Comparing the Housing Agendas of the Remaining Democratic Frontrunners for President

A deep dive into the statements on official housing policies of Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders in an era of intense housing anxieties.

1 minute read

March 9, 2020, 5:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Presidential Campaign

Matt Smith Photographer / Shutterstock

Alissa Walker takes a dive into the housing platforms of the two remaining frontrunners for the Democratic nomination for president.

Now, with Biden neck-and-neck in the delegate count with Sen. Bernie Sanders, teasing out the nuances around rental assistance, neighborhood displacement, and how the government pays for housing may prove pivotal for Democratic voters in a country where a minimum-wage worker cannot afford to rent a two-bedroom apartment anywhere in the U.S. As voters pick between these two frontrunners, they’re choosing what the housing future of America might look like.

Former Vice President Biden for the first time addressed housing on the campaign trail just days before the recent primary in South Carolina, so some digging is required, but Walker calls on experts for insight, like Jenny Schuetz, an urban economist at the Brookings Institution; Rachel Reyes, an organizer for the Sanders campaign; and Diane Yentel, executive director of the National Low Income Housing Coalition. The latter of that group is on the record saying the campaign is pushing candidates to address housing in new ways—to the benefit of the country no matter who wins the nomination, and eventually, November's election.

Thursday, March 5, 2020 in Curbed

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Use Code 25for25 at checkout for 25% off an annual plan!

Redlining map of Oakland and Berkeley.

Rethinking Redlining

For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

May 15, 2025 - Alan Mallach

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

May 21, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Rendering of California High-Speed Rail station with bullet train.

California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself

The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.

May 19, 2025 - Benjamin Schneider

Flat modern glass office tower with "County of Santa Clara" sign.

Santa Clara County Dedicates Over $28M to Affordable Housing

The county is funding over 600 new affordable housing units via revenue from a 2016 bond measure.

6 hours ago - San Francisco Chronicle

Aerial view of dense urban center with lines indicating smart city concept.

Why a Failed ‘Smart City’ Is Still Relevant

A Google-backed proposal to turn an underused section of Toronto waterfront into a tech hub holds relevant lessons about privacy and data.

7 hours ago - Governing

Pale yellow Sears kit house with red tile roof in Sylva, North Carolina.

When Sears Pioneered Modular Housing

Kit homes sold in catalogs like Sears and Montgomery Ward made homeownership affordable for midcentury Americans.

May 23 - The Daily Yonder