This is the number one issue I’m hearing about from my constituents.

The rent — and interest rates — are too damn high.

Housing affordability is the number one issue I’m hearing about from my constituents.

Due to the Fed’s aggressive interest rate hikes, mortgage rates have surpassed 7% — rising to 20-year highs and leaving many creditworthy and mortgage-ready homebuyers without a path to homeownership. This hike has also raised costs for affordable housing developers — and many of them have chosen to slow down or halt construction entirely.

So fewer people can afford to buy or sell a home, fewer homes are being built, and fewer people are being housed. This is a problem for everyone. It’s an urban issue. It’s a suburban issue. It’s a rural issue.

I welcomed the decision of the Fed to pause rates at the end of last year, but I say that that’s not enough.

Let's make it plain – housing is a human right. We have to come together and demand that the Fed CUTS interest rates now to address this critical issue and lower housing costs nationwide. If this is also an important issue to you, will you add your name if you endorse this fight?

When the Financial Services Committee recently questioned the Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, I explained how high interest rates are hurting our most vulnerable, putting our economy at risk — and urged him to cut interest rates to boost home affordability and construction of affordable housing.

I got him to acknowledge that interest rate cuts would have a great benefit, and called on the Republican majority to take housing inflation seriously so Congress can make the bold investments necessary to address this crisis.

As someone who has experienced the trauma of housing insecurity firsthand growing up, I understand the security and peace of mind that comes with being safely housed — and the horror of navigating life without a roof over your head. And I’m angry that this issue is only getting worse and worse for families today.

Families in my district and throughout this country need relief now — so I’ll keep doing everything in my power to address this crisis head-on.

Add your name to say you agree the Fed must lower interest rates to make housing more affordable. We need immediate solutions that match the scale of our housing crisis and ensure those who need stability the most can access it.

Yours in service,

Ayanna