Housing Affordability Can Bring a Divided Washington Together

Authors

By Sharon Wilson Géno

Sharon Wilson Géno is President of NMHC. She is a 30-year veteran of the housing industry, during which she has helped guide numerous for-profit, nonprofit and governmental entities around housing affordability, community development and other housing policy challenges. Sharon holds a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center, an M.A. in Urban Affairs from St. Louis University and a B.A. in American Studies from Newcomb College of Tulane University.

By Kevin Donnelly

Kevin Donnelly is Executive Director and Chief Advocacy Officer of RETTC. Before launching RETTC, Kevin served on NMHC's Government Affairs team with responsibility for representing the interests of the multifamily industry before Congress and federal agencies. Kevin holds a B.A. from Rutgers University and a Master's in Public Management from Johns Hopkins University.

Although votes are still being counted and re-counted in some races, the outcome of the midterm elections is clear: Democrats have flipped enough seats to win control of both chambers of Congress. With President Trump in the White House, Washington now faces at least two years of divided government, and turning priorities into law will require both parties to find common ground.

Housing is a natural place to find it. Across the country, candidates on both sides of the aisle ran on housing costs, and for good reason. Rents, home prices and the challenge of finding an affordable place to live are top of mind for millions of American families—including the renters who showed up and made their voices heard at the polls this year. When Democrats and Republicans are campaigning on the same issue, there is real opportunity for consensus.

A New Congress, A New Opportunity

That doesn’t mean the path forward will be easy, but the NMHC and RETTC teams are up for the challenge. Even without final results in some races, we already know that a whopping 20% of Members of the 120th Congress will be brand new to Washington, which presents a huge opportunity for us to educate these new lawmakers about policies the Federal government can enact to move the needle on housing opportunity. A Democratic-led Congress and the Trump administration will have their share of disagreements, and bringing the two together will take work. But divided government tends to reward practical, data-driven solutions over sweeping ones. And housing is well suited to benefit from that kind of progress—from removing barriers to new construction to advancing technologies that help housing providers operate more efficiently, creating more housing affordability and better serve residents.

Building on Bipartisan Progress

Housing should be a bipartisan issue, and the last Congress showed that it can be. The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act laid important groundwork for expanding supply and cutting red tape. We hope lawmakers will build on the common ground that has already been created rather than start over.

Affordability and the Role of Innovation

Consumer-centric issues were certainly on the ballot this year. American families are feeling the pinch of affordability constraints across industries, including housing, and demands for “corporate accountability” came from candidates on both sides of the aisle. We stand ready to partner on solutions to bring down costs and improve access to rental housing. Responsible innovation can help—from tools that make housing costs clearer to technologies that improve maintenance and expand flexible payment options. As lawmakers take up solutions in this space, we encourage a balanced approach that protects residents, supports innovation and expands housing opportunities, with a focus on real benefits rather than unintended consequences that drive up costs.

Looking Ahead

Voters made clear this year that housing affordability matters to them. Now it’s up to policymakers on both sides of the aisle to deliver. We stand ready to work with Congress and the administration on solutions that expand housing opportunities, advance responsible innovation, reduce costs and deliver more choice and greater stability to renters and the communities they call home.

Sharon Wilson Géno swgeno@nmhc.org

Kevin Donnelly kdonnelly@rettc.org