Axios Phoenix

Arizona and Nevada elected officials are teaming up in hopes of changing how the federal government doles out housing assistance.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development currently uses population counts from the 2000 U.S. Census to divvy up coveted Housing Choice Vouchers, which cap rent at 30% of a household's income.

The outdated formula punishes cities like Phoenix and Las Vegas, which have seen significant population growth since the turn of the century, the lawmakers argue.

U.S. Sens. Ruben Gallego and Mark Kelly and their Nevada counterparts introduced legislation last month to modernize the voucher system by allocating an additional $2 billion to support affordable housing in the nation's 25 fastest-growing big cities. A similar bill was introduced in the U.S. House by Arizona Democrats Greg Stanton and Yassamin Ansari and Dina Titus of Nevada.

This would boost voucher supply in metro areas including Houston, Atlanta, Jacksonville and Charlotte in addition to Phoenix and Las Vegas.

The bill is supported by the National Association of REALTORS®, National Housing Law Project, Arizona Housing Coalition and the city of Phoenix's housing department.

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