Kelly Presses Trump for Action to Lower Housing Costs

"Arizona families deserve better. They need an administration that is truly committed to lowering housing costs."

"I'm ready to work with you and anyone in your administration or in Congress to lower the cost of housing so that hardworking Americans can put a roof over their head."

Today, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly sent a letter to President Donald Trump and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner raising concerns about how the Trump administration's actions are driving up housing costs and making it harder for Arizona families to afford a safe place to live, despite President Trump's promise to lower costs for working families "on day one."

In his letter, Kelly details how rising rents, home prices, insurance costs, utilities, and construction expenses are putting growing financial pressure on Arizona families, particularly as Trump's policies further destabilize housing affordability in a fast-growing state with limited supply.

"Housing costs have reached a breaking point for too many families in Arizona and across the country. You promised to lower costs 'on day one,' but instead of easing the financial burden Americans are facing, your Administration has made the situation worse," wrote Kelly in his letter. "Housing, insurance, utilities, and construction costs are rising. A year into your second term, your Administration's policies have increased the price of building materials, destabilized affordable housing programs, and cut funding to help the homeless, while doing nothing to bring down rents and mortgages. In a fast-growing state like Arizona, where population growth and limited supply already make housing expensive and hard to find, your Administration is placing even more pressure on families who are trying to afford a safe place to call home."

Kelly pointed to the widening gap between incomes and housing costs, warning that many Arizona families are spending an unsustainable share of their income just to keep a roof over their heads: "Arizonans continue to struggle with a long-term trend of higher home prices and rents rising much faster than incomes. Renters in the Phoenix metropolitan area pay about $1,849 per month in rent, while a Phoenix resident earns only $67,500 per year on average. This means many families spend over 30 percent of their income on housing and have trouble making ends meet each month. […] Across the country, incomes have grown much more slowly than home prices. Since 1985, median household income has increased 255 percent, while median home prices surged by more than 415 percent, making it harder for many Americans to afford a home."

Kelly further warned that homeowners are facing rising insurance and utility costs, particularly in areas vulnerable to wildfire, drought, and extreme heat: "The cost of maintaining a home has also increased. Homeowners insurance premiums are skyrocketing, particularly in regions facing heightened wildfire, drought, or extreme heat risk. Homeowners in high-risk areas now pay significantly more for insurance, and many are struggling to find affordable coverage at all. In Arizona, premiums have increased at some of the fastest rates in the country, creating new barriers for first-time buyers and adding strain for existing homeowners. And utility costs are still high. Electricity rates in Arizona have gone up in recent years, and despite your repeated claims that energy prices are falling, families have not seen relief in their monthly bills."

Kelly emphasized that administration tariff policies are directly increasing construction costs and slowing the pace of new housing development: "Your Administration's policies are directly contributing to these high costs. The tariffs you have implemented, including increased tariffs on steel and aluminum, threatened tariffs on lumber, and a global tariff on all imports entering the U.S. have directly caused the price of essential building materials and home appliances to increase. Tariffs increase costs throughout the construction supply chain, making it more expensive to build new houses and slowing the rate of construction."

In recent years, Kelly has supported commonsense solutions to address the housing affordability crisis, including the bipartisan ROAD to Housing Act, which passed the Senate unanimously last year and would increase housing supply, cut red tape, and strengthen local tools to address housing shortages and homelessness. Kelly also introduced the HOPE for Homeownership Act to curb Wall Street and hedge fund ownership of single-family homes. In his letter, Kelly urged the President to work with Congress to advance these solutions and called on the administration to reverse proposed cuts to HUD programs that help families afford a home.

Kelly closed by urging the administration to work with Congress to deliver real relief for families struggling with housing costs: "Arizona families deserve better. They need an administration that is truly committed to lowering housing costs and strengthening the programs that are proven to work. I urge you to start by ending these tariffs that are jacking up the cost of building new homes. I'm ready to work with you and anyone in your administration or in Congress to lower the cost of housing so that hardworking Americans can put a roof over their head."

Click here to read the full letter.