Bay Area housing advocate Randy Shaw, like many in his field, has been disappointed by the Democratic presidential debates this election season. Despite social media pressure, it was proving impossible to get debate moderators to treat housing as a top-tier issue. A question about building affordable housing during the November 20 debate in Atlanta, answered by just three candidates, was the only mention of the topic during the seven debates so far.
Shaw found it especially frustrating because many of those debates were located in cities—Miami, Detroit, Houston, Atlanta, and Los Angeles—that were in the grips of the national affordable housing crisis.
"These are all Democratic cities where housing affordability is a top issue," says Shaw, who wrote a book about the housing crisis in U.S. cities. "And the housing movement has never been at a stronger place, at least in terms of pushing the agenda at the federal level."
Indeed, after barely getting on the radar in recent presidential election years, the deepening affordable housing crisis is poised to play a central role in this year's local, statewide, and even federal elections. Candidates have proposed changes to housing policy and new spending plans that could dramatically remake neighborhoods across the country—and even result in all-new public housing.
"It's an important problem facing a lot of people, there are tangible things that could make it better, and you now have a bunch of candidates with proposals who want to do something," says Jenny Schuetz, a housing policy expert at the Brookings Institution. "But then you get Iran and impeachment. We need a month without craziness to get around to really talking about it."
Housing has become a much bigger issue in 2020
Access to affordable housing is a rallying cry for Democrats who hope the 2020 election will usher in new policy at the federal level. The U.S. Conference of Mayors has made expanding housing opportunities and ending homelessness a key part of its 2020 policy vision. Candidates for federal and local office have embraced the Homes Guarantee pledge, a policy vision put forward by People's Action, a national network of progressive activists. Last October in Durham, North Carolina, the group Local Progress convened a housing summit with local elected officials from around the country. Numerous states have embraced or have legislators promoting upzoning proposals, including Oregon, Virginia, Nebraska, and Maryland. California is debating numerous policy solutions, including transit-oriented zoning, renter protection, and expanding the approval and production of accessory dwelling units. And there's been growing grassroots action as well, such as the recent protest by Moms 4 Housing, a group of homeless mothers who squatted in a corporate-owned single-family rental, leading to its purchase last week by a community land trust.
And even if it hasn't been reflected in the debates, the 2020 presidential race does feature candidates, especially progressives like Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, who have proposed extensive housing policy reform and new investments. As Matthew Lewis, director of communications for California YIMBY, says, you don't get to implement lofty solutions until there's broad agreement there's a problem, and leading contenders agree there's serious work to be done.
"I don't know how you can run for national office and not take a stand on housing," says Lewis. "Most of the leading candidates have taken a stand."
Sarah Saadian, vice president for public policy for the National Low-Income Housing Coalition, says numerous candidates have called to ask for help crafting housing policy, though she wouldn't give specifics. With so many politicians making it a central plank of their campaign, she sees housing policy playing an important role in the Democratic nomination process, especially in key states such as Nevada and California.
"My hope is that major legislation can be enacted to expand proven solutions to housing and poverty, and we'll be at the forefront asking for it in 2021 and beyond," she says.
At the same time, Saadian fears that if Donald Trump is re-elected, it could lead to a continuation of this administration's poor record of addressing the crisis.
"When it comes to housing and homelessness, we'd be concerned to see what would happen," she says. "They have consistently eliminated programs or made it much more difficult for people to get the assistance that they need."
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I can't help but feel like having a decade of historically low interest rates has fueled the housing affordability crisis. I've heard the idea that "money is cheap" now, so people can take higher and higher loans to buy houses. Keep that going for so long and now it's impossible to save up a down payment until you are in your 40's in some cities.
Of course, there are other factors. Restrictive zoning laws keeping supply low in high growth areas, people buying housing as an investment and using it for AirBnB or just letting it sit vacant.
Of course, there are other factors. Restrictive zoning laws keeping supply low in high growth areas, people buying housing as an investment and using it for AirBnB or just letting it sit vacant.
I read that as The House, and clicked because a I concerned as to which side of the isle was re-energizing.
For me it's the rental prices in my area increasing by almost 100% in 10 years whereas the minimum wage hasn't increased in that entire time.
Housing is going to be the biggest issue we face in the coming years if we don't do something to fix it.
Ok that explains it. I was just wondering since you make a lot of threads about this stuff. At least you're passionate about your profession and we're always up to date with what is going on
I also post a lot about these types of things because a lot of people here tend to care about stuff like housing and inequality. A lot of us are worried that housing is unattainable and too expensive.