Tag

Housing Policy

All articles tagged with #housing policy

politics13 days ago•3 min saved

Burnham Launches 'Your First Home' Scheme to Aid 2.5% Deposit Buyers

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has announced a new government-backed equity loan scheme called 'Your First Home' to assist first-time buyers in England. The initiative offers a 20% loan on new-build properties, requiring only a 2.5% deposit, with an initial interest-free period. The policy aims to support those without family financial support, funded by reprioritized budgets and developer fees. While the Home Builders Federation welcomed the move, Conservatives criticized it as increasing debt and potentially raising house prices. Details, including income caps and price limits, are expected in the upcoming Budget.

via BBC|

#andy-burnham #first-time-buyers #housing-policy

urban-development14 days ago•2 min saved

NYC Council Unveils 5,000-Unit North Shore Plan to Rival New Jersey Waterfronts

The New York City Council released a new development plan, North Shore NYC, aiming to construct over 5,000 apartments across Tompkinsville, Stapleton, and St. George. The proposal seeks to transform the borough's underutilized waterfront into a mixed-use 'downtown' area, explicitly modeling its density and speed on successful New Jersey communities like Hoboken and Jersey City. Council Speaker Julie Menin framed the initiative as a proactive land use strategy to reclaim control from mayoral overrule powers, while Councilmember Kamillah Hanks argued that current zoning restrictions have left the area vacant and forced residents to seek housing across the state line.

via Gothamist|

#housing-policy #nyc-council #staten-island

politics16 days ago•2 min saved

Berlin’s historic Left victory contrasts with AfD’s eastern gains

Berlin voters elected Elif Eralp of the Left party as their new mayor, marking a historic shift toward anti-capitalist and pro-migrant policies. While the Left secured 25.7% of the vote, the far-right AfD also gained ground, winning in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and finishing third in Berlin. This split outcome highlights a deepening polarization in German politics, with the Left focusing on housing affordability and the AfD capitalizing on anti-immigrant sentiment.

via Al Jazeera|

#afd #berlin-politics #die-linke

politics19 days ago•8 min saved

Rising Mortgage Costs Cloud GOP Housing Push

Rising mortgage costs, driven by inflation tied to Trump’s Iran conflict and tariffs, complicate Republicans’ bid to frame housing as affordable, even as they push a bipartisan ROAD to Housing plan to boost supply. With 30-year mortgage rates near 7% and the Fed signaling higher rates, relief from the new law will take months or years, forcing GOP to navigate blame between Biden and Trump while voters still identify housing as a top issue.

via Politico|

#biden #housing-policy #inflation

politics1 month ago•12 min saved

DC landlord fights to reclaim basement as squatters turn building into drug haven

A Washington, D.C. landlord fights a months-long battle in DC Superior Court to remove squatters who allegedly turned her basement into a drug haven, highlighting the city’s eviction process, limits on police action, and broader tensions over property rights and housing policy.

via Fox News|

#eviction #housing-policy #landlords

politics1 month ago•3 min saved

Reform UK pledges under-35 British-born workers priority for social housing

Reform UK says it would prioritise British-born workers under 35 for social housing and would deliver 50,000 affordable homes a year with no new taxes or borrowing if in government, with former military personnel and married couples with children also given priority; Labour and Lib Dems criticise it as unworkable and cynical, and the plan sits amid broader debate about migrants in social housing and the extent of foreign nationals occupying current social homes.

via BBC|

#housing-policy #politics #reform-uk

local-news2 months ago•4 min saved

State housing laws push Marina Safeway project toward ministerial approval

A planned 22-story, 800-unit Marina Safeway replacement by Align Real Estate and Albertsons appears set for ministerial approval after California housing laws and density-bonus rules bypass local discretionary review. San Francisco Planning Director Sarah Dennis Phillips ruled the site qualifies as urban uses, effectively limiting opponents’ leverage, and while a town-hall debate continues, the project now faces the customary permitting process rather than a full political fight.

via The San Francisco Standard|

#housing-policy #local-news #ministerial-approval

politics2 months ago•8 min saved

Housing bill signed, but HUD staffing crunch could slow implementation

The bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act is now law, but its rollout hinges on HUD’s ability to implement dozens of new rules and programs. The department has shed more than 30% of its core policy workforce in three years and lacks dedicated funding for staffing, raising concerns about how quickly regulations can be issued and affordability goals achieved, even as some lawmakers and allies push to support rulemaking efforts and partnerships to speed up the process.

via Politico|

#housing-policy #hud #implementation

business2 months ago•16 min saved

Fed analysis upends state-by-state homeownership rankings

A Federal Reserve economist finds that the traditional owner-occupancy rate—often used to gauge how many Americans own homes—underestimates ownership because many people live in homes owned by family or friends. When counting people in owner-occupied homes (the ‘household ownership’ metric), Wyoming and Maine rise to the top, while the old leader West Virginia (about 75% owner-occupied) and nearby Delaware fall in the rankings, with Delaware dropping to 16th. Hawaii has the largest gap between the two measures due to high housing costs and multigenerational households. The Washington Post links to the full state-by-state rankings for both measures.

via The Washington Post|

#business #federal-reserve-system #housing

business2 months ago•19 min saved

A new Fed metric suggests only about half of Americans own homes

A Federal Reserve economist argues the U.S. homeownership rate is mismeasured, proposing the homeowners-to-population ratio (HPOP) which puts ownership at roughly 53% of adults and highlights factors like adults living with relatives, aging homeowners, and slower gains for younger buyers.

via The Washington Post|

#business #government-policy #housing

politics2 months ago•2 min saved

California Law Aims to Slash Affordable-Housing Construction Costs

Governor Gavin Newsom signed a housing affordability bill to cut per-unit construction costs for affordable housing by $60,000–$70,000 by reducing impact fees and streamlining approvals, a move officials say will spur development as California grapples with high living costs. A Terner Center study notes statewide impact fees average about $300 million annually, and supporters argue the reforms will ease the housing shortage while critiques highlight broader policy disputes.

via KQED|

#affordable-housing #california #gavin-newsom

policy2 months ago•5 min saved

Federal housing bill could accelerate California construction

The biggest housing bill in decades became law even without President Trump’s signature, aimed at jumpstarting housing construction nationwide through city-building grants, cheaper regulatory pathways for pre-built housing, and disaster-recovery programs. California—where prices are among the nation’s highest and demand is greatest—could benefit from incentives to build more, but the state still faces a deep shortage and ongoing affordability challenges as the law takes effect automatically.

via CalMatters|

#affordability #california #federal-policy

politics2 months ago•18 min saved

Congress-approved housing bill becomes law as Trump calls it a “big yawn” and withholds signature

The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act cleared Congress with broad bipartisan support and became law at midnight after President Trump declined to sign, branding the measure a “big yawn” and urging passage of the competing SAVE America Act. Since non‑vetoed bills become law after 10 days, it automatically took effect. The bill aims to boost housing supply and lower costs by cutting red tape—such as removing the steel chassis requirement for mobile homes—and by creating a $200 million Innovation Fund over seven years plus $50 million in provisional grants to speed pro-housing designs. Analysts warn affordability improvements will take years even with the new law, and while it addresses supply, it won’t cure the housing crisis overnight.

via Yahoo Finance|

#bipartisanship #housing-affordability #housing-policy

us-politics3 months ago•2 min saved

Housing bill set to take effect without Trump’s signature amid voting-rights dispute

A bipartisan housing bill will become law at midnight without President Trump’s signature after he refused to sign in protest of a separate voting-restrictions measure; the 21st Century Road to Housing Act passed Congress with broad margins and will take effect after a 10-day countdown once Speaker Mike Johnson sent it to the White House. Democrats criticized Trump’s stance, while he has also fired the remaining commissioners of an independent election body, fueling midterm concerns.

via The Guardian|

#congress #housing-policy #midterms

business3 months ago•20 min saved

ADUs turn backyards into multigenerational hubs

State laws expanding accessory dwelling units (ADUs) are letting families live multigenerationally on one property, turning backyards into small compounds and boosting housing options. While California leads adoption and ADUs can serve as family homes or rentals, builders still face zoning hurdles and high costs; experts say ADUs have potential to stabilize families and expand housing stock, though data on scale is limited.

via The Washington Post|

#affordable-housing #business #housing