Rep. Gomez Introduces the Make Housing Affordable and Defend Democracy Act

Washington, December 3, 2025
WASHINGTON, DC – As working families continue to face skyrocketing housing costs and a deepening affordability crisis, Congressman Jimmy Gomez (CA-34) today introduced the Make Housing Affordable and Defend Democracy Act, landmark legislation that redirects the $175 billion ICE and CBP slush fund Donald Trump created in his “Big Beautiful Bill,” and reinvests those billions directly into proven solutions that would reduce rents, expand homeownership, and incentivize the building of housing that’s affordable across the country.

“I’m introducing this bill because families across the country are being crushed by housing costs while Trump uses $175 billion to terrorize families with his own national police force,” said Rep. Gomez. “This bill flips the script. We’re taking back Trump’s anti-immigrant slush fund and investing it in real housing solutions that actually help people while putting a check on the unaccountable police force he built to go after our communities.” 
The bill makes one of the largest housing investments proposed this Congress, lowering costs for renters, providing substantial support for first-time homebuyers, and incentivizing the conversion of vacant office buildings into affordable units. It would simultaneously redirect some of the most abusive and wasteful spending in the Trump administration’s anti-immigrant agenda, including billions for ineffective border militarization, inhumane detention facilities, and unaccountable DHS and ICE programs.

The Make Housing Affordable & Defend Democracy Act would:  
  • Create the first-ever monthly Renter Tax Credit for families paying more than 30% of their income on rent.  
  • Provide $25,000 or more for first time homebuyers and $50,000 or more in down-payment assistance for first-generation homebuyers. 
  • Convert vacant office buildings into affordable housing through a 20–35% Affordable Housing Conversion Credit.  
  • Launch a Starter Home Construction Credit targeted at first-time buyers.  
  • Expand production of deeply affordable housing through a strengthened Low-Income Housing Tax Credit.
A key difference between this bill and others is that it is paid for by the billions of dollars currently locked in draconian anti-immigrant enforcement programs and channels that funding directly into housing solutions for renters, first-time homebuyers, and incentives for affordable housing.

Gomez also emphasized that the bill builds on the momentum from the first-ever National Summit on the Housing Affordability Crisis, which he convened to drive a coordinated national response to the housing crisis.

“At the summit, I said this crisis demands a New Deal-level housing movement, and I meant it,” Gomez continued. “My son just turned three. He doesn’t understand the affordability crisis he’s inheriting yet, but he will live with the consequences if we fail to act. This bill restores the simple promise that if you work hard, you can afford a home and build a future for your family.”

The legislation is endorsed by UnidosUS, LULAC, CASA, A Way Home America, CLPHA, and CHIRLA, representing millions of renters, immigrants, low-income families, and housing advocates nationwide.

“These organizations know what families know, that housing affordability is the defining challenge of our time,” Gomez said. “We need to create a 21st century housing boom, even larger than what occurred after WWII to help house veterans. This bill is a blueprint for how we do that.”

In addition to Rep. Gomez, the Make Housing Affordable and Defend Democracy Act is cosponsored by 61 Members of Congress including Reps. Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), Becca Balint (VT-AL ), Nanette Barragan (CA-44), Joyce Beatty (OH-03), Brendan F. Boyle (PA-02), Julia Brownley (CA-26), Salud Carbajal (CA-24), André Carson (IN-07), Troy Carter (LA-02), Judy Chu (CA-28), Gilbert R. Cisneros, Jr. (CA-31), Steve Cohen (TN-09), Danny Davis (IL07), Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Chris Deluzio (PA-17), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), Dwight Evans (PA-03), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Jesus G. "Chuy" Garcia (IL-04), Sylvia Garcia (TX-29), Dan Goldman (NY-10), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Jonathan L. Jackson (IL-01), Sara Jacobs (CA-51), Henry C. ("Hank") Johnson, Jr. (GA-04), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37), Robin L. Kelly (IL-02), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), George Latimer (NY-16), Summer L. Lee (PA-12), Teresa Leger Fernandez (NM-03), Sam Liccardo (CA-16), Ted Lieu (CA-36), Doris Matsui (CA-07), Jim McGovern (MA-02), LaMonica McIver (NJ-10), Robert Menendez (NJ-08), Kevin Mullin (CA-15), Jerry Nadler (NY-12), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Scott Peters (CA-50), Mark Pocan (WI-02), Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), Emily Randall (WA-06), Luz Rivas (CA-29), Raul Ruiz (CA-25), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Linda Sanchez (CA-38), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Brad Sherman (CA-32), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Darren Soto (FL-09), Eric Swalwell (CA-14), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Mike Thompson (CA-04), Dina Titus (NV-01), Juan Vargas (CA-52), Marc Veasey (TX-33), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12)