WASHINGTON — Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and members of his party running for the US Senate are blaming immigrants for the rising cost of housing, though a review of economic data and independent research suggests their effect is limited.

In making the argument, former President Trump and his allies are seizing on housing costs — a major economic concern of US voters — as a reason to crack down on immigration, one of his core campaign issues.

Unaffordable housing was registered voters' second-biggest concern about the US economy in an August Reuters/Ipsos poll. One in three voters cited housing costs, second only to the 56 per cent who cited worries about income lagging inflation.

Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump's Democratic rival in the Nov 5 election, has put housing at the centre of her economic pitch to voters. She plans to spur new construction and reduce costs for renters and home buyers, largely through tax incentives.

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