The National Housing Law Project Statement on the Election: We’re Ready to Fight for Tenants and Save Our Homes

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The National Housing Law Project today released the following statement by Executive Director Shamus Roller in response to the election results:

“No matter your race, place, or party, everyone deserves a safe and affordable home.  The real estate industry has manipulated the housing market to serve themselves, not tenants and homeowners. The housing crisis has a chokehold on our economy. It prevents hardworking Americans from paying for food and medicine or saving for college or a car because housing costs eat up their paychecks. It undermines our country’s progress and raises barriers to stable lives for people of color, people with disabilities, seniors, families with children, and survivors of gender-based violence.

“The incoming Trump-Vance administration has falsely claimed that immigrants caused the housing crisis when the real culprit is a rigged housing system designed by speculators and the real estate industry to serve their needs. We need deep investments in affordable housing and a real plan to address the housing crisis. Trump has promised to exacerbate the crisis by decimating HUD and its critical programs and further privatizing the housing market. We are ready to fight back, protect working people and families, and save our homes.

“We fought back during the last Trump administration when he tried to evict 25,000 families with mixed immigration status from HUD housing and when he tried to slash the HUD budget. This time is no different, except we’re even more prepared to wage this fight in Congress and in the courts. We will defend the housing rights of immigrants and LGBTQ people, demand Fair Housing, and protect tenants and homeowners against predatory lenders and landlords. We will hold our elected officials accountable when they endanger the people who need stable housing the most.

“Our thousands-strong national network of housing justice advocates will help us continue to bolster housing rights at the state and local level and protect tenants. There are tough fights ahead, and we’ll do everything we can to make our housing system work for everyone, not just billionaires and speculators.”