The White House announced a series of new measures on Wednesday meant to protect renters and promote rental affordability. The Administration also released a Blueprint for a Renters Bill of Rights.

The measures include directing relevant federal agencies to explore strategies for lowering rent prices and identifying unfair leasing practices. For example, the FHFA will examine ways to promote renter protections and limit “egregious rent hikes.” The agency said it would be transparent throughout the process, including providing an update within six months. HUD will publish a notice of proposed rulemaking that will require public housing authorities and owners of properties with project-based rental assistance to provide at least 30 days notice of lease termination for nonpayment of rent. The U.S. Department of Agriculture will develop a lease similar to the HUD Section 8 model lease for its housing portfolio that is clear and fair. The U.S. Department of Justice will hold a workshop to inform potential guidance around anti-competitive information sharing. The Administration also commits to quarterly meetings with diverse stakeholders to bring advocates and tenants to the discussion table.

Two independent agencies, the Federal Trade Commission and the CFPB, announced they will “seek information on a broad range of practices that affect the rental market, including the creation and use of tenant background checks, the use of algorithms in tenant screenings, the provision of adverse action notices by landlords and property management companies, and how an applicant’s source of income factors into housing decisions.”

The industry received the announcement with mixed feelings. Some progressives are disappointed at the actions’ narrow scope, while some industry groups find the announcement onerous. NHC President and CEO David Dworkin told Politico the executive actions marked a “thoughtful, balanced approach that will likely please no one… While it’s easy to say the rent is too damn high, the reality is that markets vary widely and the disincentives for production will have a long-term impact on continuing to increase the cost of housing.” He added, “At the same time, there’s no excuse for abuse and there’s no reason for the industry not to embrace best practices that in the long run will help [apartment owners] be more profitable by having more stable tenants.”

Critics, Dworkin said, should focus on getting lawmakers to pass legislation funding the construction of new housing: “Anybody in the Congress who seeks to criticize this effort as insufficient needs to walk down the hall and work with their colleagues to pass housing-production legislation.” Read NHC’s statement on the plan here.

The White House’s announcement also included a call to action for housing providers and stakeholders entitled the Resident-Centered Housing Challenge. It asks housing providers and other stakeholders to strengthen their practices through independent commitments to improve renters’ quality of life. Stewards of Affordable Housing for the Future, Realtor.com Rentals, the National Apartment Association, the National Association of REALTORS ®, the Institute of Real Estate Management, and the National Multifamily Housing Council have already made commitments.

“This is something the President identified as being necessary on the campaign trail, and is not necessarily purely a product of the current surge in rents, because this is much more expansive than thinking about this in the context of rent growth,” said Erika Poethig, special assistant to the president for housing and urban policy at the Domestic Policy Council. “It’s about thinking about many other aspects of what contributes to a fair market.”