Update 565 — BBB Faces Housing Crisis:Residential Infrastructure and Recovery Democrats’ negotiations on Build Back Better are gathering momentum, as evidenced by the stream of detailed pare-backs and concessions reported this week. But progressives are mounting a defense of the bill’s housing provisions. Congress may cut housing outlays from the initially proposed $327 billion to as …
Update 543 — Survey of U.S. HousingImpact of Shortage, Price Spike, COVIDDespite the pandemic and economic crises, the U.S. housing market is seeing more sales than any year since 2006, with the high volume expected through 2021. Low-interest rates and cheap mortgage terms have fueled demand among Americans of means looking to move or buy. This demand …
Update 514 – Housing Shortage in the US:Problems, Solutions, and Odds of Reform The pandemic and its ensuing economic crisis have brought manifold housing challenges to the fore for both renters and owners. The rent remains too high and homeownership still beyond the means of too many people. The consensus view: the housing stock of …
Update 502 – 2020 GDP Drop of 3.5%Really Hits Home… Owners & Renters The economy shrank by 3.5 percent in 2020, the largest contraction since 1946 and the first annual decline since 2009. Consumer spending specifically took a major hit, decreasing from Q3 to Q4 — an alarming anomaly and a reminder that disposable income, …
Update 498 – Amid Heated Debate on TrumpEconomy, Jobs, Wages Stuck in Deep Freeze After the fatal occupation of the Capitol last week, the nation’s attention is squarely focused on the state of our democracy and approaching transfer of power. For the first time in our history, the House is poised to impeach the President …
Update 475 — Starts and Stops:Survey of the Housing Sector Among the economic issues exacerbated by the coronavirus and the recession, housing is among the main culprits. Below, we analyze the situation facing renters, homeowners, and homebuyers and offer solutions for the housing crisis. We pause to reflect on the life of Justice Ruth Bader …
Update 399 — A Tale of Two Houses:Impact of Inequality on Housing Politics Although not generally considered a major policy remit of the federal government — housing accounts for under one percent of federal spending — housing and related markets represent 15 percent of GDP. Problems in the streets and on the Street have prompted responses on the …
Update 375: Amid Volatility and Shades of ‘08Whither the Housing Market, Where Headed? The next recession is not a matter of it but when. As for how, we look for early warning signs where we wish we had last time. The U.S. housing market was at the epicenter of the financial crisis of 2008, both as …
Update 359 — House Financial Svcs. Cmte. Adopts Eight Bills; Focus on Housing Reform This week, the House Financial Services Committee marked up eight bills, including five housing proposals. Chair Waters has put housing front-and-center in her legislative agenda, with a particular focus on a ‘housing trilogy’ in the areas of affordability, discrimination, and homelessness. …
Update 358 — Here Comes a Housing Pitch: Can Mitch Afford to Swing and Miss? The major piece of unfinished business from the financial crisis of 2008 is housing finance and housing policy generally. The GSEs, under conservatorship since then, and long-standing problems in housing finance and the underlying market have been awaiting comprehensive reform. …
