Low-income D.C. tenants petition Congress to spurn Ben Carson’s plan to raise rents for America’s poorest, Hannah Natanson, Washington Post, June 26, 2018, available here

“You must oppose any and all proposals that would raise rents and put stable, safe housing out of reach for more families,” the petition reads. “Instead, help solve the housing crisis by fully funding HUD and assess the need to reinstate inactive HUD programs that can support alleviating families from the burdens of the nationwide affordable housing emergency.”

Carson’s proposal, if approved by Congress, would lead to a threefold increase in the rent paid by extremely low-income Americans. His plan, announced in April, would increase the rent paid by tenants in subsidized housing from 30 percent of adjusted income to 35 percent of gross income. It also would raise the monthly minimum rent charged by public-housing agencies from $50 to $150.

A recent analysis by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) showed that Carson’s plan would cause rent for Washington’s poorest residents to increase by an average of $900 per year. That means the District would see a larger increase in rent than any of the 50 states would experience, according to the CBPP.