Democracy Awards

Housing

Housing

Summary of Position

The need to expand housing and provide more affordable options in the San Francisco Bay Area could not be clearer. With some workers enduring two-hour commutes to get from homes in the Central Valley to jobs in Silicon Valley and others looking elsewhere to start their businesses or raise their families, the housing crisis presents a serious threat to our region’s quality of life.

By the Numbers

  • In 2017, a $171,330 income was needed to buy a typical home in the San Francisco metro area.
     
  • In 2016, the average rent in the Bay Area was more than $2,500.
     
  • Approximately half of Bay Area renters pay more than 30 percent of their income on housing costs.
     
  • In 2015, 11.1 million renter households paid more than 50 percent of their income in housing costs.

Things to Know

  • Co-founded the Congressional Caucus on Urban Regional Studies with T&I Ranking Member Peter DeFazio (D-OR) to help tackle the challenges facing urban metropolitan regions
     
  • Drafting a bill to encourage innovative new forms of housing to be built
     
  • Supports Ending Homelessness Act (H.R. 2076) to urgently address the challenge of homelessness

Working for You

Promoting Investment in Low Income Housing:
Mark sponsors several bills to provide more affordable housing for middle- and low-income Americans, including the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act (H.R. 1661), a bill that would incentivize the building of affordable housing. With his support, this bill’s provisions recently became law.

Fighting Against Discrimination in Housing:
Mark is an advocate for fairness, equality, and inclusivity in housing programs. He supports the Combat Sexual Harassment in Housing Act (H.R. 3745) and sent a letter with Senators Feinstein and Harris and other California colleagues opposing the Trump Administration weakening its focus on inclusivity and anti-discrimination at the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Defending Critical Housing Programs from Cuts:
Congressman DeSaulnier sponsored and passed an effort to maintain funding for nonprofits to assist in building affordable housing across the country (Section 4). This program has been instrumental in building and preserving more than 41,000 affordable homes for low-income households since 2010.

For a downloadable copy of Mark's housing work, click the image below: