Biden rolls out ‘Renters Bill of Rights’ as lawmakers push for federal rent control laws – By Jennifer Schonberger (Yahoo! Finance) / Jan 25, 2023
In the face of sky-high rents, President Joe Biden is rolling out a new set of principles the White House is calling a “Renters Bill of Rights” in an effort to improve rent affordability and protections for tenants.
The president is directing the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) to examine limits on rent increases for future investments and actions promoting renter protections. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) have been tapped to root out practices that unfairly prevent applicants and tenants from accessing or staying in housing.
This rollout comes as progressive Democrats have asked Biden to direct different agencies, including the FTC, to limit rent increases. While rent control is common in some cities, there has never been federal residential rent control.
Nearly 50 progressive lawmakers, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), sent a letter to Biden earlier this month urging the president to take executive action to protect tenants from rising rents.
