Affordable housing’s not so affordable solution
Looking for an easy solution to this complicated problem, hundreds of cities and counties have adopted so-called “inclusionary zoning” ordinances, demanding that developers build and sell a certain percentage of the homes they develop...
Killing the electric car… again
The advent of plug-in cars, or "EVs," has been hyped-up beyond the fad level. There now may be 3,000 plug-in cars out of our national fleet of 300,000,000 oil-fired cars. Even under the most...
The Home Act
Maryland's HOME Act is legislation that would prohibit landlords and other property owners from declining Section 8 vouchers, deeming it discrimination based on "source of income." While proponents believe the Act will eliminate high...
When Washington bureaucrats hold the reins of power
The Biden administration was in a box in late July. They desperately wanted to extend the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s controversial eviction moratorium. But the judicial writing was on the wall. They...
New York’s self-inflicted housing crunch
But there’s also the anxiety from New York’s crazy-quilt pattern of land use regulation, which a New York Times editorial recently labeled “High-Rise Anxiety.” The unease stems from the many overlapping restrictions both on...
The multifamily industry lost in ‘86: That can’t happen again
Not since the days of Ronald Reagan, Bill Bradley and Jack Kemp has a wholesale overhaul of America’s tax code been a serious prospect. However, with President Donald Trump’s surprise victory in November and...
The urgency of protecting the electric grid from cyberattacks
Multifamily owners and operators are the single largest dispenser of utilities in the nation. An electric grid failure would be catastrophic for operations and to residents, many of whom currently work from home.
The clock...
Our perception of skilled trades needs to change
The U.S. is in the midst of a crisis of masculinity. According to a new study from the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, men without four-year college degrees, ages 25 to 54, have left...
The future of housing
While our industry has often been slow to adopt new technologies, the opposite, of course, is true of the electronics industry. As such, I decided to attend the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) held earlier...
The madness of Capitol Hill’s kings
The bill is an economic disaster. It will destroy jobs and harm capital creation. Even in the best of times, such an act would be extremely hurtful to the economy. Under these circumstances, it's...
Apartment industry responds to President Obama’s real estate owned initiative
We are pleased to see the Administration explicitly recognizing the importance of rental housing in meeting our nation's housing needs through the Real-Estate Owned (REO) Initiative announced February 1.
We will be analyzing the President's...
Can Biden help housing? White House solution isn’t nearly enough.
At one time or another, every politician—local, state, and federal—promises to help create “affordable housing.” The issue has become especially critical of late with rents and housing prices rising and higher interest rates making...
Mourning the loss of freedom to fail
It is perhaps even stranger to claim that we should actually fear losing the freedom to fail. Most of us are hardwired to avoid losing, and giving up the prospect does not logically seem...
Why Biden’s plan to help make housing affordable will make it more expensive
Because the 2020 election was largely a referendum on President Donald Trump, many of Joe Biden’s policy proposals have been overlooked until now. The recent announcement of some of his cabinet picks shows that...
Congress is working again
An overall uptick in activities on Capitol Hill means that work is also being done on issues important to the multifamily industry. NMHC’s political team continues to collaborate and educate lawmakers on our position...
