See the interactive simulation on PolicyEngine — In a pitch today for Conservatives to elect him Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak has proposed lowering the basic rate of income tax from 20 percent to 16 percent by the end of the next parliament. …

You design the policy. We compute the poverty, inequality, and budgetary impacts. — Since we beta-launched PolicyEngine US in March, we’ve been working on two major new features: (a) state taxes and benefits, and (b) microdata for population-level analysis. We’re thrilled to share that we’ve launched an initial version of the latter. …

“There are some residents in Oxnard who are actively working to get more housing built. They’re fighting for zoning changes, lobbying for local candidates who are pro-affordable housing, and more.” — Earlier this month, I had a chance to speak with KCRW reporter Giuliana Mayo about Ventura County YIMBY for a story they were producing about Oxnard’s housing crisis. KCRW released that story today in their series Born and Razed, titled, “Oxnard’s housing crunch looks a little different from rest of…

Register for the BIG Conference June 23–25 and the Rules as Code Demo Day June 28 — From June 23 to 25, we’ll present PolicyEngine and PolicyEngine-based research at the 20th Annual Basic Income Guarantee Conference. The first two days will be in-person in Portland, Oregon, and the final day will be virtual. Then on June 28, we’ll present PolicyEngine at the first Rules as Code Demo…

See the analysis in PolicyEngine UK — Today, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a new Cost of Living Support package of cash transfers: £650 to households receiving means-tested benefits £150 to households receiving non-means-tested disability benefits £300 to households receiving the Winter Fuel Payment (i.e., those with pensioners) £200 to households receiving energy bills, doubling the…

Today, we’re beta-launching PolicyEngine US and several other new features. — Last October, we launched PolicyEngine UK, bringing free, open-source, web-based tax and benefit analysis to the UK for the first time. Since then, users have asked us one question more than any other: “When is it coming to the US?” …

Shilling for the bracket — TL;DR: vote for me in the Neoliberal Shill Bracket Update 2022–03–19: I narrowly beat Josh Barro in the first round and now face the YIMBY Neoliberal chapter. Update 2022–03–20: Congratulations to YIMBY Neoliberal for their victory. Thanks to those who supported me, here’s to next year! If you log on…

I gave the following public comment at tonight’s Oxnard City Council meeting, regarding a proposal to rezone commercial districts of the mixed-use Riverpark neighborhood to allow 1,025 apartments. The Oxnard Planning Commission suggested allowing only 613 apartments. Good evening Mayor Zaragoza, City Councilmembers, and City Staff, You know all the…

City Council should stop pretending we can solve our housing crisis without legalizing apartments. — Tomorrow, Oxnard City Council will vote on a proposal to cap rent increases at 5% per year (nominal), sunsetting in 2030. I sent them this email. In October, I shared with you evidence on the harms of rent control. These studies, from institutions ranging from Harvard to CSUN to the…