Maxine Waters Says She May Not Vote For ‘Shameful’ Inflation Reduction Act, Citing Lack of Housing Spending

Housing advocates and their Democratic allies in Congress are hopping mad that the reconciliation bill that the White House and congressional leadership have worked out with Sen. Joe Manchin (D–W.Va.) doesn’t include any more federal funds for housing.

“The recent information about what has been made available in this deal…is shameful, I’m embarrassed by it. I’m angered by it,” said Rep. Maxine Waters (D–Calif.) during a press call today.  “The way I’m feeling right now, I’m not committed to voting for [the bill]. I have a lot I have to say to leadership.”

The call was organized by the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) to promote the release of its Out of Reach report, which compiles data on wages and rents across the U.S. to paint a bleak picture of housing affordability.

(The report is a helpful resource for comparing housing costs across the country. But its methodology also overstates the housing affordability issues many renters face, as I’ve argued before.)

The NLIHC has long advocated for additional federal spending and tenant protections as the cure for America’s high housing costs. Their latest report re-ups those recommendations. It also endorses converting the $46 billion Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP), a temporary measure passed during the pandemic, into a permanent program.

Early in the Biden administration, hopes were high among supporters of this approach to housing affordability t