During Thursday night’s historic presidential debate, CNN, the housing issue came up only briefly and only by one candidate. The debate was the first in decades without bipartisan sponsorship commission on presidential debatesthe first commercial-break presidential debate and the first televised debate between a sitting president and a former president.
President Joe Biden began his introductory speech by mentioning housing costs as an issue he wants to address if he is re-elected.
“We’re going to be able to lower home prices,” Biden said at the start of the debate about a possible second term. “We’re going to make sure that 2 million new units are built. We’re going to make sure that rents are capped so that corporate greed can’t take over…Corporate greed is the reason we’re in this problem now.
Later, in response to a question about the problems faced by black Americans, Biden mentioned challenges, including “the racial segregation that exists in the operations of these companies that are colluding to keep people out of their homes.” He also mentioned a proposed $10,000 tax credit for first-time homebuyers.
The Biden administration has been outspoken on housing issues this year, including in a dedicated segment of the president’s State of the Union address in March. Before this speech, white house Released a housing plan that includes an annual tax credit that will give eligible beneficiaries $400 a month for two years to use on their mortgage payments.
He also proposed cutting title insurance requirements for certain loans, a controversial element of the plan, although it would only apply to refinances.
Former President Donald Trump did not mention housing specifically during the debate, nor did moderators Jake Tapper and Dana Bash ask any questions specifically focused on housing. As of Thursday evening, the housing issue did not appear in the “Issues” section of the Trump campaign website.
