Today I read an interesting piece in the New York Times: "I Just Got Here, but I Know Trouble When I See It" Each offers a thought-proving perspective on various problems we face.
Of particular interest is the section that begins "Why do many middle-class families now struggle to get by on two paychecks, whereas most got by on just one back in the 1950s and ’60s?" which offers the concept of the "toil index" — the amount needed for a family to afford median housing, read in conjunction with the section "A Tax Credit to Fix A Housing Mess."
While I am in favor of choice-neutral tax policies, these notes suggest that a transition process of implementing a refundable housing expense credit in tandem with the phase out of the home mortgage expense deduction might have beneficial effects on multiple problems. An interesting suggestion for further reflection.