Affordable Housing

“A nation of homeowners, of people who own a real share in their land, is unconquerable.”

– Franklin D. Roosevelt

The Problems:
  • High Housing Costs: Home purchase and maintenance costs are often prohibitively expensive.
  • Public Housing Shortage: Insufficient funding for public housing leads to a lack of affordable housing options.
  • Homelessness: Many individuals lack access to stable housing and necessary support services.

Our Solutions:
  • Fair Housing and Homeownership[1]: Eliminate corporate landlords[2] and property taxes[3] to lower home purchase and maintenance costs. Expand housing availability through cooperative, condominium, and rent-to-own options with public support.
  • Public Housing Investment: Increase funding for the construction and maintenance of public housing to ensure affordable, high-quality homes for all.
  • Homelessness Eradication: Develop comprehensive programs to provide housing and support services for the homeless, with a goal of eradicating homelessness.

Our Reasoning:
  • Affordability: Reducing housing costs and expanding affordable housing options ensures more people can secure stable housing.
  • Public Welfare: Investing in public housing improves living conditions and addresses housing shortages.
  • Social Stability: Providing comprehensive support for the homeless promotes social stability and reduces the long-term costs of homelessness.

How we will accomplish the task:
  • Legislative Action: Pass laws to reform property taxes, eliminate landlord practices, and increase funding for public housing.
  • Program Development: Create and implement programs that support cooperative, condominium, and rent-to-own housing models.
  • Support Services: Develop and fund comprehensive support services for the homeless to ensure successful transitions to stable housing.

Funding:

Affordable Housing | Net +$165B in federal discretionary spending with these policies

  • Fair Housing and Homeownership:
    • Estimated Cost: $50 billion annually (for housing and maintenance support).
    • Funding Source: Eliminate property tax revenue and redirect funds from landlord subsidies[4].
  • Public Housing Investment:
  • Homelessness Eradication:
    • Estimated Cost: $40 billion annually (for comprehensive programs).
    • Funding Source: Redirect funds from other social services.

[1] Housing should be affordable for every U.S. citizen working full-time. Median rent should not exceed a third of the median monthly salary, and median home costs should not exceed three times the median annual salary. Public and private measures must be taken to ensure housing availability is proportionate to the population. The U.S. government should intervene to cap rents or raise wages to ensure affordability. Taxes on housing should only apply if profits are made, such as through renting or selling properties. Corporate ownership of farms and homes should be restricted, with land rents applied to public purposes. Housing and farms should be owned by those who use them, reducing the ability for corporations to hoard land and driving down prices for the citizenry.

[2] Housing should not be a commodity but rather purchased for personal use. While allowances could be made for individuals buying a second or third home for vacation or future retirement income, it is unacceptable for corporations or companies to own single-family homes or apartments. Homes should belong to those who live in them, reinforcing housing as a means for stability and community rather than profit. Adam Smith warned of such exploitation, observing, “Landlords love to reap where they never sowed,” underscoring the imbalance of landlords profiting from property without contribution to its cultivation.

[3] Property tax, effectively functioning as a form of rent, should not apply to a primary residence that are valued under the doubled average value of homes, as this undermines the stability essential for individuals to shape their future. While housing ideally would not be commodified, within the current system, those with multiple properties could be taxed on all except their primary domicile (or lowest cost house/property). Property taxes are sensible only when properties generate income, as with farms or rentals. Local governments can explore alternative revenue sources—such as increased sales taxes or levies on businesses operating in their jurisdiction—that do not risk residents’ homes.

[4] Eliminating tax expenditures for landlords will save an estimated $142 billion. Vacant properties would be transferred to existing homeowners to purchase affordably or through rent-to-own options, managed by cities for local tax revenue. These savings would be redirected to fund public housing, address homelessness, and offset the impact of reduced property tax revenue. The federal government would contribute to infrastructure, schools, and public jobs to support communities. Source, “Housing” sections 54, 59-62.