Despite population booms in recent decades, cities like Phoenix receive far fewer affordable housing vouchers than smaller, older cities.
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Reps. Greg Stanton, Dina Titus of Nevada and Yassamin Ansari, alongside Senators Ruben Gallego, Mark Kelly, and Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen of Nevada, introduced the Housing Vouchers Fairness Act. The bill would update the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) decades-old Housing Choice Voucher allocation formula, increasing the number of vouchers allocated to states such as Arizona and Nevada to lower housing costs and address the housing shortage crisis.
“Across the state Arizonans are struggling with increasing housing costs—no family should be worried about not being able to afford having a roof over their heads,” Stanton said. “Federal housing laws are outdated and have not kept up with the growth and demand of cities like Phoenix. That’s why we’re re-introducing the Housing Vouchers Fairness Act, to ensure states like Arizona receive the necessary resources.”
Currently, the federal formulas that allocate vouchers are based on outdated population calculations dating back to the 2000 census. Phoenix, the nation’s fifth largest city which grew faster than any other city in the nation from 2010 to 2020, currently receives 7,487 vouchers. Philadelphia, the nation’s sixth largest, receives over 22,000—three times as many.
The Housing Vouchers Fairness Act corrects this disparity by authorizing an additional $2 billion in funding for the Housing Choice Voucher program to ensure the public housing authorities that represent the country’s 25 fastest-growing cities with a population of over 100,000 have the resources they need to procure enough vouchers to meet the needs of their populations.
"The number of Affordable Housing Choice Vouchers has lagged behind increased demand in fast-growing cities such as those in Southern Nevada,” Titus said. “Access to affordable, clean and safe rental housing is one of our most pressing issues. This bill directs HUD to provide funding for additional vouchers to the 25 fastest-growing metropolitan areas of 100,000 people or more. I will continue working to ensure housing is treated as a right, not a privilege."
“Everyone deserves a safe, affordable, dignified place to live,” Ansari said. “For so many Arizonans, home ownership is out of reach and rents are skyrocketing. I’m proud to join Senator Gallego in introducing the Housing Vouchers Fairness Act to affirm and expand housing as a human right and bring more housing vouchers to Arizonans. In Congress, I will always fight to lower housing costs for my community and for working class Americans across the country.”
“Growing up, I watched my single mom work tirelessly to afford a safe apartment for my sisters and me. But for too many Arizonans, no matter how hard they work, rents continue to rise and the only hope for assistance is at the end of a years-long waitlist,” Gallego said. “My bill finally addresses the disparities in the federal housing voucher program so that more Arizonans can get into safe, affordable homes. This is just the first step in my fight to bring down housing costs in Arizona and across the country.”
“Arizona’s population is growing fast, but the support we get for affordable housing hasn’t kept up. Too many families in the Phoenix area are being squeezed by rising costs, and it’s time federal resources matched the need,” Kelly said. “We’re fixing an outdated system and making sure Arizona gets its fair share so more families can afford a safe place to live.”
“Las Vegas is one of the fastest growing cities in the country, and as our population expands, so does our need for affordable housing,” Cortez Masto said. “Current housing voucher programs aren’t cutting it, and this legislation would fill that gap to help working Nevada families find homes.”
“For years, outdated federal policies have prevented Nevadans from receiving the financial support they need to afford a home,” Rosen said. “I’m proud to support this legislation to ensure fast-growing states like Nevada get their fair share of national housing vouchers, making it easier for families to put a roof over their heads. I'll continue working to find commonsense ways we can lower housing costs for hardworking Nevadans.”
Text of the legislation is available HERE.