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From the Associated Press: Vice President Kamala Harris has a new advertising push to draw attention to her plan to build 3 million new homes over four years, a move designed to contain inflationary pressures that also draws a sharp contrast to Republican Donald Trump’s approach.
Harris, the Democratic nominee for president, highlights her plan in a new minute-long ad released Tuesday that uses her personal experience, growing up in rental housing while her mother saved for a decade before she could buy a home. The ad targets voters in the swing states including Arizona and Nevada. Campaign surrogates are also holding 20 events this week focused on housing issues.
In addition to increasing home construction, Harris is proposing the government provide as much as $25,000 in assistance to first-time buyers. That message could carry weight at this moment as housing costs have kept upward pressure on the consumer price index. Shelter costs are up 5.1% over the past 12 months, compared to overall inflation being 2.9%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The Harris plan would create tax breaks for homebuilders focused on first-time buyers and expand existing incentives for companies that construct rental housing. Because local zoning often restricts the supply of homes, she would also double the available funding to $40 billion to encourage local governments to remove the regulations that prevent additional construction.
In their glowing report about Harris’s plan, the Associated Press then tried to blame the housing shortage on Trump.
“Although Trump made his reputation as a real estate developer, data shows that there was a shortage of available housing during his presidency that has continued,” the AP wrote.
The AP also blamed inflation on the Covid-19 pandemic and blamed the higher food and energy costs on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The AP slammed Trump for his suggestion that stopping illegal immigration would reduce demand for housing and bring down prices, and slammed his opposition to the Democrats’ plan to build apartments in the suburbs.
Below is the video just released Tuesday morning on social media by Kamala Harris, as she touted her plan to use taxpayer money to build “3 million homes and rentals.”
My mother saved for years to buy a home. I was a teenager when that day finally came—I remember how excited she was.
Right now, home ownership is out of reach for too many Americans.
When I am President, we will end the housing shortage by building 3 million homes and rentals. pic.twitter.com/PHVaSt5OCe
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) August 27, 2024
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