Three Big Things: The Presidential Election and Housing, Justice Department Sues for Rent-Pricing Collusion, and Labor and Housing

Photo: Gage Skidmore via Wikipedia Commons

1.    The Election and Housing

As you may have heard, there is a presidential election coming up this November. The Tenant Union Federation points out that there are 114 million people renting their homes, and a lot of them agree with the TUF mantra that “the rent is too damn high.”

In fact, polling by Lake Research Partners on behalf of TUF shows that 86% of voters in battleground states say housing affordability is a problem, and a solid majority want a president to protect against rent-gouging. Other polling says the same, and shows voters want our government to invest in social housing.

As mentioned in past newsletters, Vice President Harris has echoed President Biden’s call for a 5% rent cap. Harris has also proposed a $25,000 first time homebuyer subsidy, plans to build more 3 million housing units, and wants to withdraw some tax breaks enjoyed by huge corporate landlords.  

Earlier this month, TUF director Tara Raghuveer gave an interview to Forbes comparing the Harris and Trump positions on housing. “The most important thing to note is that housing is at the core of Vice President Harris’s agenda,” Raghuveer said. “I think the best parts of her plan she has spoke to so far are the ones that take seriously the need to protect tenants . . . Rent is the core economic issue of our time.”

The full interview can be viewed here.

2.    U.S. Department of Justice Sues for Rent-Pricing Collusion

Last week, the U.S. Department of Justice and eight states filed an antitrust lawsuit against the notorious company RealPage, formally alleging what has long been reported: the company’s software is used by  landlords to collude to raise rents across the United States. “Americans should not have to pay more in rent because a company has found a new way to scheme with landlords to break the law,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said upon filing the suit.

That suit revealed at least one landlord gleefully saying the quiet part out loud. “I always liked this product because your algorithm uses proprietary data from other subscribers to suggest rents and terms,” the landlord told RealPage, according to the lawsuit. “That’s classic price fixing.”

You can read the New York Times reporting of the lawsuit here, and the excellent Pro Publica 2022 investigative reporting on RealPage here.

3.    Unions and Housing

As a Labor Day special, I’ll lift up again my June article on the growing alliance between labor unions and tenant unions. The article closes with this quote from Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 1199 president Rob Baril:

“We have to construct a twenty-first century, integrated movement for working-class rights. That obviously has to include the ability to have shelter fit for human beings to live in. Tenant unions are going to be the tip of the spear for that effort, but some of the resources needed are going to have to come from labor unions. Us doing that is not charity. That is self-interest.”

Thank you for reading this newsletter, and to all of you who work for housing justice. Two new articles are in the submission/review pipeline, and the Lessons From Eviction Court: How We Fix Our Housing Crisis book from Cornell University ILR Press is officially set for June 2025 release. So, please look for more news in your in-box soon!