Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says she won't be able to afford to rent in DC until she starts collecting her Congressional salary

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Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says she won't be able to afford to rent in DC until she starts collecting her Congressional salary

alexandria ocasio cortez

Rick Loomis/Getty

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

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  • 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.

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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."

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"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."

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