Homes for All
Henry Kraemer (@HenryKraemer) and Pete Harrison (@PeteHarrisonNYC)
Everybody needs a home. And, in 2020, every presidential candidate needs a housing plan.
Data for Progress is here to help.
It’s baffling that national politicians have ignored the high cost of housing costs have been ignored for so long. Housing is the largest single expense for the average American, costing one third to one half of pay for millions of Americans. Twenty-one million American families – over a sixth of the United States – are considered cost-burdened and at elevated risk of homelessness. Millions are taking on extra jobs or cutting back on healthcare or food to stay housed. At least 553,000 homeless Americans are living on the street.
According to research from the National Low Income Housing Coalition, “85% of Americans believe ensuring everyone has a safe, decent, affordable place to live should be a ‘top national priority.’”
Americans need more affordable homes, and progressive politicians need a plan to give it to them.
Some Democratic candidates have stepped up with housing plans of their own. But every single plan falls short of addressing a crisis of this scale, some woefully so.
Truly solving the housing crisis will take sweeping action. The deep, systemic roots of scarce, unaffordable homes must be attacked from multiple directions at one. Real solutions will require going against some political establishment orthodoxy. In short, policymakers need to be bold.
As a courtesy to candidates and campaigns who earnestly support making housing a right for every American, Data for Progress is releasing a new Homes for All plan.
Homes for All calls for ending racist exclusionary zoning, building 7-to-10 million new social homes, offering immediate relief for renters, and decommodifying housing.
These policy pillars aren’t just necessary; they are popular with the public. Data for Progress polled on the Homes for All plan and found deep support across Democratic base voters and critical swing and turnout targets for the 2020 general election.
The Homes for All plan is a roadmap for candidates and campaigns to build out strong housing plans. It is also a guide for voters and activists who care about housing to gauge how the 2020 plans measure up. It is the product of conversations with grassroots organizers, policy experts, and affordable housing professionals around the country. And it is all yours to read at this very moment.
Read the Homes for All plan here.
Henry Kraemer (@HenryKraemer) is a writer and activist focused on housing, social democratic urbanism, and voting rights. He previously spearheaded the creation of America’s first automatic voter registration law in Oregon and its expansion across the country. He lives in Portland and works a day-job in renewable energy.
Pete Harrison (@PeteHarrisonNYC) is a senior adviser to Data for Progress, focused on housing. He is a co-founder of homeBody.