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By Jaqueline Hurtado

As rent prices continue to rise nationwide, a new proposal in Congress is reigniting debate over how federal dollars should be spent.

For renters like Aura Vasquez, the idea offers hope. She says a large part of her monthly income goes toward rent. When she heard about a proposal to redirect federal money toward housing affordability, she welcomed it.

The bill, introduced by California Congressman Jimmy Gomez, would shift $175 billion from immigration enforcement funding to housing programs aimed at lowering rents and expanding access to homeownership. The legislation includes a monthly renter tax credit for families spending more than 30% of their income on housing, down payment assistance for first-generation homebuyers, incentives to convert vacant office buildings into affordable housing, and an expansion of the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit.

Gomez said the proposal is about prioritizing people struggling to stay housed. Supporters argue it addresses two crises at once: rising housing costs and what they describe as excessive spending on immigration enforcement.

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