How the Next President Might Take on the Housing Crisis

Many of the Democrat presidential candidates have made housing policy part of their platforms. "The proposals — which include renter tax credits, ramped up federal funding for housing construction, and controversial moves to reform local zoning — would also cost tens of billions of dollars, the latest examples of 2020 hopefuls embracing ideas from the left," Casey Tolan writes for the Mercury News.

Senators Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, and Elizabeth Warren all have different plans to address housing affordability. Booker and Harris both seek to offer tax breaks to renters, who don't receive the same benefits that homeowners get in their taxes. "Both Warren and Booker’s proposals also take a crack at one of the thorniest issues in housing policy: local zoning," Tolan reports.

Elizabeth Warren's bill would attempt to address some of the enduring injustices for black home owners. "Warren’s bill would provide down-payment assistance for homebuyers in formerly redlined communities," Tolan reports.