Democratic candidates speak out about our nation’s housing crisis

 While Jill and I try to be nonpartisan in our housing justice advocacy, we feel it’s important to let people know where our elected officials stand when it comes to affordable housing. For this reason, we will share with you what the candidates are proposing. First, it is worth noting that Trump is proposing drastic cuts to affordable housing. See Trump Proposes Cuts to Affordable Housing.  As people of faith, we believe that our current housing crisis calls for more funding for affordable and homeless housing. As Jesus said,  “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matt 6:21). Here is where some of the Democratic candidates stand:

• Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren calls for a $500 billion federal investment over the next 10 years in new affordable housing. She says her plan would create 3 million new units and lower rents by 10%. Warren would also give grants to first-time homebuyers who live in areas where black families were once excluded from getting home loans. “Everybody who lives or lived in a formerly red-lined district can get some housing assistance now to be able to buy a home,” Warren told attendees at the She the People Presidential Forum in Houston this spring.

• New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker would provide financial incentives to encourage local governments to get rid of zoning laws that limit the construction of affordable housing. He would also provide a renters’ tax credit, legal assistance for tenants facing eviction and protect against housing discrimination, something he’s made part of his personal appeal. “When I was a baby, my parents tried to move us into a neighborhood with great public schools, but realtors wouldn’t sell us a home because of the color of our skin,” Booker recounts in an online campaign video.

• Sen. Kamala Harris has also introduced a plan for a renters’ tax credit of up to $6,000 for families making $100,000 or less.

• New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand has signed on to both the Harris and Warren plans, which have been introduced as legislation.

See Democratic Candidates on affordable housing