Rethinking Affordable Housing Tax Policy

Affordable housing is an issue that has had long-standing bipartisan interest in D.C. But the path to increase the supply of affordable housing, though often well-intentioned, has created a bureaucratic nightmare.

Large programs like the Low-Income Housing Tax CreditA tax credit is a provision that reduces a taxpayer’s final tax bill, dollar-for-dollar. A tax credit differs from deductions and exemptions, which reduce taxable income, rather than the taxpayer’s tax bill directly. , and other initiatives like rehabilitation taxA tax is a mandatory payment or charge collected by local, state, and national governments from individuals or businesses to cover the costs of general government services, goods, and activities. credits and grants, have created a web of complexity that makes these policies less helpful than they were meant to be.

Garrett Watson, senior policy analyst, joins Jesse to break down the tax code’s relationship to affordable housing. He also discusses his testimony to the U.S. Senate about this topic, and where he thinks lawmakers should focus their efforts as they continue to debate these tax programs.