Congressional Leaders Introduce Legislation to Keep Families and Pets Together in Public Housing
Research by Michelson Found Animals Foundation prompts need to eliminate “breed bans”
Bipartisan Congressional leaders Adam Schiff (D-CA), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Lauren Underwood (D-IL), and Cori Bush (D-MO) this week introduced the Pets Belong With Families Act, which bans breed restrictions in public housing. The 2021 Pet Inclusive Housing Report finds the scarcity of pet-inclusive rental housing continues to be a barrier for pet owners throughout the United States. Despite the high volume of residents seeking homes that accept pets, many rental properties significantly restrict residents from keeping pets in their homes. This scarcity is particularly acute for lower-income pet owners.
WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Representatives Adam Schiff (D-CA), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Lauren Underwood (D-IL), and Cori Bush (D-MO) cited Michelson Found Animals Foundation’s (MFA) recent Pet-Inclusive Housing Initiative (PIHI) report when introducing a new bill that will allow families to keep their beloved pets in the home by prohibiting vague and sweeping restrictions against dogs based on breed or size.
“More than 25 million U.S. pet owners are renters, including public housing tenants,” the legislators said in a statement. “A recent inclusive housing survey found that the vast majority of rental property owners and operators face restrictions on pets – rules that often include blanket bans on dog breeds that are considered ‘dangerous’ such as pit bulls and rottweilers, or dogs that simply resemble these breeds, regardless of more than 20 years of data showing that calculating bite rates for specific breeds is virtually impossible.”
“At their worst, such bans can exacerbate housing insecurity for low-income pet owners who understandably don’t want to part with their companions,” the legislators added. “More than 70% of residents in the 2021 [MFA] survey reported that pet-friendly housing is difficult to find, and 59% reported pet-friendly housing as too expensive.”
“Now is precisely the right time to rethink the policies and procedures that have been mandated by government or imposed by businesses that interfere with a family’s ability to have a pet in rental housing,”
If passed, the Pets Belong with Families Act would prohibit restrictions based exclusively on breed in public housing, while still allowing for discretion with regard to potentially dangerous individual animals. Dr. Gary Michelson, MFA founder and co-chair, called for similar legislation last month during Pet Week on Capitol Hill, hosted by the Human Animal Bond Research Institute.
“Now is precisely the right time to rethink the policies and procedures that have been mandated by government or imposed by businesses that interfere with a family’s ability to have a pet in rental housing,” Michelson said.
The bill is supported by the Michelson Center for Public Policy along with a coalition of leading animal welfare and social justice organizations.
“For millions of Americans, pets are cherished members of their families. But far too often, pet owners are forced to make impossible choices between their beloved companions and secure housing due to overly-broad restrictions on dog breeds that don’t make communities safer,” Rep. Schiff said. “The Pets Belong with Families Act would remove these unfair barriers for residents of public housing because no one should have to forfeit an affordable and stable home to stay with the pet they love.”
“Far too often pet owners are forced to choose between surrendering their beloved pet or securing safe and stable housing due to discriminatory breed-specific regulations,” Rep. Fitzpatrick said. “Breed-specific restrictions have consistently proven to be an ineffective solution to enhancing public safety. Our bipartisan legislation will put an end to this unfair and inhumane practice and ensure that responsible pet owners are not forced into housing instability due to unnecessary breed bans.”
“Housing is a human right, period,” Rep. Bush said. “No family should be denied that right because of archaic rules barring certain pet breeds from public housing in this country. Our pets are often integral members of our families, and we can’t ask our neighbors to simply leave them behind. There is no evidence that breed-specific laws make apartments any safer for people or their pets. I am grateful to my colleague Representative Schiff for his partnership on this bipartisan bill, which will eliminate a barrier that our Black and brown community members face when securing safe and stable housing.”
To read the full bill, click here.
About the Michelson Center for Public Policy
The Michelson Center for Public Policy is a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization that propels legislative change through meaningful collaboration with elected officials, government agencies, and civic leaders to achieve positive outcomes in education, equity, medical research, and animal welfare. The Michelson Center for Public Policy is an affiliated but separate organization from the Michelson Philanthropies network of foundations (Michelson 20MM Foundation, Michelson Found Animals Foundation, and Michelson Medical Research Foundation) and complements the Michelson Philanthropies’ thought leadership and expertise with bold and effective advocacy. For more information, visit www.michelsonpolicy.org
