It costs 24% more to rent the typical home in the Detroit area than it does to buy it; the biggest rent premium among the 50 most populous metro areas studied by Redfin. Luckily, a new land value tax plan from Detroit’s mayor will redistribute a portion of the collected rent or imputed rent from landowners back to the city to encourage development of more rental units while discouraging building vacancy, Forbes reports.
Implementing a land value tax in Detroit requires a law change at the state legislature, but if successfully legalized, Detroit’s new tax structure could serve as a model for the nation in a wider effort to add more rental supply and resolve the housing affordability crisis.
Growing cities may pass a land value tax to encourage the development of housing units to accommodate more residents while raising tax revenue more efficiently. Unlike income, property, and sales tax, a land value tax supports sustainable economic growth. Detroit may be the most extreme example of a city that has been unable to sustain economic growth, so if a land value tax works in Detroit, more cities will likely follow suit.
Advertisement
Related Stories
Housing Markets
5 Housing Markets That Would See a Huge Increase in Homeownership if Mortgage Rates Dropped
Spokane, Wash., would experience an 11.4% increase in affordability if rates dropped to 6%
Housing Markets
Spring Housing Markets: Which Markets Saw the Most Appreciation, and Which Saw the Least?
Florida metros saw the weakest appreciation of all housing markets in the US
Business Management
How 2023's Housing Market Conditions Are Affecting the 2024 Market
Last year ended on an optimistic note, but persistent headwinds still exist to keep 2024 from getting the housing market back to pre-pandemic levels