Gen Z Congressman-elect Maxwell Frost was denied an apartment over "really bad" credit.

[elleng]

'Maxwell Frost made history last month when he won election in Florida's 10th Congressional District, becoming the first Gen Z member of Congress at just 25 years old. But that historic win didn't come easy — and now, the financial toll of the campaign is making it difficult for him to secure a home near the House.

In a Twitter thread on Thursday, Frost said that he had just applied to rent an apartment in Washington, D.C. During that process, he told the person taking his application that his "credit was really bad."

"He said I'd be fine," Frost said. "Got denied, lost the apartment, and the application fee. This ain't meant for people who don't already have money."

He went on to say that he has bad credit because he "ran up a lot of debt running for Congress for a year and a half."

During his campaign, Frost told Politico that he had quit his job to focus on campaigning. He drove for Uber to pay his bills, a "sacrifice" he said he made because "I can't imagine myself not doing anything but fixing the problems we have right now."

But that money didn't go far enough, Frost said on Thursday, saying he "didn't make enough money from Uber itself to pay for my living."

"It isn't magic that we won our very difficult race. For that primary, I quit my full time job cause I knew that to win at 25 yrs old, I'd need to be a full time candidate. 7 days a week, 10-12 hours a day. It's not sustainable or right but it's what we had to do," he tweeted. "As a candidate, you can't give yourself a stipend or anything till the very end of your campaign. So most of the run, you have no $ coming in unless you work a second job."'>>>

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/maxwell-frost-congressman-elect-denied-apartment-washington-dc-bad-credit/

[old as dirt]

1. WTF is an "application fee"? (nt)

[elleng]

3. Never rented, eh?

STANDARD part of the process to rent an apartment or house.

[old as dirt]

5. I've rented many times.

Never had to pay somebody a non-refundable fee just to be considered.

[blm]

13. They started making application fees non-refundable.

Big scam in college towns, especially. They even lie and say it will apply to first month’s rent, then, somehow, oh no someone misspoke.

[old as dirt]

14. It's been a couple decades since we've rented.

We do live in a university town.

[yardwork]

27. Things have changed. It's almost impossible for a young person to rent on their own.

Things are much more difficult since we were young. It's a shame. A literal shame on our society that we've allowed this country to become so difficult to live in, especially for the young.

[marybourg]

16. Maybe they didn't need to run a credit

check on you. But running a check costs a bit.

[barbtries]

8. you're lucky if you don't know.

it's very common. I'm so glad I own now, but it took me until I was over 60 years old.

[ExtremelyWokeMatt]

2. Can't someone divert some of the massive campaign fund flows to help jump start living arrangements?

Or whatever?

Or offer a room? Or roommate arrangement?

[elleng]

4. Have seen at least one who has offered,

Steve Clemons https://www.semafor.com/newsletter/12/09/2022/semafor-principals-independent-sinema?

[ExtremelyWokeMatt]

6. Oh good!

I figured there would be someone who could step in

[barbtries]

9. my fear is the help bringing up ethics issues?

i hope he can legally accept the help.

[ExtremelyWokeMatt]

11. Is it really that ethically challenging when the homeowner can rent out on their terms?

And if he wants to charge him (whatever that amount may be) instead of gifting it then there’s also nothing saying it can’t be on a delayed and proportional scale like pay-back-as-you-earn-on-the-job arrangements I’ve seen at code boot camps and certain loans

[barbtries]

17. i have no issue with him getting help

was just thinking about constraints on public servants. i don't know if it's an issue in this case.

[Genki Hikari]

21. Many elected reps have been roommates over the years

How they break down the lease or rent or what have you is private, always has been.

I can't recall anyone investigating the particulars of any such arrangement.

You're worrying for nothing.

[barbtries]

30. probably.

but you know what republicans do. they take nothing and make someone's life a living hell over it.

[karynnj]

32. Didn't the rw catholic "family" have what amounted to a dormitory for

legislators aligned with them? Here, if a company that rents appartments waives the credit score and rents based on his "at least 2 year employment contract" , I don't see that as questionable at all.

In fact, decades ago, when I took my first job at AT&T Bell Labs, they took all of us new just out of college employees to see available appartments in the area. When I applied for an appartment, they immediately said it was mine. Obviously, as I looked like a teenager and had never lived anywhere except a dorm and my parents' home, it likely mattered that BTL HR introduced me to the man taking applications.

[barbtries]

33. yeah they had their K street i think it was.

they got a ridiculously reduced rental rate IIRC, which amounted to a political donation, and of course nothing was ever done. But as we all know IOKIYAR.

[Deuxcents]

7. Can his friends start a go fund me kinda thing?

[WarGamer]

10. He'll start collecting his $174k/year salary soon...

He'll nbe fine but might need to take a home-ec class.

[CottonBear]

28. He won't get a paycheck until Feb. 2023 & he has to pay to live in both DC & Florida

while also paying for travel, utilities, cell phone, food, health care, an appropriate congressional wardrobe.

That’s a huge expenditure for someone with no income until February 2023.

[Samrob]

12. Surely some wealthy Dem will spot him a special term loan for his first term? The GOP takes care of

their own, especially with lodging in DC. Why can't we?

[tulipsandroses]

15. He highlights the plight why so many young people still live at home

I think he has such a promising future.

[SouthBayDem]

18. Wouldn't he be rejected from many government jobs with bad credit?

Government agencies and financial institutions are very strict about avoiding the risk that an employee may embezzle the organization to resolve personal financial issues.

[Genki Hikari]

22. Elected positions are exempt from that

You were paying attention in the recent past when we had a multiple-bankruptcies criminal pretending to be in office...right?

[Mariana]

26. The Constitution spells out the qualifications to serve as a Representative.

[SouthBayDem]

29. Right but i'm talking about non elected government jobs

For example, working on the staff of a member of Congress or the staff of a federal agency.

[Mariana]

31. So your question has nothing to do with the topic of the thread.

[babylonsister]

19. I wonder if he can share

with another newbie? Doesn't that happen a lot?

[XorXor]

20. No doubt Republicans will try to use this as a way to criticize him

despite the fact that this is exactly the sort of stuff they claim they believe in. Didn't they go after AOC for something similar?

[Genki Hikari]

23. They can try

But then Democrats will start making another stink about Kevin McCarthy's living arrangement with a non-rep, namely pollster Frank Luntz.

Reps sharing their living space, either other Congress members or with private citizens, has been going on since the republic was founded. Multiple members of Congress on both sides of the aisle have complained about the costs of living in DC since then as well.

I doubt that even the r thugs will be interested in how this guy's living situation shakes out, unless it's something reeking of bribery, like a Mike Bloomberg buying the guy an expensive townhouse in Dupont Circle.

But that isn't going to happen, either.

So I doubt there's any reason to be worrying about the sky falling here.

[XorXor]

34. I meant they will use it to shit on him on TV, radio, and social media

Not so much that there would be any official inquiries or whatever. Sure enough that's exactly what I found being pushed on social media. I know it ultimately doesn't matter, but it irritates me how petty they can be.

[IrishAfricanAmerican]

24. I still say...

congress should live in government supplied housing just like the military.

[whistler162]

25. SHRUG..... Find roommates like other

Congress critters have for generations, all parties.