Dear Neighbor,

The cost of housing in Los Angeles and the United States has soared since the pandemic, and wages haven’t kept up. The average person is paying over 30 percent of their income on housing and struggling to make rent. That’s why, as the chair and founder of the Congressional Renters Caucus, I launched the first-ever Renters Agenda—a sweeping set of federal policies to advocate on behalf of America’s 44 million renters. 

Our policies do everything from expanding federal assistance for all eligible cost-burdened renters to eliminating bureaucratic and discriminatory barriers to accessing affordable housing, and improving the quality, availability and affordability of our nation's housing stock. 

I am proud to be sponsoring and introducing legislation to: 

• provide monthly payments to renters earning less than $100,000 who spend at least 30% of their income on rent and utilities through my bill, the Rent Relief Act, 

• crack down on junk fees from landlords by ending application and screening fees and requiring late fees apply as credit to next month’s rent through my bill, the End Junk Fees for Renters Act, 

• provide tens of thousands of dollars in downpayment assistance for first-time homebuyers to help constituents make that important investment in their futures, and  

• create the first-ever tax incentive to build affordable new starter homes to increase the housing supply available for those wanting to buy a home 

I have also introduced the Revitalizing Downtowns and Main Streets Act, which will convert empty or underutilized buildings into apartments and homes, turning our cities and towns into vibrant neighborhoods for people to live. And I support the current administration’s call to require large and midsize landlords to either cap annual rent increases to no more than 5% per year or risk losing current valuable federal tax breaks. 

Safe, stable and affordable housing is a human right, not a privilege, which is why I will continue to advocate for renters and those who dream of owning a home.  

It is my honor to represent you in the U.S. House of Representatives. Please stay in touch, and if you need any assistance do not hesitate to call my Los Angeles office at (213) 481-1425 or contact me through my website at www.gomez.house.gov.