The housing programs proposed in the reconciliation bill could help millions of Americans who desperately need housing assistance and begin to mitigate the damage of a stagnant housing supply.

Unlike other programs that "are barely worth passing at all," Ryan Cooper argues that the housing plan in the current reconciliation bill is "both necessary and excellent."
According to Cooper, the $327 billion plan "would be the biggest improvement in American housing policy in decades" and "would assist millions of people who desperately need it." If passed, it would expand Section 8 vouchers "by more than 50 percent over five years," provide "$80 billion in new capital grants for public housing and a temporary repeal of the Faircloth Amendment, which restricts the number of public housing units that can be built," and fund other programs that would incentivize upzoning and help people struggling to find housing.
The Biden plan would also "create millions of new rental units and homes for purchase so that assistance doesn't simply drive up prices on a fixed housing supply." Because "from about 2008 to 2014, housing investment was below the previous postwar record," Cooper writes, "[w]e need half a decade at least of exceptionally busy construction simply to make up for lost ground."
While the government often can't affect the supply side of housing, "today, housing supply could be drastically expanded — and this bill would help that happen."
FULL STORY: Biden's bold plan for American housing

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

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

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series
The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

Driving Equity and Clean Air: California Invests in Greener School Transportation
California has awarded $500 million to fund 1,000 zero-emission school buses and chargers for educational agencies as part of its effort to reduce pollution, improve student health, and accelerate the transition to clean transportation.

Congress Moves to End Reconnecting Communities and Related Grants
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee moved to rescind funding for the Neighborhood Equity and Access program, which funds highway removals, freeway caps, transit projects, pedestrian infrastructure, and more.

From Throughway to Public Space: Taking Back the American Street
How the Covid-19 pandemic taught us new ways to reclaim city streets from cars.
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