Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says she won't be able to afford to rent in DC until she starts collecting her Congressional salary
Rick Loomis/GettyAlexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
- Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was the youngest woman to be elected to Congress.
- Despite winning New York's 14th congressional district, the 29-year-old revealed that she can't afford to rent an apartment in Washington, DC right now.
- Ocasio-Cortez plans to wait until her congressional salary lands in her account before moving to DC.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez made history when she became the youngest woman to be elected to Congress in the 2018 midterm elections.
After winning New York's 14th congressional district, the 29-year-old Democrat faces a common problem for many millennials: She can't afford to rent an apartment in DC.
Ocasio-Cortez told the New York Times, "I have three months without a salary before I'm a member of Congress. So, how do I get an apartment?"
According to Congressional rules, compensation for members of Congress starts in January, and a representative typically earns $174,000 per year.
Read more: 7 photos that perfectly capture the history-making wave of women who won on Election Day
On Twitter, Ocasio-Cortez shared more thoughts about her housing problem. "There are many little ways in which our electoral system isn't even designed (nor prepared) for working-class people to lead. This is one of them (don't worry btw - we're working it out!)."
Ocasio-Cortez shared that she tried to save money from her job as a bartender at a Union Square restaurant, but it's difficult to find affordable housing in DC.
According to a study from SmartAsset, the average monthly rent for a two-bedroom apartment in DC is $2,500, and you need to make at least $108,300 per year to afford it.
On Twitter Ocasio-Cortez, reassured her followers that she has "been preparing and will be fine."
"There is no reason to be ashamed or embarrassed," she tweeted. "Mocking lower incomes is exactly how those who benefit from + promote wealth inequality the most keep everyday people silent about 1 of the worst threats to American society: that the rich are getting richer and the poor, poorer."