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Housing Policy

All articles tagged with #housing policy

Mamdani Unveils Citywide Plan Aiming for 400,000 Affordable Homes
local5 hours ago

Mamdani Unveils Citywide Plan Aiming for 400,000 Affordable Homes

NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani unveiled a 'block by block' plan to tackle the affordable-housing crisis, aiming to deliver 400,000 affordable homes over the next decade—200,000 new rent-stabilized units and 200,000 preserved or stabilized ones—backed by a $22 billion five-year capital investment. The plan also expands tenant protections, pledges a major NYCHA investment ($5.6B over five years) and a revamped 311 system to improve service, and seeks to keep NYCHA publicly owned. Mamdani says the initiative will create construction jobs and reflect input from residents. Housing advocates praise its ambition and all-of-the-above approach, while some industry groups criticize costs, the use of project labor agreements, and whether rent-stabilized needs are fully addressed; supporters call it the most ambitious housing push in years and a path to reducing homelessness.

politics1 day ago

Congress Moves to Limit Wall Street's Grip on Single-Family Rentals

Congressional leaders in both chambers voted to ban large institutional investors from buying more single-family homes, a bipartisan move aimed at curbing Wall Street’s footprint in the housing market. While proponents say it signals who’s in charge and could slightly improve inventory in some markets, experts note the effect on affordability is likely limited since institutional owners account for a small share nationwide and much of their stock is leased or in need of repairs. The measure is part of a broader housing package to boost supply, though Senate language requiring seven-year rentals to be sold to individuals faces House opposition and concerns it could hamper new construction. Publicsupport for limits is high, but real-world effects may be modest.

politics2 months ago

Trump’s Hill Visit Could Rally or Fracture GOP on DHS and Housing Talks

Trump headlines a GOP dinner on Capitol Hill as House and Senate Republicans wrestle with a DHS funding deal and a housing affordability stalemate, with Trump yet to publicly back a framework and leaders unsure of votes or timing. The day’s coverage also includes a bipartisan push to bar members of Congress from trading on prediction markets (the PREDICT Act) and ongoing debates over a second reconciliation package to fund defense, homeland security, and immigration policies, alongside discussions of a potential 18-month extension of the Section 702 surveillance program and related tax/energy policy moves. Meanwhile, leadership turnover and interparty dynamics continue to shape whether a unified GOP agenda can advance before upcoming deadlines.

Portland's middle-housing bet could reshape affordable housing nationwide
business2 months ago

Portland's middle-housing bet could reshape affordable housing nationwide

Portland’s zoning overhaul legalized duplexes, fourplexes and backyard homes and then removed the barriers to building them, turning “middle housing” into a practical, cheaper path to homeownership; the city’s incentives and streamlined permitting have spurred more construction, a model that other cities are watching and copying.

White House Deregulation Push Aims to Broaden Mortgage Access
politics2 months ago

White House Deregulation Push Aims to Broaden Mortgage Access

President Trump signed an Executive Order to reduce mortgage-regulatory burdens, directing the CFPB to tailor rules for smaller banks, modernize HMDA, ease appraisal requirements, and expand digital mortgage tools to lower costs and expand access for rural, first-time, and low-/moderate-income borrowers, while boosting competition in the mortgage market and citing ongoing deregulation initiatives.

Investor Ban Delays Bipartisan Housing Bill as House and Senate Clash
politics2 months ago

Investor Ban Delays Bipartisan Housing Bill as House and Senate Clash

A major housing affordability package that cleared the Senate faces a likely impasse in the House over a provision barring large investors from buying single-family homes. House leaders expect a conference committee to reconcile differences, while the House’s version passed 390-9 and the Senate has a broadly supported bill but with a cap on corporate ownership (no more than 350 homes) and a seven-year sale exception for builders. Critics warn the ban could limit capital for new homes and affect prices; President Trump has urged lawmakers to adopt the investor ban. A bicameral path remains possible if compromises are reached.

politics2 months ago

House GOP signals changes needed before passing Senate housing bill

The House Freedom Caucus chair warned that the Senate’s 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act cannot pass the House without changes, signaling possible conference talks or amendments. Key points of contention include a temporary ban on a Federal Reserve–backed digital currency and opposition to a provision regulating build-to-rent and large institutional buyers of single-family homes. The Senate plans a final vote soon, while Republicans push for fixes, and the White House has urged support for a compromised version.

Trump Administration Promises Broad Push to Rebuild Homeownership and Lower Costs
politics3 months ago

Trump Administration Promises Broad Push to Rebuild Homeownership and Lower Costs

The White House asserts its government-wide housing plan is lowering costs and expanding access to homeownership, noting mortgage rates have fallen to multi-year lows, affordability indices and buyer activity are improving, rents are down, and refinancings are surging. It highlights actions such as directing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to purchase $200 billion in mortgage-backed securities to reduce borrowing costs, curbing large institutional purchases of single-family homes, restricting taxpayer-backed mortgages to U.S. citizens, and scrapping the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule to streamline local housing decisions. The administration says these measures will strengthen the housing market for American families and advance the dream of homeownership.

Trump's Housing Pivot Blames Wall Street, but Data Say It Won't Move Prices
politics3 months ago

Trump's Housing Pivot Blames Wall Street, but Data Say It Won't Move Prices

President Trump pivots to blaming 'institutional investors' for high housing costs and pushes a ban; Catherine Rampell explains that these investors own only a small share of single-family rentals, have been net sellers while shifting to build-to-rent, and banning them would likely have little effect on affordability and could raise costs in some markets. Real fixes require zoning reform, streamlined permitting, and broader policy changes, while demagoguery about Wall Street misses the bigger picture.

politics3 months ago

House GOP lines up next week for bipartisan housing bill vote

House Republicans plan a floor vote the week of Feb. 9 on the bipartisan Housing for the 21st Century Act, a 25-provision package to boost housing supply and modernize programs, potentially using suspension of House rules to speed passage. The effort comes as lawmakers balance the measure with a Senate-passed companion and the ongoing risk of a partial government shutdown, with GOP concerns over certain provisions in the Senate bill complicating cross-chamber negotiations.