A third-generation Marylander, Ben Cardin has been a national leader on health care, retirement security, the environment and fiscal issues while representing the people of Maryland in the U.S. Senate, and before that in the House of Representatives. He has worked across party lines to further U.S. national security and to ensure that good governance, transparency and respect for human rights are integrated into American foreign policy.
First elected to the Senate in 2006, Senator Cardin currently serves as Chair of the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Committee, which is at the forefront of rebuilding our economy. He is a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations, Finance, and Environment & Public Works committees.
Everyone deserves a safe and secure place to call home. Throughout my career, I have championed resources that promote ubiquitous access to affordable housing for all Americans, regardless of income level. Still, the work is far from done. According to a study conducted by the National Center for Smart Growth at the University of Maryland and Enterprise Community Partners, Inc, Maryland will add approximately 97,200 extremely and very low-income households between 2020 and 2030. We must continue to create fair housing opportunities in our communities, making sure not to leave anyone behind.
As a member of the Senate Finance Committee, I am pleased to have introduced legislation that promotes the renovation of single-family homes in distressed rural and urban areas. My bipartisan bill, The Neighborhood Homes Investment Act (NHIA) creates a federal tax credit that covers the cost between purchasing and renovating a home in these targeted areas and the price at which they can be sold. This tax credit program would close the current “value gap” where the cost to purchase and renovate single-family homes costs more than the property is worth, leading to a continuance of blighted, vacant homes in neighborhoods across the country. The NHIA would help existing homeowners in these neighborhoods renovate and stay in their homes. I am also proud of the work I’ve done to advocate for federal funding in Maryland to support affordable housing projects. Since the start of the Biden administration, Maryland has received millions of dollars to remove lead from homes, provide housing counseling services, support housing assistance for veterans, and more.