Interviews during 2018-2020: on Welfare & Poverty

Bernie Sanders: 1980s USSR housing worse than U.S.'s, but they pay only 5%

Sanders' criticism [of the U.S.] reportedly included knocking the cost of housing and health care in the U.S. while blasting the U.S. for interventions in other countries. During an hour-long news conference upon his return to the U.S., Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist, seemed unrepentant. "The fact that we were willing to be critical of the U.S.--I think that made them maybe more appreciative of our criticisms we made of their own society," he said. "We were saying, 'Yeah, in our country, we also have a housing crisis. Our housing in general is better than yours, but people are paying 40% of their income for housing. The quality of your housing is not good, but we appreciate the fact that people are paying 5%. The quality of your health care is not good, but in the United States, believe me, we have enormous problems in terms of our health-care system.'"

Beto O`Rourke: Pushed "El Paso renaissance": Walmart replaces poor housing

O'Rourke, fluent in Spanish like his father, went door-to-door trying to convince residents the city would build affordable housing elsewhere.

Opponents pointed out that his father-in-law stood to profit from the plans. The city opened an ethics investigation, and though O'Rourke was cleared of wrongdoing, he recused himself in the public debate and from voting on it. In the end, the plans collapsed because the economy cratered in 2008 and capital dried up.

Elizabeth Warren: Address housing crisis by assisting cities & homebuyers

Kamala Harris: LIFT Act and Rent Relief: $42 billion to people in poverty

The Rent Relief Act ($93 billion a year) would offer a refundable tax credit to people making $100,000 or less and spending at least 30% of their income on rent. The credit would be worth a certain percentage of the difference between their rent and 30% of their income. For the poorest renters, the credit would cover the full difference; for slightly less poor renters, 75%, and so on.

The LIFT Act Rent Relief Act would provide $42 billion to people in poverty.