America’s gaping shortage of affordable housing has rocketed to the top of voter worry lists and to the forefront of campaign promises, as both the Democratic nominee, Kamala Harris, and the Republican candidate, Donald J. Trump, promise to fix the problem if they are elected.
Their two visions of how to solve America’s affordable housing shortage have little in common, and Ms.
Harris’s plan is far more detailed. But they do share one quality: Both have drawn skepticism from outside economists.
Ms. Harris is promising a cocktail of tax cuts meant to spur home construction — which several economists said could help create supply. But she is also floating a $25,000 benefit to help first-time buyers break into the market, which many economists worry could boost demand too much, pushing home prices even higher.
And both sets of policies would need to pass in Congress, which would influence their design and feasibility.
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