Comment Detail

Comment

Director Thompson,

Bad idea. Hundreds of studies have shown the more tenant protection rights are given by various cities, the worse the outcome. Ends up with generally higher pricing the lowest earners, unsafe apartments because landlords will not invest, and stymies real estate development as developers either can’t or will be hesitant to build in areas that don’t have builder/landlord friendly laws. This translates to lower supply and thus… higher prices. What sounds good on paper is much more complex and actually the opposite in reality. The best tenant protection a city can do is to cut all tape and provide financial/tax incentives to builders to build MORE properties, as fast as possible. Increased supply gives renters options and gives them the upper hand against landlords which ultimately decreases housing costs.

I’m a real estate agent, 10+ year RE investor who owns multiple single/multi-family properties and knows the industry extremely well.

Thanks for asking,
Anthony

Thank you for the opportunity to respond to your Request for Input (RFI) on how the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), in its oversight of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, can best provide affordable housing opportunities for renters. Approximately 40% of the National Association of REALTORS®'s (NAR) 1.5 million members own at least one rental housing unit, playing a vital role in providing safe, quality, and affordable housing in neighborhoods nationwide.

As the FHFA examines ways to improve access to affordable housing, it is critical to acknowledge the most significant driver of housing unaffordability is the limited supply of available housing. According to NAR data, the United States has an underproduction gap of over 5.5 million units – a key underlying reason housing costs have increased. On top of this, inflation has increased the prices of goods and services for all Americans. As housing providers strive to provide affordable housing opportunities in their communities, they also contend with rising mortgage rates and increased costs for supplies, services, and maintenance. When inflation is high, the prices of materials increase. That means it becomes exceedingly more expensive for construction teams to build new homes or renovate existing ones. Ultimately, these high costs spill into the housing market and lift home prices for new builds and existing housing.

As REALTORS®, we are committed to upholding the very specific provisions of our contracts with residents, and we often go above and beyond what is required to ensure residents have safe, quality, and affordable places to live. Rental housing is a deeply complex issue that is unique to every community. Creating additional layers of policies to a space that is already heavily regulated by state and local governments will have severe unintended consequences for renters as housing providers are leaving the market in communities where affordable housing is sorely needed.

Affordable housing is pivotal to creating paths to upward mobility for people across the country. I appreciate your commitment to ensuring we achieve this goal without impeding the creation of much-needed housing supply. Anthony Fossati