Pet-Friendly Affordable Housing

The ASPCA believes that there is no reason that people willing and able to care for their pets should be forced to part with them due to a lack of housing options. We believe that pets and people belong together, financial circumstances alone are not reliable indicators of the capacity to love and care for a companion animal, and strong bonds between people and pets make for stronger communities.

Unfortunately, market factors have made it increasingly difficult for lower income households to maintain a pet. A recent study found that lower income communities and communities of color are more likely to pay disproportionately higher fees to keep pets in their homes. More broadly, there is evidence that there are far fewer pet-friendly housing options available to lower income households. This burden may lead to both housing insecurity and owners surrendering their pets to local shelters and rescues. Furthermore, it is a primary reason for a growing socioeconomic disparity in households with pets.

Fortunately, a number of states are stepping up to expand the number of pet-friendly housing opportunities in their communities. Some have adopted laws that ensure that publicly financed housing includes pets. These include California’s Assembly Bill 1137 (2017), Nevada’s Senate Bill 367 (2019) and Senate Bill 166 (2025) and Colorado’s House Bill 25-1207. These bills will result in thousands of new housing opportunities for lower-income families and their pets.