With voters ranking rising costs as their top election concern, the center-left trade association Chamber of Progress is releasing a new Democratic Cost-of-Living Agenda, laying out a low-cost policy framework for reducing home, energy, health care, and childcare costs. 

Read the full agenda on cost of living and abundance solutions at BringCostsDown.org

The new policy agenda recommends concrete steps that federal, state, and local Democratic policymakers can take to decrease prices by creating a greater abundance of goods and services. The agenda – part of a growing “abundance” policy movement – provides candidates and lawmakers an alternative to unpopular and ineffective policy solutions, including “degrowth” agendas and subsidizing demand.

The agenda is authored by Chamber of Progress Senior Advisor and Middlebury College Professor Gary Winslett. The agenda offers policy recommendations in five areas:

• Housing: Zoning reforms, innovative housing types, and reduced construction input costs can all help bring housing prices down.
• Energy and infrastructure: Making it easier to create and transmit energy and build infrastructure will increase supply and lower energy costs.
• Healthcare: Increasing the number of providers and promoting competition will make healthcare less costly.
• Childcare: More childcare and a better social safety net for children will make family life more affordable.
• Inclusive Future: New technologies related to rural broadband, health and disability devices, climate change solutions, and autonomous vehicles can help ensure that our country’s bright future includes everyone.

“The high cost of living is the enemy in this year’s election. Democrats need a plan to defeat it, or they’ll get defeated by it,” said Winslett. “This agenda gives Dems a roadmap to reduce costs by increasing the supply of housing, health care, child care, and green energy. This is a handbook for tackling voters’ biggest concerns.”

WHAT ELECTED OFFICIALS AND ADVOCATES ARE SAYING
ABOUT THE COST OF LIVING AGENDA:

“We are facing a housing crisis in Pennsylvania and across the country,” said Senator John Fetterman (D-PA). “The housing supply simply doesn’t meet the need. We need to change that, but excessive regulatory red tape and overly burdensome and restrictive zoning requirements get in the way.”

“New Dems are proud to be leading the fight in Congress to tackle inflation, lower costs and grow the middle class with pragmatic solutions and bold leadership,” said New Democrat Coalition Chair Annie Kuster (D-N.H). “We thank the Chamber of Progress for highlighting the work of our great members and for its work demonstrating to the American people that the Democrats are the party of solutions.”

“I’m proud to support efforts to ensure that all Americans can participate in our economy and provide for their families without fear of financial burden,” said Rep. Darren Soto (D-FL). “There is still work to do, and we will continue to support organizations like Chamber of Progress that are working to create effective solutions that will empower and protect consumers.”

“High housing costs are one of the biggest challenges in San Francisco and other major cities nationwide,” said San Francisco Mayor London Breed. “We have already taken many steps in San Francisco to accelerate housing production and lower the overall costs of housing in line with many recommendations of this plan, but we know we have more work to do. I hope leaders across the country will work to reduce bureaucratic barriers to building more homes so that we can create more opportunities for everyone to thrive.”

“Dr. Winslett has provided a succinct summary of the cost drivers, and the regulatory mechanisms that have fostered the current housing crisis,” said Alex Farrell, Commissioner, Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development. “This is a clear-eyed and analytical framework for reconfiguring our housing creation and delivery systems in a way that makes better use of our land and resources. This represents a truly progressive and productive housing agenda.”

“As NewDEAL Leaders work on the front lines to develop solutions to issues like housing, energy, health care, and child care, I’m thrilled that the Chamber of Progress has laid out this roadmap for pragmatic policies that address the cost of living head-on,” said Debbie Cox Bultan, CEO, NewDEAL, the network of state and local leaders, and the NewDEAL Forum. “State and local officials’ efforts to implement these types of ideas are vital to expanding economic opportunity for all Americans.”

“I’m excited to see the Chamber of Progress champion abundance-driven policy recommendations that can lower costs and increase economic mobility,” said Derek Kaufman, Founder and CEO, Inclusive Abundance Initiative. “These solutions are meant to create a more vibrant future for all Americans, and we hope policymakers across the ideological spectrum will see the incredible potential of the abundance agenda.”

“The cost of housing in America has been steadily eroding the middle class for decades, and the Chamber of Progress outlines a clear path for Democrats looking to reverse this trend,” said Laura Foote, Executive Director, YIMBY Action. “This report offers a thorough review of the successful pro-housing legislation being passed right now in cities and state legislatures across the United States to bring down the cost of housing. It’s a valuable toolkit for any state or local leaders looking for inspiration on policies they can use today for a more affordable tomorrow.”

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Chamber of Progress (progresschamber.org) is a center-left tech industry policy coalition promoting technology’s progressive future.  We work to ensure that all Americans benefit from technological leaps, and that the tech industry operates responsibly and fairly.  

Our corporate partners do not have a vote on or veto over our positions. We do not speak for individual partner companies and remain true to our stated principles even when our partners disagree.