This week, we talked to Representative Sara Jacobs about the importance of voting up and down the ballot. As a Congresswoman, she knows first-hand just how important it is to flip the House blue. She also mentioned that voting down-ballot for state, county and city officials can have a huge impact on our housing prices.
Right now, housing is more expensive than ever. A record number of people are “cost-burdened” by housing prices, meaning the cost is more than 30% of their income. Many millennials and Gen Zers believe they’ll never be able to buy a house. And for minimum wage workers, there’s not a single county in America where an average two-bedroom rental is affordable.
Vice President Harris has been outspoken about her pro-housing agenda, with proposals for down payment assistance and tax incentives for building affordable housing. But local laws and regulations have more of an effect on housing costs than anything at the federal level. For example, restrictive zoning laws can reduce construction and make it harder for cities to grow. 70% of residential areas in major cities limit or ban apartments. And rent control laws are enacted on the local level too.
By voting for pro-housing representatives and measures down the ballot, suburban women can make our values clear. We’re not pulling the ladder up behind us. We want our kids, nieces, nephews, co-workers and friends to own houses one day too, and we want them to be able to afford renting in the meantime. Policies like rent control and ending single-family zoning ordinances lift all Americans.
You can learn more about how housing prices by checking out our Momonomics campaign or by listening to our episode with economist Dr. Jenny Schuetz. And don’t forget to mention this to someone in your life who’s worried about housing costs.
Share this post