Diane S. Sykes: “I often say that while my name may be on the ballot, we are all going to Congress together. Families in Ohio's 13th…”

“I often say that while my name may be on the ballot, we are all going to Congress together. Families in Ohio's 13th Congressional District and all across the country are telling us that housing costs are rising faster than wages, making it hard to keep a roof over their heads. Today, I rise to bring an issue that plagues my community and the entire country, which is the rising cost of housing. In my district alone, over one hundred thousand households rent their homes. The median renter household income is just above $40,000 a year, yet the median rent is more than $1,000 per month. That means housing costs are often the largest part of a monthly budget, and this is even before groceries, childcare, or healthcare. It is not just renters who are feeling the squeeze. Homeowners are feeling the squeeze, too. The median home value in Ohio's 13th District is about $228,000. That may sound modest compared to national prices, especially for those of you on the coasts, but property taxes, insurance, utilities, and repairs add up fast. With aging homes and data centers driving up the cost of utilities, people are feeling the crunch. For families with a mortgage, monthly housing costs average nearly $1,500, and even those who have paid off their mortgage face rising property taxes and repair costs that strain household budgets.”