The American Housing and Economic Mobility Act probably has no chance of passing into law, but it's still the most substantial gesture toward housing policy by a member of Congress since the subprime crisis of 2008.

Madeleine Carlisle describes a bill released today by Senator Elizabeth Warren (D - Massachusetts) as "perhaps the most far-reaching assault on housing segregation since the 1968 Fair Housing Act."
The American Housing and Economic Mobility Act, as the bill is titled, would the estate tax to generate revenue for a $500 billion to be spent on affordable-housing programs over ten years. The bill also "attempts to strip away the zoning laws that made developing housing so expensive in the first place," according to Carlisle.
Much of Carlisle's coverage places the bill in context of Senator Warren's hypothetical presidential ambitions. "The sheer scale of the bill, along with its focus on structural racism and government responsibility, places Warren’s brand of populist progressivism on full display," writes Carlisle. "An undertaking of this magnitude is sure to energize her base. But would its combination of tax increases, grants to homeowners, government incentives, and bank regulation make housing more affordable to working- and middle-class people?"
FULL STORY: Elizabeth Warren’s Ambitious Fix for America’s Housing Crisis

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
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