Fannie and Freddie’s Affordable Housing Hang-Up
Rural markets could be most vulnerable to changes in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s affordable housing goals, and higher home values correspond with significantly fewer low-income mortgages purchased by the mortgage giants.
Rising Rents Could Pinch Voucher Holders With Already Shrinking Assistance
In most of the 50 largest metros, both rents and housing assistance will rise together in 2018. But in eight metros, the amount of rental assistance will shrink instead, despite anticipated growth in rents.
Tax Reform and Housing: All Your Questions Answered
New tax reform legislation makes major changes to longstanding federal tax incentives for homeowners -- and brings lots of questions. Here are some answers.
Tax Reform With $750k Cap on Mortgage Interest Deduction Would Leave 1 in 7 U.S. Homes Eligible
As the House and Senate search for common ground between their respective tax overhaul plans, reports indicate at least one discrepancy – the cap on the Mortgage Interest Deduction (MID) – might already be resolved.
12 Counties Account for a Third of U.S. Flood Insurance Claims
The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) bails out (literally) underwater homeowners, providing primary flood insurance to properties with significant flood risk. The homeowners who have been buoyed most by flood insurance live in a small number of places with high-value homes.
For all the homeowners the National Flood Insurance program buoys, the program itself barely stays afloat. As the deadline to reauthorize the program quickly approaches – with the House passing a bill this week – federal lawmakers need to decide whether to throw more money into the leaky program, or seriously repair the NFIP.
Here’s Where Housing Assistance Falls Short
Only about a quarter of people who are eligible for federal housing assistance nationwide actually receive it. The largest form of assistance is Housing Choice Vouchers -- and in many markets where rents are rising quickly, voucher holders scramble for places to live, because the value of their vouchers isn’t keeping pace with market realities.
An Estimated 123,000 ‘Dreamers’ Own Homes and Pay $380M in Property Taxes
California and Texas Dreamer homeowners pay enough in property taxes to fund the salaries of more than 1,500 elementary school teachers in each state for a year.
Low-Income Housing Tax Credits: Why They Matter, How They Work and How They Could Change
As markets struggle to meet increasing demand and provide sufficient affordable housing, the White House and Congress have made proposals that could lower the value of Low-Income Housing Tax Credits – the main tool Uncle Sam has to help get that kind of housing built.
