Congresswoman Dina Titus (NV-01) and Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) today introduced the Housing Vouchers Fairness Act to increase the number of vouchers allocated to fast-growing states such as Nevada and Arizona to lower rental housing costs. Reps. Greg Stanton (D-AZ) and Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ) are original co-sponsors of this legislation.

"The number of Affordable Housing Choice Vouchers has lagged behind increased demand in fast-growing cities such as those in Southern Nevada,” Rep. Titus said. “Access to affordable, clean and safe rental housing is one of our most pressing issues. This bill directs HUD to provide funding for additional vouchers to the 25 fastest-growing metropolitan areas of 100,000 people or more. I will continue working to ensure housing is treated as a right, not a privilege."

“Growing up, I watched my single mom work tirelessly to afford a safe apartment for my sisters and me. But for too many Arizonans, no matter how hard they work, rents continue to rise and the only hope for assistance is at the end of a years-long waitlist,” said Senator Gallego. “My bill finally addresses the disparities in the federal housing voucher program so that more Arizonans can get into safe, affordable homes. This is just the first step in my fight to bring down housing costs in Arizona and across the country.”

“The Southern Nevada Regional Housing Authority (SNRHA) supports the reintroduction of the Housing Vouchers Fairness Act and the authorization of an additional $2 billion in funding to HUD for the Housing Choice Voucher program,” said Lewis Jordan, Executive Director of the Southern Nevada Regional Housing Authority. “Our organization works to provide safe and affordable housing which we feel is foundational for strong families and strong communities.  Increasing access to vouchers in fast-growing and high-cost communities ensures that working families have the opportunity for better employment, better education, and better opportunities, rather than struggle to provide basic needs for their children or elderly loved ones.”

“The Nevada Housing Coalition supports the reintroduction of the Housing Voucher Fairness Act. This legislation takes a meaningful step toward correcting deep-rooted inequities in the distribution of housing assistance.

Communities like Southern Nevada; one of the fastest-growing regions in the country continue to face tremendous challenges due to outdated funding formulas that simply don’t reflect current population growth or housing market realities,” said Maurice Page, Nevada Housing Coalition Executive Director. “This investment is not just about vouchers, it’s about giving families a fair shot at stability, dignity, and opportunity. We commend Representative Titus for championing this effort and remain committed to working alongside federal leaders to ensure housing resources reach the communities that need them most.”

“We commend Congresswoman Titus for taking thoughtful steps to address Nevada’s growing housing affordability challenges,” said Robin Crawford, executive director of the Nevada State Apartment Association. “This legislation reflects a practical approach to strengthening the housing voucher program in a way that supports both residents in need and the housing providers who serve them. We look forward to continued collaboration with Representative Titus and other leaders to ensure meaningful progress on this critical issue.”

“The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) supports the reintroduction of the Housing Vouchers Fairness Act, which will expand access to rental assistance by increasing the number of HUD housing vouchers allocated to states,” said the National Association of REALTORS®.  “Ensuring more families have access to safe, stable housing is critical to begin addressing our nation’s affordability crisis. REALTORS® are committed to advancing policies that promote housing stability, affordability, and fairness, and we thank Congresswoman Titus for introducing this important legislation.”

Background

The Housing Choice Voucher Program, also known as Section 8, is the federal government's major program for assisting low-income families, the elderly, and the disabled with affordable, decent, safe, and sanitary housing in the private market.

Currently, HUD’s Housing Choice Voucher program does not meet Southern Nevada’s demand for affordable rental housing because the number of available vouchers has not kept pace with the state’s growing population. Currently, the federal formulas that allocate vouchers are based on outdated population calculations dating back to the 2000 census.

Clark County, NV, with a population of 2.3 million, has just over 12,500 vouchers available for residents. The city of Chicago, with a population of 2.6 million, has 47,000 vouchers, nearly four times the amount. From 2012 to 2022, Clark County's population increased by 333,341 (16.75%), according to the US Census Bureau. There is currently a waitlist of 27,000 applicants for vouchers in Southern Nevada. 

The Housing Vouchers Fairness Act corrects this disparity by authorizing an additional $2 billion in funding for HUD for the Housing Choice Voucher program to ensure the public housing authorities that represent the country’s 25 fastest-growing areas with a population of over 100,000 have enough vouchers to meet the needs of their populations.