Opportunity Starts at Home Campaign Releases New Fact Sheet on Companion Animal Welfare and Pet-Inclusive Affordable Housing

The Opportunity Starts at Home campaign has released a new fact sheet describing the critical connection between companion animal welfare and access to stable, affordable, and pet-inclusive housing. Pet-inclusive housing is rental housing that does not impose breed, weight, or size restrictions and avoids non-refundable upfront fees or monthly pet rents. Currently, only about 9% of rental housing lacks breed, weight, and size restrictions, and even fewer homes eliminate non-refundable fees. These restrictive policies further limit the already scarce affordable housing options for renters with the lowest incomes, disproportionately affecting Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) renters.

“[Restrictive pet policies are] part of a larger, centuries-long project to basically control the lives of the powerless. Not being able to have an animal companion is one of many struggles that you will face as a renter trying to live your life,” said Dan Rose, PhD of Winston-Salem State University.

Restrictive policies create barriers to housing harming both people and their pets, as companion animals provide essential social and emotional benefits to their owners. High-poverty areas are often resource deserts for pets, with services like groomers, pet supply shops, and veterinarians scarce or nonexistent. Disparities in access to essential services are frequently tied to broader systemic issues, such as housing insecurity. Further, a lack of pet inclusive affordable housing contributes to pet relinquishments to shelters, with housing insecurity accounting for an estimated 7–33% of owner surrenders nationwide. Expanding access to pet-inclusive rental housing would not only help more low-income renters keep their pets but also alleviate pressure on the animal shelter system by reducing the number of surrendered animals. An estimated 8.2 million additional animals could be housed if restrictive pet policies in rental housing were lifted, and easing restrictions could prevent 10.5 million pets from relinquishment.

Increasing pet-inclusive rental housing options benefits both people and their companion animals, ensuring that more households can experience the joy and stability of pet ownership. 

The fact sheet was developed with the help of campaign partners focusing on animal welfare, including Humane World for Animals (Formerly Humane Society of the US) and Human Animal Support Services, and with help from Lauren Loney Consulting LLC. In total, the campaign has posted 17 multi-sector fact sheets on its website. Each fact sheet compiles landmark research to help policymakers, opinion leaders, and the public understand the deep connections between housing and other national priorities, from healthcare to education to economic growth. Housing advocates are encouraged to download the fact sheets and use them in making the case for cross-sector collaboration with potential allies in other sectors. Expanding the movement for housing justice requires ensuring that sector partners understand how housing directly impacts their own missions and goals. 

See the full list of fact sheets here.