Affordable Housing Subsidies

Question A: A tax credit for low-income housing developers will significantly lower housing prices for low-income renters.

Question B: A tax credit for low-income housing developers will grow the economy.

Question C: A tax credit for low-income housing developers will reduce inequality.

Question A: A tax credit for low-income housing developers will significantly lower housing prices for low-income renters.

Economist	Institution	Opinion	Confidence	Comment
Jonathan Andreas	Bluffton University	Agree	5	Housing costs (particularly for starter homes) are higher now than they have been historically because of a supply problem. America just isn't making housing as fast as in the past, and this is especially true for affordable housing. I doubt this is the most cost-effective way to increase the supply of housing, but the best way is often politically infeasible and this should increase the supply of housing.
Bizuayehu Bedane	Marietta College	Agree	7
David Brasington	University of Cincinnati	Agree	7
Kenneth Fah	Ohio Dominican University	Uncertain	9
Nancy Haskell	University of Dayton	Agree	9
Faria Huq	Lake Erie College	Uncertain	5
Michael Jones	University of Cincinnati	Agree	5
Charles Kroncke	Mount Saint Joseph University	Strongly Disagree	9	Only if government mandates specific rental prices. Even then, I would expect developers to have a preference for market priced developments.
Trevon Logan	Ohio State University	Disagree	7
Diane Monaco	Economics Professor	Strongly Disagree	8	In the 2024-2025 Budget Proposal, the Ohio Republican supermajority autocrats slashed food and housing expenditures for the poor and children but have generous income and tax cuts for commercial developers. The May 2023 U.S. Census had estimated that 727,000 Ohioans before these diminished budget expenditures for the poor and children already didn't have enough to eat. This budget is a disgrace!
Michael Myler	University of Mount Union	Agree	8
Joe Nowakowski	Muskingum University	Agree	6
Curtis Reynolds	Kent State University	Uncertain	5	An increased supply of affordable housing would lower rents, but how much of a tax credit would be required and whether that is the best use of resources is less clear
Lewis Sage	Baldwin Wallace University	Disagree	8
Dean Snyder	Antioch College	Agree	5
Kay Strong	Independent	Strongly Disagree	10
Ejindu Ume	Miami University	Agree	8
Kathryn Wilson	Kent State University	Agree	6	I believe it will lower housing prices, although I don't know that the reduction will be "significantly lower"
Rachel Wilson	Wittenberg University	Agree	8	If we increase the supply it should lower prices.

Question B: A tax credit for low-income housing developers will grow the economy.

Economist	Institution	Opinion	Confidence	Comment
Jonathan Andreas	Bluffton University	Disagree	7	I would strongly agree if we were in a recession, but unemployment is currently very low, so it is unlikely to have much effect on GDP. However, the meaning of life is not to grow the economy but to increase wellbeing (however you want to define that) and even though better housing (clothing, entertainment, relationships, ethics, freedom, etc.) may not grow the economy, they are still worth seeking for their own sake.
Bizuayehu Bedane	Marietta College	Uncertain	8
David Brasington	University of Cincinnati	Uncertain	10
Kenneth Fah	Ohio Dominican University	Uncertain	9
Nancy Haskell	University of Dayton	Uncertain	6
Faria Huq	Lake Erie College	Uncertain	5
Michael Jones	University of Cincinnati	Disagree	5
Charles Kroncke	Mount Saint Joseph University	Strongly Disagree	10	It is just moving money from tax payers to developers.
Trevon Logan	Ohio State University	Uncertain	8
Diane Monaco	Economics Professor	Strongly Disagree	8	In the 2024-2025 Budget Proposal, the Ohio Republican supermajority autocrats slashed food and housing expenditures for the poor and children but have generous income and tax cuts for commercial developers. The May 2023 U.S. Census had estimated that 727,000 Ohioans before these diminished budget expenditures for the poor and children already didn't have enough to eat. This budget is a disgrace!
Michael Myler	University of Mount Union	Agree	8
Joe Nowakowski	Muskingum University	Agree	6
Curtis Reynolds	Kent State University	Disagree	3
Lewis Sage	Baldwin Wallace University	Uncertain	4
Dean Snyder	Antioch College	Agree	7
Kay Strong	Independent	Strongly Disagree	10
Ejindu Ume	Miami University	Agree	6
Kathryn Wilson	Kent State University	Agree	7
Rachel Wilson	Wittenberg University	Agree	8	Housing equity is one of the first steps to building wealth. The wealth effect can stimulate spending.

Question C: A tax credit for low-income housing developers will reduce inequality.

Economist	Institution	Opinion	Confidence	Comment
Jonathan Andreas	Bluffton University	Agree	7	How much effect it will have on inequality will be determined by how effective it is at increasing the supply of affordable housing. I'd love to see it phased in as a RCT so we could try to estimate how effective it is as a model for the rest of the nation.
Bizuayehu Bedane	Marietta College	Agree	8
David Brasington	University of Cincinnati	Uncertain	10
Kenneth Fah	Ohio Dominican University	Uncertain	9
Nancy Haskell	University of Dayton	Agree	9
Faria Huq	Lake Erie College	Uncertain	5
Michael Jones	University of Cincinnati	Uncertain	5
Charles Kroncke	Mount Saint Joseph University	Disagree	8	A reduction in inequality can only be achieved by reducing government corruption that favors wealthy developers.
Trevon Logan	Ohio State University	Uncertain	8
Diane Monaco	Economics Professor	Strongly Disagree	8	In the 2024-2025 Budget Proposal, the Ohio Republican supermajority autocrats slashed food and housing expenditures for the poor and children but have generous income and tax cuts for commercial developers. The May 2023 U.S. Census had estimated that 727,000 Ohioans before these diminished budget expenditures for the poor and children already didn't have enough to eat. This budget is a disgrace!
Michael Myler	University of Mount Union	No Opinion	5	This depends on how you define inequality. If more low-income households own a house rather than renting an apartment, is that a reduction in inequality?
Joe Nowakowski	Muskingum University	Uncertain	6
Curtis Reynolds	Kent State University	Agree	5
Lewis Sage	Baldwin Wallace University	Uncertain	4
Dean Snyder	Antioch College	Agree	4
Kay Strong	Independent	Strongly Disagree	10
Ejindu Ume	Miami University	Agree	7
Kathryn Wilson	Kent State University	Strongly Agree	8
Rachel Wilson	Wittenberg University	Agree	6	The country needs more housing fast. Communities that proactively respond and embrace these changes will reap benefit in the years to come. City governments and planners must consider how to partner with builders and incentivize them to build. In addition, communities need to be flexible and approve multifamily units and consider housing co-ops to achieve economies of scale.