Economy

Joe Biden, Gentrification Foe, Has a Housing Plan

Biden pledged to halt displacement during the South Carolina debate—a reflection of how critical housing is in a state with sky-high eviction rates.
House Majority Whip James Clyburn with former Vice President Joe Biden at the South Carolina Ministers' Breakfast in North Charleston, South Carolina.Sam Wolfe/Bloomberg

Former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden made a striking pledge during the Democratic presidential debate in South Carolina on February 25: “We’re going to go after those people involved in gentrification.”

His promise came in response to a question about how candidates can convince black voters that they will address the effects of years of inequities — an issue of concern going into the South Carolina primary, the first in which a state with a sizable African-American population will weigh in on the White House race.