GW Work

Federal housing subsidies overwhelmingly benefit homeowners over renters and wealthier Americans over poorer Americans through the US tax code. A better balance in both areas is needed to encourage equitable economic growth. The mortgage interest deduction is the primary driver of this imbalance and is by far the federal government's largest investment in housing. Further, no evidence exists that the mortgage interest deduction encourages renters to become owners. Rather, its documented effect has been to encourage those who would purchase homes to buy bigger homes. Modest reforms to the mortgage interest deduction are necessary because of its size and inequitable nature. Any and all savings achieved through reforms must be used to balance housing subsidies by providing more resources for low- and moderate-income renters and owners.

Author

• Woodruff, Frank

Identifier

• Volume 21

DOI

•  https://doi.org/10.4079/pp.v21i0.13352

Keyword

• Policy Perspectives
• Urban Policy
• Economic Policy
• Social Policy

Date created

• 2014

Type of Work

• Article

Rights statement

• In Copyright

GW Unit

• Trachtenberg School of Public Policy & Public Administration

Persistent URL

•  https://scholarspace.library.gwu.edu/work/6w924c41d

License

• All rights reserved

Relationships

In Collection:

• Policy Perspectives

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