One hot button item to watch as Congress takes up the issue of tax reform in the coming weeks: whether Republicans are able to follow through on a promise to reform the mortgage interest deduction.
Diana Olick writes: "The mortgage interest tax deduction has long been considered politically untouchable — until now, that is."
According to Olick, the forthcoming Congressional debate about tax reform is still expected to take up the matter of the mortgage interest deduction.
The mortgage interest deduction, which only benefits about 20 percent of taxpayers, is currently capped at loans up to $1 million for married couples who file jointly and at $500,000 for individual filers. The median value of a U.S. home just crossed the $200,000 market, according to Zillow, so not a lot of people make it to that cap.
Olick's sources say that early discussions are pushing the target for the cap toward $600,000, though Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is on the record recently saying people worried about the deduction can "breathe easy."
For more on the influence of the mortgage interest deduction to the built environment as well as the nation's economy, see previous Planetizen coverage.
FULL STORY: Popular mortgage deduction could get a haircut in tax reform
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
New Park Opens in the Santa Clarita Valley
The City of Santa Clarita just celebrated the grand opening of its 38th park, the 10.5-acre Skyline Ranch Park.
U.S. Supreme Court: California's Impact Fees May Violate Takings Clause
A California property owner took El Dorado County to state court after paying a traffic impact fee he felt was exorbitant. He lost in trial court, appellate court, and the California Supreme Court denied review. Then the U.S. Supreme Court acted.
How Urban Form Impacts Housing Affordability
The way we design cities affects housing costs differently than you might think.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Town of Zionsville
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.