A Home for Every Family: Making Affordable Housing a Reality in CA-23

The American Dream rests on the foundation of a stable home, but for too many working families in California’s 23rd Congressional District, that dream is increasingly out of reach. From the logistics hubs of the Inland Empire to the high desert communities, our residents are forced to choose between paying crushing rent and putting food on the table. This is not just a housing crisis; it is a crisis of opportunity, stability, and human dignity.

As your representative in Congress, I will not accept the status quo. Affordable housing is an economic imperative for CA-23, and I will leverage every federal tool available to make our district a place where teachers, veterans, first responders, and service workers can afford to live where they serve.

The Problem: When Paychecks Don't Cover Rent

The Inland Empire once offered a reprieve from the sky-high costs of coastal California, but that is no longer the case. Wages across many essential sectors—from retail and healthcare to warehousing—have failed to keep pace with soaring rents and home prices.

• The Cost Burden: A staggering number of our low- and middle-income families are considered "cost-burdened," spending more than 30%—and often more than 50%—of their income just to keep a roof over their heads.

• The Supply Gap: While local and state efforts are important, the fundamental crisis is a shortage of housing that is affordable for working people. This supply deficit forces local median home prices higher and makes rental assistance programs perpetually insufficient.

• The Ripple Effect: When housing is unaffordable, the consequences cascade across the entire community: businesses struggle to recruit and retain workers, local schools see increased student turnover, and the crisis of homelessness grows more acute in our cities and rural areas.

We cannot fix this problem with local action alone. We need a strong, coordinated federal effort to support the communities on the front lines of this crisis.

My Plan: A Federal Strategy for Local Solutions

In Congress, my approach to affordable housing will focus on three core pillars: Production, Preservation, and Protection.

1. Turbocharging Production: Investment, Not Just Incentives

The federal government must renew its historic commitment to housing production. I will champion legislation that:

• Expands the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC): LIHTC is the most successful tool for creating affordable housing, but it needs to be made more effective and flexible. I will fight to increase the allocation cap and make credits easier to use for projects that serve extremely low-income families and veterans.

• Creates Federal Grants for Local Infrastructure: Housing is not just the structure; it's the roads, utilities, and water connections. I will push for a federal "Infrastructure for Housing" grant program that directly funds the local public works necessary to build new housing tracts and high-density apartments, reducing development costs for local governments and builders.

• Reforms Zoning and Land Use: While local decisions should remain local, I will advocate for incentive-based federal programs that reward communities that streamline permitting and remove exclusionary zoning policies that artificially restrict housing supply and drive up costs.

2. Preserving Existing Affordable Homes

We cannot allow currently affordable units—especially those built with older subsidies—to fall victim to neglect or conversion to market-rate housing.

• Preservation Funding: I will work to secure dedicated funding streams for the acquisition and rehabilitation of existing properties by non-profits and community land trusts. This is often the quickest and most cost-effective way to immediately protect low-income tenants.

• Supporting Public Housing: We must fully fund repairs and modernization for our existing public and affordable housing stock to ensure safe, quality homes for our most vulnerable residents.

3. Protecting Tenants and Veterans

The federal government has a responsibility to protect our residents from exploitation and ensure stability.

• Strengthening Rental Assistance: I will fight to fully fund the Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) program and eliminate the backlogs that leave thousands of eligible families waiting years for assistance. Furthermore, I support federal incentives to encourage more landlords to participate in this vital program.

• Targeting Veteran Homelessness: Given the presence of the VA Loma Linda Healthcare System, I will specifically work to enhance and fully fund the HUD-VASH (Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing) program and support local VA services to end veteran homelessness in the 23rd District.

The dream of homeownership and affordable rent is central to the promise of America. By embracing a robust federal strategy of Production, Preservation, and Protection, we can ensure that every family in CA-23 has a safe, stable, and affordable place to call home. This is the foundation of a healthy, prosperous, and resilient community.

I ask for your vote so that I can fight for the American Dream for all of us.