Sen. Cory A. Booker on Wednesday unveiled a plan aimed at boosting affordable housing through items such as renters’ credit and incentives for localities to relax their zoning rules.
The refundable renters’ credit would be available to people paying more than 30 percent of their before-tax income in rent and would cover that difference.
His campaign estimated that the credit, which is similar to one proposed by 2020 rival Sen. Kamala D. Harris of California, would benefit more than 57 million people and that the median credit for a family would be $4,800.
The Democratic presidential hopeful from New Jersey said making sure all Americans have a right to good housing is “personal” to him.
“Access to safe, affordable housing can be transformative in the trajectory of people’s lives,” he said. “My parents knew this when they moved my brother and me to a New Jersey town with good public schools in the face of racial discrimination. The tenants I represented against slumlords when I first moved to Newark knew it, too. So did my neighbors in Brick Towers.”
Mr. Booker’s campaign also touted his “baby bond” proposal that would create a federally funded savings account for every child that starts with $1,000 and could grow by up to $2,000 annually, depending on family income.
The senator would pay for the plan in part by rolling back recent changes to the estate tax.
Mr. Booker would also use federal money to incentivize localities to change zoning rules to make affordable housing more readily available, put more money into the housing trust fund for new construction, and provide money to states and localities that enact a “right to counsel” for people facing eviction.
He also would work to combat discrimination in housing based on race, sexual orientation, income or criminal history.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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