During Tuesday night’s vice-presidential debate, Ohio Senator JD Vance, the GOP vice-presidential nominee, made a pointed argument about the impact of illegal immigration on the U.S. housing market, claiming that an influx of immigrants is contributing to rising housing costs. When challenged by one of the CBS News moderators to provide evidence for his claim, Vance pledged to post his sources on social media after the debate—a promise he promptly fulfilled.
https://twitter.com/JDVance/status/1841338114897293712
Following the debate, Vance shared remarks from Federal Reserve Governor Michelle Bowman, along with two studies that support his assertion. In the remarks he posted, Bowman highlighted the connection between immigration and housing costs, stating: “Given the current low inventory of affordable housing, the inflow of new immigrants to some geographic areas could result in upward pressure on rents.”
Vance’s post also cited a study from the *Journal of Housing Economics*, which found that “immigration inflows into a particular Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) is associated with increases in rents and with house prices in that MSA while also seeming to drive up rents and prices in neighboring MSAs.”
Further supporting his argument, Vance posted an analysis from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), which noted that “increases in immigration raise state and local governments’ spending—particularly on education, health care, and housing—more than their revenues.” This suggests that the cost pressures from immigration also extend to public housing programs, placing additional strain on available resources.