A proposed graduated scale based on the size of homes would chop away at the federal tax deductions for mortgage interest that property owners are allowed to claim. The cutback would affect all homes larger than 3,000 square feet.
"Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, wants to phase out mortgage interest write-offs for houses larger than 3,000 square feet, using a graduated scale that ends at no deductions for properties with 4,200 square feet or more."
"Although he says he recognizes that newly constructed houses may be more energy efficient than older ones, their 'sheer size, sprawl and commutes lead to dramatically more energy use - or to put it more simply, a larger carbon footprint.'"
"Under the plan, owners of 3,000- to 3,199-square-foot homes would be eligible for only 85 percent of the mortgage interest deductions they now receive. Homes of 3,600 to 3,799 square feet would lose 60 percent of the interest deductions, homes of 4,000 to 4,199 square feet would lose 90 percent and homes above 4,200 square feet would get no deductions."
"Mortgage interest write-offs are among the largest benefits in the federal tax code. The congressional Joint Committee on Taxation estimates that homeowners will take $402.7 billion in deductions between fiscal 2006 and 2010."
FULL STORY: Nation's Housing: No deduction for mortgage interest on big houses?

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

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

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

In Both Crashes and Crime, Public Transportation is Far Safer than Driving
Contrary to popular assumptions, public transportation has far lower crash and crime rates than automobile travel. For safer communities, improve and encourage transit travel.

Report: Zoning Reforms Should Complement Nashville’s Ambitious Transit Plan
Without reform, restrictive zoning codes will limit the impact of the city’s planned transit expansion and could exclude some of the residents who depend on transit the most.

Judge Orders Release of Frozen IRA, IIJA Funding
The decision is a victory for environmental groups who charged that freezing funds for critical infrastructure and disaster response programs caused “real and irreparable harm” to communities.
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