Housing Costs Linked to Immigration, Says Vice President Vance
Vice President J.D. Vance stated that the connection between mass immigration and increasing housing costs is “more evident every day,” especially as rents have been declining for four consecutive months.
Recent housing data indicates that rents dropped again in November due to diminishing demand and record-high vacancy rates.
According to a report from CNBC, the median rent for apartments fell by 1% in November compared to October, now averaging $1,367. This marks the fourth month of decline. Apartment rents have decreased 1.1% since November 2024 and 5.2% from their peak in 2022.
Scott Turner, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, pointed out that the decline in rents coincides with the Trump administration’s efforts to significantly reduce both illegal and legal immigration.
Turner shared his thoughts on X, stating, “Zero illegal aliens have been released into our country for six months. Two million illegal aliens have been removed. Rent prices have fallen for the fourth month in a row. A coincidence? I don’t think so!”
Vance echoed Turner’s sentiments on X, asserting, “The connection between illegal immigration and rising housing costs is clear.” He added that while progress is being made, “there’s still a lot of work to do.”
Vance has been vocal about how mass immigration contributes to skyrocketing housing prices and rents, framing the issue as one of supply and demand.
In a recent interview, he mentioned, “This is probably the most important thing because I care a lot about young people having a good life. But many young people say, ‘Housing is too expensive.’ Why is that? Because we’ve flooded this country with 30 million illegal immigrants who took homes that should have been available to Americans, and we weren’t building enough new homes for our population.”
A study published by Danish economists in September indicated that a considerable number of immigrants are driving up rents and house prices for locals.
The study found that, relative to the 1995 population levels, a 1% increase in local immigrant inflows over five years leads to an approximate 6% rise in private rents and an 11% increase in house prices at the local government level.
This recent finding supports decades of research that indicates mass immigration impacts rents and home prices. Last year, researcher Stephen Camarota from the Center for Immigration Research presented similar data to Congress, suggesting that a 5% rise in the share of recent immigrants in a metropolitan area correlates with a 12% increase in rents for the average U.S.-born household relative to income.
