IV 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. RES. 886 
Expressing the sense of Congress that the Brooke rule is essential to ensuring 
affordable rent levels for families receiving Federal rental assistance. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 10, 2018 
Ms. MAXINE WATERS of California submitted the following resolution; which 
was referred to the Committee on Financial Services 
RESOLUTION 
Expressing the sense of Congress that the Brooke rule is 
essential to ensuring affordable rent levels for families 
receiving Federal rental assistance. 
Whereas the Brooke rule ensures that low-income families re-
ceiving Federal rental assistance do not pay more than 
30 percent of their adjusted income for rent; 
Whereas the Brooke rule has governed Federal rental assist-
ance programs since 1969 and is widely recognized as the 
standard for affordable rental housing; 
Whereas housing costs above 30 percent of income are gen-
erally considered by housing experts to be unaffordable, 
forcing families to divert money from other basic needs 
to pay the rent and leaving them one illness or accident 
away from losing their homes; 
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•HRES 886 IH 
Whereas Federal rental assistance provides safe, decent, and 
affordable housing for over 5 million families each year, 
including nearly 4 million children; 
Whereas safe, decent, and affordable housing is critical to the 
health and well-being of families, as well as to economic 
mobility and the long-term success of children; 
Whereas efforts to undermine the Brooke rule put families at 
risk of eviction and homelessness; 
Whereas nearly 9 of 10 of households residing in public hous-
ing or receiving Housing Choice Voucher rental assist-
ance are either elderly, disabled, already or recently 
working, or are subject to a work requirement under an-
other Federal assistance program; 
Whereas there is no evidence that raising rents on low-income 
families will result in higher earned incomes; 
Whereas the Department of Housing and Urban Develop-
ment’s ‘‘Making Affordable Housing Work Again’’ pro-
posal released on April 25, 2018, would undermine the 
Brooke rule by increasing rents for families receiving 
Federal rental assistance by up to $1,800 a year and 
putting 1.7 million people at risk of eviction and home-
lessness, including nearly 1 million children; and 
Whereas the Department of Housing and Urban Develop-
ment’s ‘‘Making Affordable Housing Work Again’’ pro-
posal would give the Department of Housing and Urban 
Development unlimited authority to impose additional 
rent increases without Congressional approval: Now, 
therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
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•HRES 886 IH 
(1) affirms that the Brooke rule is essential for 
ensuring affordable rents for families receiving Fed-
eral rental assistance; 
(2) rejects the Administration’s ‘‘Making Af-
fordable Housing Work Again’’ proposal and other 
efforts to undermine the Brooke rule; and 
(3) acknowledges the need for increased fund-
ing for Federal rental assistance programs in order 
to assist more families in need. 
Æ 
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