As the Federal Housing Administration looks for new ways of dealing with the nation's foreclosed homes, more voices are calling for those homes to be repurposed as rentals.
"A foreclosed home is a problem for the neighbors, the bank that owns it, certainly the family that lost it -- but it's a problem for the rest of us, too. Banks price them at rock-bottom to get rid of them, and that depresses prices for the whole market. The government, through Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, the Federal Housing Administration -- own hundreds of thousands of foreclosed homes."
Officials are trying to find ways to entice banks into renting out those foreclosures.
FULL STORY: Plan would turn foreclosures into rentals

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

Congressman Proposes Bill to Rename DC Metro “Trump Train”
The Make Autorail Great Again Act would withhold federal funding to the system until the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), rebrands as the Washington Metropolitan Authority for Greater Access (WMAGA).

The Simple Legislative Tool Transforming Vacant Downtowns
In California, Michigan and Georgia, an easy win is bringing dollars — and delight — back to city centers.

The States Losing Rural Delivery Rooms at an Alarming Pace
In some states, as few as 9% of rural hospitals still deliver babies. As a result, rising pre-term births, no adequate pre-term care and "harrowing" close calls are a growing reality.

The Small South Asian Republic Going all in on EVs
Thanks to one simple policy change less than five years ago, 65% of new cars in this Himalayan country are now electric.

DC Backpedals on Bike Lane Protection, Swaps Barriers for Paint
Citing aesthetic concerns, the city is removing the concrete barriers and flexposts that once separated Arizona Avenue cyclists from motor vehicles.
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