New Mexicans calling on lawmakers to address rent control
By Julian Paras
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SANTA FE, New Mexico (KOAT) — The Peoples Housing Project says people in New Mexico are spending more than 30 percent of their income on housing.
“The price of rent has gone up 70 percent since 2017 and that is just an outrageous amount compared to how much wages have gone up,” Anna Lee DeSaulniers said.
Whether that’s for an apartment or home mortgage, advocates say this is a problem everyone is familiar with.
“I can tell you that as a housing attorney, I speak with people all the time making decisions where they should pay their rent being increased or whether they should put food on their table,” Attorney Wolf Bomgardner said.
Democratic Senator Brenda McKenna voiced her support for rent control in New Mexico. She’s concerned with how this issue will be addressed during this year’s session because it’s only 30 days.
“Going through the two chambers, going through the two committees, time is short,” McKenna said.
She says if something isn’t done to help renters experiencing housing insecurity now, they will have to wait a lot longer to have their voices heard again.
Advocates and renters both saying they aren’t asking their lawmakers to listen, but pleading to hear them out before another session passes by.
“We really need our representatives, our senators, Michelle Lujan Grisham to put people before profit,” DeSaulniers said.
A bill has not yet been named or numbered regarding this issue, but an update on one is said to be introduced in the coming weeks.
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