Tag: Housing Policy
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HUD Moves to End Fair Housing Rule That Shelters Battered Spouses
The “disparate impact rule” has been used in cases involving domestic violence survivors and others in vulnerable housing situations. This rule is often used to help keep at-risk people in safe, healthful, stable housing. Now, the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) plans to cancel the rule.
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States Investing in Manufactured Homes:Why, Where, and How the Deeds Work
Manufactured homes are at the core of a growing policy trend. Pre-fabrication is a relatively cheap way to create homes, at just half the cost of site-built homes per square foot, according to the Manufactured Housing Institute. And current factory standards make them as strong, as safe, and as energy-wise as traditional houses. Manufactured homes…
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The Push for Fair Housing: Can Equity Triumph Over Hardball Politics?
The National Fair Housing Alliance keeps the public updated on housing access. Its recent reporting indicates that U.S. housing discrimination has been rising over the past decade. In our digital era, we cannot talk about discrimination without implicating automated systems. So we need to understand fairness in the context of our computer age. Technology can…
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Can Buyers Waive the Inspection Upfront? Some States Might Jump on the “No” Train
A few U.S. states discourage sellers and agents from expecting homebuyers to waive their right to a home inspection. This is a consumer-protection issue for states. And that’s not all. The inspection companies don’t like to be left out of deals. And they are lobbying for what they call buyers’ Right to Home Inspection (RTHI)…
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Real Estate “Reset” in 2026? Redfin Thinks So; Here’s the Logic
In an article published this month, titled “Welcome to The Great Housing Reset,” Chen Zhao and Daryl Fairweather of Redfin write, “Next year will mark the beginning of a long, slow recovery for the housing market. The Great Housing Reset will take shape in 2026.” Significantly, Redfin predicts that incomes will rise faster than home…
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Look Who’s Back in the Real Estate Market: Investment Firms Sense Opportunity
Home prices? They’re high. Mortgage rates? Not exactly low. Current deed holders with lower mortgage rates still don’t want to move if they can help it. And hopeful buyers keep renting, biding their time. Investors are “seizing the opening and ramping up” their activity, according to the financial data analytics firm Cotality. Market watchers such…
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The ADU: A Housing Fix for Seniors and Their Families
Accessory dwelling units (also known as ADUs, backyard cottages, guest homes, or granny flats) can enable seniors to enjoy privacy, yet remain close to family and neighborhood friends. They don’t depend on clearing natural spaces to develop properties. Yet they offer affordable housing options — which are ever scarcer these days. No wonder ADUs have…
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House-Proud: New Research Links Homeownership to Mental Wellness
More than two in every 10 adults in the United States live with mental illnesses. More than 8% of our population is dealing with a major depressive disorder. Since the pandemic took hold, mental health issues have shown a trend upward. What does a deed (or the lack of one) have to do with this?…
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When Some Buyers Are More Equal Than Others: Will the U.S. Government “Reboot Redlining”?
Not long ago, New Jersey-based OceanFirst Bank agreed to pay more than $15 million in a settlement with the federal government. This was to resolve the government’s allegations that, for several years, beginning in 2018, the bank violated the Equal Credit Opportunity Act and Fair Housing Act. The problem involved an alleged pattern of ignoring…
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Momentum Builds: A New Wave of Pressure on States to Build Affordable Homes
Looking to acquire the deed to a home? A new federal administration could factor into the amount you’ll need to pay. For one thing, the incoming administration is talking about tariffs that would raise the cost of materials and construction work. On the other hand, actual housing policy falls to the states. Under their…
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Workforce Deed Restrictions: How Are They Monitored?
With housing costs up (and wages not so much), some cities need to give working people a hand. As financial barriers to homeownership continue to frustrate so many wage earners, workforce housing is one way to make deeds attainable. It’s for households earning too much to qualify for standard government subsidies, but who can’t pay…
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We All Deserve a Home, But Corporations Outbid Some of Our Friends.
Corporate buyers are snapping up residential properties in Massachusetts and pushing out long-time residents, according to a report by the news outlet 25 Investigates. These investment companies form a complex network, making it nearly impossible for individuals and towns to hold them accountable.
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Affordability Update: Costa Mesa’s Epic Struggle
The commissioners of Costa Mesa, California have agreed to a new affordable housing law. The city of Irvine, also in Orange County, passed one more than two decades ago. And nearby Santa Ana is a serious supporter of affordability. Now, Costa Mesa is trying to follow suit. Friction is inevitable. Regulating for affordability means pitting…
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Fannie Mae Was Going to Save Mortgage Borrowers Thousands by Dropping Its Title Insurance Requirement. Never Mind.
The Biden administration was working with loan backers to delete title insurance charges from closing costs. The move would have saved quite a few home buyers hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Noting that the plan had been silently scuttled, the Wall Street Journal said pressure against it came from “an obscure industry.” The obscure…
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Locked Out: Less Than 5% of U.S. Housing Is Accessible to Older, Disabled Residents
Tens of millions of U.S. residents have a problem. There aren’t enough homes for the elderly and disabled population. One in four of us — more than 60 million people — have a disability. And our older adult population is rapidly growing. As a general matter, the United States needs something between 3 million and…
