Harris’ Housing Plan: Give New Buyers $25,000, Hope Prices Don’t Go Up

by Steve Robinson | Aug 16, 2024

Vice President Kamala Harris, the presumptive 2024 Democratic presidential nominee, is expected to unveil a slate of economic proposals on Friday in North Carolina, including a plan to offer new homebuyers as much as $25,000 in downpayment assistance.

The plan to subsidize housing demand followed an earlier announcement that Harris wanted to impose government-controlled pricing on grocery stores in order to protect American consumers from greedy grocery store operators.

Harris’s housing proposal, which may seem enticing to young people in the market for their first homes, led many political observers to ask the obvious question: Won’t every home-seller just increase their sale price by $25,000?

Harris appears unburdened by such concerns, as she’ll offer details on the plan during a speech in Raleigh, North Carolina, according to campaign officials.

The initiative would only be open to individuals who have consistently paid their rent on time for at least two years. Although the full plan hasn’t been posted online, early reports hint that higher levels of cash support could be available for home-buyers based on their economic status.

“For many Americans, paying rent and other bills makes it nearly impossible to save for a down payment, effectively locking them out of the housing market,” Harris’s campaign said in a statement. “This plan will give them the opportunity to own a home and build wealth.”

Harris’s proposal is being characterized as an expansion and simplification of President Joe Biden’s existing housing policy, which included $25,000 in down payment aid specifically for 400,000 first-generation homebuyers and a $10,000 tax credit for first-time buyers.

Harris’s plan, however, aims to reach a broader audience, with campaign officials claiming it could benefit more than four million first-time homebuyers over the next four years.

In addition to the down payment assistance, Harris will also propose the construction of three million new housing units for both rental and purchase, a tax incentive for developers building starter homes, and the establishment of a $40 billion innovation fund to support local housing solutions and construction financing methods.

Harris’s speech in Raleigh is expected to offer further details on how the plan will be implemented and the specific criteria for eligibility. The vice president’s office has not yet disclosed the full mechanics of how the $25,000 support will be delivered, though it is anticipated to be a direct grant rather than a tax credit.

Steve Robinson is the Editor-in-Chief of The Maine Wire. ‪He can be reached by email at [email protected].

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