Ben Carson Wants to Triple Rents for Poor Americans

FEATURING MARIA FOSCARINIS – A month after he was in the news for ordering a $31,000 dining set for his office using tax payer funds, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson has announced a tripling of rent for public housing tenants.

Carson’s proposal caps the monthly rent for households to $150 a month, up from $50 a month. With Republicans having passed a hugely controversial tax reform bill last year that shifts more money to the richest Americans, this bill would reduce government expenses to keep up with the revenues lost to tax breaks. In other words, it appears that Republicans want poor Americans in government subsidized housing to pay more rent so wealthy Americans can have tax cuts.

Predictably this proposal is being cast within the framework of “reducing dependency” on government housing.

Maria Foscarinis, Executive Director of the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty.