Election Campaign in the Housing Sector: Harris versus Trump

The countdown to the U.S. presidential election is underway, with many voters already casting their ballots in advance. A central issue stirring public debate is the lack of affordable housing in the United States. In this third part of our series, we examine how Kamala Harris and Donald Trump each plan to respond to the challenges facing the housing market. Both presidential candidates have announced their intention to combat the housing shortage by increasing supply, but differ in their approach to building in rural and urban areas. Kamala Harris is focusing on cooperation with the private sector to create 3 million new homes within her first term. A $40 billion innovation fund is set to support local governments with construction projects. These measures directly address the 4.5 million-unit housing shortage diagnosed by Zillow in 2022. She also plans to expand tax incentives for building and renovating low-income housing. In contrast, Trump's strategy appears less concrete so far. Although he mentions the simplification of building permits and zoning laws, detailed plans are lacking. His proposal to allocate more federal land for housing construction is clearly on the table. Experts, however, are concerned that his plans for high tariffs on materials like steel could drastically increase construction costs, potentially exacerbating the housing crisis further.