The tax code should not be used for social or economic engineering.

The sole purpose of taxes (in competent governance) is to generate revenue.

This keeps the tax code simple and easy to understand. You can still have a progressive tax schedule (which is actually fairly simple), but you avoid the plethora of extra crap that gums up the works and gives tax lawyers work and rich people opportunities (largely non-visible and not easily understood by pretty much everyone else) to avoid taxes.

If you want to do social engineering or economic engineering it needs to be separate from the tax code. It needs to take the form of separately legislated and sunset-limited subsidies that are openly discussed and voted for and that the public can clearly see... and whose cost can be clearly seen.

And all income needs to be treated as income, regardless of it's form. That includes medical and other benefits.

This gives you a far better idea of what revenue is going to be and a far clearer picture of who is paying what.. and who is getting a government handout for reason X.

And, if people think that giving people that are paying mortgages a break because of that, then a subsidy can be voted for it. And you could put clear limits on it--because, frankly, hundred millionaires and up don't need help with the mortgage (or shouldn't).

And yes, that would increase my taxes because I get medical benefits and a mortgage deduction.