risk-of-not-only/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We will primarily focus on affordable housing, water supply and transport infrastructure, as these are critical for Mumbai. Infrastructure deficit is an issue in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharad-pawar/we-will-primarily-focus-on-affordable-housing-water-supply-and/) [Sharad Pawar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharad-pawar/) > [Quality, affordable housing is a key element of a strong and secure Iowa.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/quality-affordable-housing-is-a-key-element-of-a-strong-and-secure/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [No segment of the population has lost more by the agendas of the liberal constituencies of the Democratic Party than the black population. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/no-segment-of-the-population-has-lost-more-by-the-agendas-of-the/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [We know we've got a problem attracting to certain areas because of the cost of living, so we're thinking about things from how do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacinda-ardern/we-know-we-ve-got-a-problem-attracting-to-certain-areas-because-of/) [Jacinda Ardern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacinda-ardern/) > [I have done a lot of work for affordable housing, rental housing. I understand the rap on me and other liberals is, oh, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barney-frank/i-have-done-a-lot-of-work-for-affordable-housing-rental-housing-i/) [Barney Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barney-frank/) > [I will fight for affordable housing for teachers, police, fire fighters, and families in all our neighborhoods.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/london-breed/i-will-fight-for-affordable-housing-for-teachers-police-fire-fighters/) [London Breed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/london-breed/) > [As cities get more dense, you have people saying, "Why would you have an urban farm when you could have affordable housing on that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/novella-carpenter/as-cities-get-more-dense-you-have-people-saying-why-would-you-have-an/) [Novella Carpenter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/novella-carpenter/) > [Do we believe housing is a right and that affordable housing is part of what it should mean to be an American? I say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/do-we-believe-housing-is-a-right-and-that-affordable-housing-is-part/) [Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/) > [A strong economy causes an increase in the demand for housing; the increased demand for housing drives real-estate prices and rentals through the roof.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-baldwin/a-strong-economy-causes-an-increase-in-the-demand-for-housing-the/) [William Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-baldwin/) [Browse all 81 Affordable housing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/affordable-housing/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If you're a progressive, you believe every American deserves safe, decent, and affordable housing, and there's no institution in American life more dedicated to that proposition than the New York City Housing Authority.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ritchie Torres" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritchie-torres/if-you-re-a-progressive-you-believe-every-american-deserves-safe/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Affordable housing" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritchie-torres/if-you-re-a-progressive-you-believe-every-american-deserves-safe/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c65/ritchie-torres-6334_affordable-housing_if-you-re-a-progressive-you-believe-ever_2130551.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c65/ritchie-torres-6334_affordable-housing_if-you-re-a-progressive-you-believe-ever_2130551.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c65/ritchie-torres-6334_affordable-housing_if-you-re-a-progressive-you-believe-ever_2130551.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If you're a progressive, you believe every American deserves safe, decent, and affordable housing, and…” — Ritchie Torres", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Ritchie Torres", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritchie-torres/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If you're a progressive, you believe...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritchie-torres/if-you-re-a-progressive-you-believe-every-american-deserves-safe/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritchie-torres/if-you-re-a-progressive-you-believe-every-american-deserves-safe/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```