Keeping Pets and Families Together in Affordable Housing

Numerous decisions go into finding a place to live. Of course, the most pressing issue is cost and so many families are priced out of particular neighborhoods or out of any housing altogether. This is especially true in Los Angeles, which has long been experiencing a crisis in unaffordability and homelessness. 

Understanding the stresses families already face, we should be doing everything in our power to ease the burden of finding safe and secure housing. But while we focus on rapidly building more units and scaling up services, we must also make sure that we’re providing more than just a roof over someone’s head – we’re providing a home they can make a life in.

People shouldn’t just be able to find affordable housing – they should be able to find affordable housing that’s in good condition. They should be able to find affordable housing in a safe neighborhood, with a good school district that will meet their children’s needs. They should be able to find affordable housing near public transportation, a grocery store or their family doctor. And they should be able to find affordable housing that allows them to bring their beloved pet. 

Sadly, that last one can be difficult to find for U.S. pet owners – more than 25 million of whom are renters. A 2019 pet-inclusive housing survey found that a vast majority of rental property owners and operators place restrictions on pets, including blanket bans on size and breed. Often, these restrictions are meant to weed out dog breeds that have been maligned as “dangerous” – pit bulls, Rottweilers, German shepherds, Huskies, and the like – despite the fact there are more than 20 years of data showing that calculating bite rates for specific breeds is virtually impossible and no evidence to show these restrictions make housing any safer. 

Reasonable alternatives can be hard to come by. More than 70% of pet owners who participated in the survey reported that pet-friendly housing is difficult to find, and 59% reported that it is too expensive. 

The consequences can be dire. Hundreds of thousands of pets have been surrendered to animal shelters at a real cost to taxpayers because they violate restrictions and their owners fear eviction. Some owners may be forced to choose a less stable or safe housing option because they understandably don’t want to part with a member of their family. And, at worst, families that are most vulnerable to housing insecurity, including those who live in public housing, are faced with yet another barrier to keeping a roof over their heads.

That’s why I recently introduced the “Pets Belong with Families Act,” which would prohibit public housing from implementing these vague and sweeping pet restrictions. Dangerous individual animals can still be excepted, but no docile and loving shepherd or Husky will be discriminated against solely because of their breed or size.

Solving California’s affordable housing crisis means making it easier to site, finance, and build more units and making the ultra-wealthy pay their fair share, yes – but it also means eliminating the more individual barriers that stand between families and desirable places to live. 

It means alleviating food deserts so families can access abundant, nutritious groceries. It means building more public transportation options so workers can easily and reliably get to their jobs. It means funding our public schools so parents don’t have to compete for their children to get a quality education. If we invest in these things equitably, and in the communities that could benefit the most, not only will more housing options inevitably follow – but the people who occupy them will be better positioned to succeed and thrive.

And it means allowing them to bring their pets … because affordable housing should be more than just a roof over your head. It should be a safe, stable and loving home – and for many families, nothing makes it feel more like home than a beloved pet.