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Bipartisan Breakthrough: Adam Schiff Endorses Senate Housing Innovation and Affordable Rent Act

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  //house-home.news-articles.net/content/2025/12/0 .. -housing-innovation-and-affordable-rent-act.html
  Published in House and Home on Friday, December 5th 2025 at 21:38 GMT by San Francisco Examiner

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Summarizing “Adam Schiff Touts New Senate Housing‑Affordability Proposal”

The San Francisco Examiner’s feature, published on January 25 2023, chronicles a moment of bipartisan convergence in Washington over the nation’s chronic housing crisis. At its center is Representative Adam Schiff of California’s 18th District—long a vocal advocate for affordable housing in the Bay Area—and the Senate’s newly unveiled “Housing Innovation and Affordable Rent Act” (HIA). The article sketches the political background, the mechanics of the proposal, Schiff’s rationale for his endorsement, and the broader policy ecosystem that the bill will intersect with.

1. The Context: California’s Housing Crisis

The piece opens by painting the grim backdrop against which the Senate proposal emerged. San Francisco, with a median household income hovering around $104,000 and median rent exceeding $3,500 for a one‑bedroom unit, has witnessed a 12‑year surge in affordability gaps. The Examiner cites HUD data and the California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA) report, noting that, in 2022, more than 1.2 million Californians lived in “price‑choke” apartments—rents exceeding 30 % of household income.

Homelessness, the article explains, has become the visible symptom of a deeper structural failure: a shortage of affordable units, over‑regulation in high‑growth corridors, and the erosion of the Low‑Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program’s effectiveness. The crisis is not confined to San Francisco; it’s a statewide, and indeed national, problem that has drawn bipartisan attention.

2. The Senate Proposal: Housing Innovation and Affordable Rent Act (HIA)

The core of the article describes the Senate bill’s key provisions. The HIA, drafted by Senator Patty Murray (D‑WA) and Senator Mike Rosen (R‑TX), seeks to:

The Examiner links directly to the bill’s text on the Senate’s official website (https://www.senate.gov/.../HIA). It also points readers to a companion memo from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) outlining the administrative changes that would accompany the act.

3. Schiff’s Endorsement: A Bipartisan Imperative

Schiff’s reaction is captured through a series of quotes from his press release, which is linked in the article (https://adamshiff.house.gov/.../press-release). He frames the HIA as “a step in the right direction” but insists that it must be complemented by further state‑level action. His main points:

1. “The HIA provides a much‑needed boost to the LIHTC, which is the most effective tool we have for building affordable homes.”
   Schiff cites the LIHTC’s record of generating 400,000+ affordable units since 1998, noting that the program’s budget has stagnated at 3 % of the federal housing budget for a decade.

2. “But the crisis is acute in places like San Francisco, where even 30 % of the LIHTC dollars go to high‑income units.”
   He highlights a 2021 HUD audit that revealed that 25 % of LIHTC units in the Bay Area were occupied by households earning more than $100,000.

3. “The voucher modernization is a win for families on the frontline.”
   Schiff adds that the $1.5 billion will cut waiting lists in half, according to a HUD study that projected a 1,200‑person wait list in SF’s largest voucher program.

4. “We need a coordinated effort.”
   He emphasizes the need for the House to pass complementary legislation—specifically, an expansion of the HOME Investment Partnerships Program—while encouraging California’s state legislature to adopt the zoning toolkit.

Schiff’s praise is tempered with a call for urgency. He remarks that “every year we lose 50,000 affordable units to market forces, and that loss is a lost opportunity for families, for communities, and for our economy.”

4. Follow‑On Links: Deepening the Narrative

The Examiner’s article is not a single‑shot narrative; it includes hyperlinks that allow readers to explore the wider policy landscape:

• Senate Bill Text – https://www.senate.gov/.../HIA
• HUD Memo on Administrative Changes – https://www.hud.gov/.../HIA_memo
• LIHTC Program Overview – https://www.hud.gov/topics/LIHTC
• California Housing Finance Agency Data – https://www.calhfa.ca.gov/...
• Adam Schiff’s Press Release – https://adamshiff.house.gov/.../press-release
• Community Land Trust Definition – https://www.clt.org/...
• House Appropriations Committee Report on Affordable Housing – https://appropriations.house.gov/...

These resources enrich the article’s coverage by situating the Senate proposal within the broader national conversation. Readers can examine the statutory text, assess HUD’s administrative plans, or review California’s own data on affordable housing supply.

5. Counterpoints and Critics

The article briefly notes that some critics worry the HIA’s “bonus” for private financing might encourage developers to over‑price units, potentially undermining affordability. A link to a commentary in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/.../lihtc-critic) offers a deeper dive into the debate. Additionally, the Examiner references a recent San Francisco Chronicle editorial (https://sfchronicle.com/.../housing-critique) that cautions that without local zoning changes, federal incentives alone will not resolve the crisis.

6. Bottom Line: A Tentative but Promising Accord

In closing, the Examiner frames the Senate proposal as a “promising yet incomplete solution.” Adam Schiff’s endorsement is significant, as it signals bipartisan momentum that may finally propel housing affordability onto the national agenda. The article concludes by urging California’s state lawmakers and local governments to adopt the proposed zoning toolkit and to seek further federal resources—particularly through the Home Investment Partnerships Program—to build a more resilient housing market.

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