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A House Democrat is facing backlash for comparing evictions to violence, despite appearing to benefit from rental income tied to her husband’s growing real estate portfolio.
“Eviction is an act of violence,” Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., said in a video posted to social media Thursday. “And we have to do everything to prevent it.”
“It degrades the health of communities. There is great stigma associated with it,” she continued. “Housing is a human right.”
Pressley, a progressive lawmaker and member of “the Squad,” has long advocated for rent cancellation legislation and pushed for an eviction moratorium during the COVID-19 pandemic. She introduced legislation Wednesday that would prevent evictions from being factored into credit reporting and fund legal assistance for those at risk of eviction.
Ayanna Pressley at the Featured Session “Repro Revolution: A Conversation with Rep. Ayanna Pressley” during the SXSW Conference & Festivals held at the Austin Convention Center on March 9, 2025, in Austin, Texas. (Amy E. Price/SXSW Conference & Festivals)
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Her sales pitch is falling flat with supporters of free markets and conservatives.
“Great. When can I move into your house for free?” journalist Brad Polumbo wrote in response to Pressley’s statement.
“The only violence in this statement is what Ayanna Pressley is doing to the meaning of words and the English language,” conservative commentator Steve Guest added.
A spokesperson for Pressley emphasized the congresswoman’s perspective on evictions in a statement to Fox News Digital.
“Evictions are destabilizing life events with devastating consequences for the physical, financial, and mental wellbeing of those being evicted, who are disproportionately women and families with young children,” the spokesperson said.
Pressley, a four-term lawmaker, has previously faced charges of hypocrisy for pushing rent-relief policies while appearing to profit from her husband’s status as a landlord.
Reps. Cori Bush, D-Mo., Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., attend a news conference on Capitol Hill Sept. 21, 2021, in Washington, D.C. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
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According to Pressley’s 2024 financial disclosure, Pressley and her husband reported up to $8 million in combined assets derived from four Massachusetts rental properties.
Pressley’s spouse earned up to $350,000 in rental income and a property sale, according to the congresswoman’s 2024 financial disclosure form.
The rentals include a house on Martha’s Vineyard worth more than $1 million. The couple sold a one-bedroom condo in Fort Lauderdale in 2024 valued at under $500,000.
The Massachusetts Democrat also raised eyebrows in February for comparing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to members of the Ku Klux Klan.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents patrol Terminal A at Newark Liberty International Airport on Tuesday, March 24, in New Jersey. (Lokman Vural Elibol/Anadolu via Getty Images)
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“In the same way that the KKK cannot be reformed, another — you know, masked militia group — I do not believe that ICE can be reformed and that this has anything to do with training and protocols,” Pressley said in an interview.
