Progressive members of ‘The Squad’ introduced legislation this week restricting a landlord’s right to screen a tenant’s criminal history during the application process.
Sponsors of the bill, named the ‘Housing FIRST Act,’ said it would increase access to affordable housing when many of America’s big cities become unaffordable due to ballooning prices.
Representative Ayanna Pressley-, D-Ma. called housing a ‘fundamental human right’ in a Twitter post.
“Safe, stable and affordable housing is a fundamental human right, including for the millions of people with a record,” Representative Pressley said in a Twitter post, further saying that she wants to ‘disrupt the prison-to-homelessness pipeline.’
Safe, stable & affordable housing is a human right—including for people with a record.
I'm introducing the Housing FIRST Act with @RepRashida to help folks with criminal histories access housing & disrupt the prison-to-homelessness pipeline.https://t.co/cNuiibecju
— Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (@RepPressley) June 14, 2023
The bill’s critics said it would make Americans less safe as violent crime has been on the rise across the country.
“We all want safe, affordable housing for our constituents. But if the goal is to increase safe and affordable housing options, this isn’t the way to go about doing it,” Representative Mike Garcia, R-Ca. Mike Garcia told Fox News Digital.
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Garcia further said that the bill would only worsen the housing crisis by creating a more hostile environment for landlords and that Democrats have not proposed realistic solutions to skyrocketing housing costs.
“This bill would be an unnecessary and unproductive expansion of bad housing policy. Earlier this year, landlords in LA went on a hunger strike to protest the city’s backward approach to the issue. Property owners have a right to know who is renting their assets, and California’s housing challenge will only get worse if my colleagues across the aisle continue to ignore that fact.”
Hunger Stike againt ENDLESS Eviction Moratorium started today at 10:00AM. Please drop by to show your support…. https://t.co/SWiAT3J9Ez pic.twitter.com/MMMsgXxMUK
— Business And Housing Network (@BayHomeowners) February 26, 2023
Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind. also criticized the bill, comparing it to liberal efforts to defund the police. He accused the left of prioritizing criminals over law-abiding citizens.
“This bill makes as much sense as defunding the police. Why does the left prioritize criminals over law-abiding citizens?” Banks said to Fox News Digital.
Representative Rashida Tlaib, D-Mi., who supported the bill and is another prominent member of ‘The Squad,’ said that the legislation would help to ‘dismantle the cycle of mass incarceration and housing discrimination.’
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“We must prioritize restorative justice, lead with compassion, and recognize the human dignity of our neighbors as we work to dismantle the cycles of mass incarceration and housing discrimination.”
Tlaib represents significant parts of Detroit, which posts the fourth highest violent crime rate in the country, with 22.6 people being victimized per 1,000 residents as of 2022.
#4 Detroit, Michigan
•Violent Crime Rate (per 1,000 residents): 22.6
•Chance of being a victim: 1 in 445/12
— Sober Resister (@SoberResister) July 10, 2022
Still, Tlaib said the legislation will end ‘systemic barriers to stable housing.’
“This legislation will end the systemic barriers to stable housing returning citizens face every day as they begin to rebuild their lives in our communities,” she said.
The bill would not allow any convictions to be considered by landlords seven years after someone’s prison term expires. Pressley and Tlaib did not specify that there would be exceptions for violent offenses or other severe crimes in the legislation.
It is not likely that the bill will pass the House, which currently has a Republican majority.
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