Congressional Renters Caucus calls for more federal rental assistance

As the nation faces a shortage of affordable housing, the Congressional Renters Caucus is encouraging House Appropriations committee leaders to expand funding for federal rental assistance and other housing programs.

is more than Rent for 45 million US households, according to estimates by the National Apartment Housing Council. Many members of the Renters Caucus, launched last summer by Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.), represent districts where more than half of the residents are renters.

Rent prices have soared nearly 30% since the pandemic began, with nearly two-thirds of that increase occurring in 2021. Go to recent reports By real estate company Zillow. almost half According to Moody’s Analytics, in 2022 more than 30% of renters will spend more than 30% of their income on rent and be classified as “rent burdened.”

in the letter In this article, shared exclusively with The Hill, Democratic lawmakers urged their colleagues to expand rental assistance programs, including funding for Housing Choice Vouchers, renew existing project-based rental assistance agreements, and expand public housing. It called for more funding for maintenance and stronger protections for renters to address “issues.” An unprecedented crisis facing renters.

“Voters across the country believe that federal rental assistance is insufficient, the supply of high-quality, affordable rental housing is insufficient, and unnecessary Many are struggling to find and maintain a home in an increasingly unaffordable rental housing market due to additional and often discriminatory barriers. ,” the councilors wrote.

Record-high home prices are increasing barriers to homeownership, especially for young people and first-time homebuyers, forcing more people to rent and leaving more Americans unable to afford a home. ing. A recent report from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) found that a record 653,000 people experienced homelessness last year due to rising housing costs and reduced pandemic-era assistance.

“It is completely unacceptable that the federal government is not devoting all its resources to tackling the housing crisis, so Congressional Renters is committed to lowering housing costs, increasing the supply of housing, and increasing the supply of housing,” Gomez told The Hill. “And we are championing the removal of barriers to fair and affordable rent.” ”

The California Democratic Party represents parts of Los Angeles, where nearly two-thirds of households rent; According to Rent Cafe. According to the report, nearly 4 in 10 renters in Los Angeles are worried about becoming homeless. Quality of Life Index 2024 A study released last month by the Luskin School of Public Affairs at the University of California, Los Angeles, found that concerns about the high cost of living have pushed resident satisfaction to its lowest level since the survey began nine years ago.

Gomez told The Hill he has created a renters caucus. “Because more and more Americans are being disenfranchised and forced to rent, we need to start putting renters at the center of federal housing policy.”

“In one of the world’s wealthiest countries, everyone should have access to a safe and affordable place to live, but unfortunately federal housing assistance is far short,” Gomez said. Ta.