Title: Expressing the sense of Congress that the Brooke rule is essential to ensuring affordable rent levels for families receiving Federal rental assistance.
Policy area: Housing and Community Development

Summary:
Affirms that the Brooke rule (a benchmark for measuring housing affordability) is essential for ensuring affordable rents for families receiving federal rental assistance.
Rejects the Trump Administration's "Making Affordable Housing Work Again" proposal and other efforts to undermine such rule.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 886 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






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 receiving Federal 
        rental assistance do not pay more than 30 percent of their adjusted 
        income for rent;
Whereas the Brooke rule has governed Federal rental assistance programs since 
        1969 and is widely recognized as the standard for affordable rental 
        housing;
Whereas housing costs above 30 percent of income are generally 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;
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 housing or receiving 
        Housing Choice Voucher rental assistance are either elderly, disabled, 
        already or recently working, or are subject to a work requirement under 
        another 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 Development's ``Making Affordable 
        Housing Work Again'' proposal 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 homelessness, including nearly 1 million 
        children; and
Whereas the Department of Housing and Urban Development's ``Making Affordable 
        Housing Work Again'' proposal 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--
            (1) affirms that the Brooke rule is essential for ensuring 
        affordable rents for families receiving Federal rental 
        assistance;
            (2) rejects the Administration's ``Making Affordable 
        Housing Work Again'' proposal and other efforts to undermine 
        the Brooke rule; and
            (3) acknowledges the need for increased funding for Federal 
        rental assistance programs in order to assist more families in 
        need.
                                 <all>