Article Summary –
Kamala Harris promises to increase housing supply by three million homes and provide up to $25,000 in down payment support for low-income first-time buyers. She proposes expanding the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit and creating a $40 billion tax credit. Trump blames immigrants for the housing crisis and suggests deportation to solve it, but offers no specific plans. His past policies, including opportunity zones, favored wealthy investors over community benefits. Both candidates’ housing policies highlight stark contrasts ahead of the election.
Harris vows to increase housing supply by 3 million homes, offering $25,000 in down payment support to lower-income first-time homebuyers. Trump lacks specific housing crisis plans.
Pennsylvania is in a housing crisis.
In Sept. 2020, the median home sale price in Pennsylvania was $230,400. By July 2024, it had risen to $307,300, a 33% increase, according to Redfin. Renters are also paying more. In 2024, median rent is $1,550 for a one-bedroom, more than double the 2020 price, according to Zillow.
The lack of affordable homes and rentals strains Pennsylvania families and is a key election issue.
Kamala Harris’ Housing Plan
Democratic nominee Kamala Harris emphasizes housing costs on her campaign trail, sharing her mother’s journey to home ownership. Harris released a plan addressing the housing supply shortage and easing home buying for middle-class families.
Harris promised to boost the housing supply by expanding the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit and creating a $40 billion tax credit for builders. This aims to encourage rapid construction of affordable housing and repurpose federal lands for new housing developments.
Harris’ plan calls for streamlining the permit approval process to cut down on red tape.
She has also vowed to provide lower-income first-time homebuyers with up to $25,000 in down payment support.
Harris supports bills to lower tenant costs, such as the Stop Predatory Investing Act, which removes tax benefits for large housing investors, and the Preventing the Algorithmic Facilitation of Rental Housing Cartels Act, targeting rent-setting software.
She backed President Biden’s proposal to withdraw tax credits from landlords raising rent by more than 5% annually, affecting 20 million rental units, about half of all rentals in the US.
Trump’s Housing Plan
Donald Trump blames immigrants for housing shortages, suggesting deportation will lower housing demand, despite experts agreeing the crisis is a supply problem.
Trump’s deportation plan could worsen the supply issue. About 20% of US construction workers are undocumented.
Trump has suggested using federal land for housing development, addressing supply chain shortages, and removing certain homebuilding regulations, though details are sparse.
His 2017 tax law created “opportunity zones” to encourage investment in low-income areas providing tax incentives for private investors.
A 2022 CAP analysis found these zones “costly and ineffective at improving conditions in poor communities.”
Project 2025 offers insight into Trump’s potential housing policies, mentioning his name 312 times. The plan focuses on reversing Biden’s progressive housing policies, and proposes evicting tens of thousands of immigrant families from federally assisted housing.
It also recommends ending “housing first” models of assistance, proven more effective at reducing poverty and homelessness.
The document suggests selling public housing land to private developers.
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