Bill Overview
Title: Respectable Housing Act of 2022
Description: This bill requires the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to insist that each owner of a housing project with 100 dwelling units or more receiving section 8 assistance maintain the project and associated dwelling units in a condition that complies with existing public housing law. The bill further requires HUD to make biennial inspections of housing projects to determine whether the projects are being maintained in accordance with this requirement.
Sponsors: Rep. Malliotakis, Nicole [R-NY-11]
Target Audience
Population: People residing in large housing projects receiving section 8 assistance
Estimated Size: 10000000
- The bill addresses housing projects that receive Section 8 assistance.
- The bill affects housing projects with 100 dwelling units or more.
- Section 8 is a housing assistance program primarily utilized in the United States, hence affecting U.S. residents.
- It requires compliance with existing public housing law which affects the quality of housing for residents.
Reasoning
- The population targeted by the policy includes residents of large housing complexes that receive Section 8 assistance, estimated to affect around 10 million people in the U.S.
- Due to budget constraints, the policy's improvements might take time to reflect on a broad scale, affecting inspection frequency and repairs.
- The policy primarily aims to improve living conditions by ensuring compliance with existing public housing law, which may boost tenant wellbeing over time.
- Tenant wellbeing may initially remain unchanged if immediate improvements are not visible due to slow inspection and enforcement rollouts.
- Differences in impact, from none to high, depend on the current state of individual housing projects and how well owners currently maintain their properties.
- The new inspections policy could eventually help improve safety and standards, potentially enhancing long-term happiness and satisfaction.
Simulated Interviews
Retail Worker (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 35 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The housing complex I live in has a lot of maintenance issues, and oftentimes, they're ignored.
- I hope this policy means someone will finally fix our leaky roof.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 3 |
Maintenance Worker (Miami, FL)
Age: 28 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 4.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Maintenance is always a problem here, but I'm glad if this means improvements.
- If they start maintaining as they should, our safety and comfort would completely change.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 4 |
Unemployed (Chicago, IL)
Age: 50 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 6.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I doubt much will change quickly, but even modest improvements would be welcome.
- It's about time someone checks in regularly.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 3 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 3 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 2 |
Taxi Driver (New York, NY)
Age: 40 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The idea is great, but I wonder if it won't get bogged down in politics.
- We've needed these standards enforced for years.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 4 |
Student (Dallas, TX)
Age: 23 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 11/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I hope this leads to fewer apartment problems, like broken elevators.
- It should at least make landlords accountable for improvements.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
Retired (Phoenix, AZ)
Age: 65 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 4.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- We've had issues with plumbing and air conditioning, and we are too old to handle these ourselves.
- This inspection requirement might prompt real changes.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 4 |
Nurse (Detroit, MI)
Age: 37 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 8.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- We're trying to self-organize for repairs, but professional standards need enforcing.
- I hope this gives us more leverage with the property owner.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 3 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 2 |
Security Guard (Atlanta, GA)
Age: 48 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Living conditions here are barely acceptable. We need this change.
- If the policy reduces crime through better maintenance, it would really help.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 3 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 3 |
Teacher (New Orleans, LA)
Age: 52 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 4.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- It’s concerning how long it takes for repairs to be made.
- Hopefully this policy speeds up the response time.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 4 |
Freelance Artist (San Francisco, CA)
Age: 31 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm worried the changes might be slow, but happy for extra oversight.
- It would be great not worrying about mold and leaks.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 4 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $20000000 (Low: $15000000, High: $25000000)
Year 2: $20000000 (Low: $15000000, High: $25000000)
Year 3: $21000000 (Low: $16000000, High: $26000000)
Year 5: $22000000 (Low: $17000000, High: $27000000)
Year 10: $25000000 (Low: $20000000, High: $30000000)
Year 100: $30000000 (Low: $25000000, High: $35000000)
Key Considerations
- Ensuring housing project compliance with existing public housing law might require robust federal oversight programs.
- Potential need for increased funding to support the administrative activities of HUD.
- The policy focuses on direct government spending without evident revenue generating mechanisms.