Pre-pandemic economy was reaching unprecedented heights for Black and Hispanic Americans, new data show
The grim and isolated life many Americans have adopted during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis is often referred to as the “new normal.” But when it comes to the economic side of the pandemic, we...
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...
Agency borrowing: Why the multifamily industry relies on GSEs
First, there are the portfolio lenders including banks and insurance companies. These lenders retain loans "in their portfolio" by making loans using funds from deposits or insurance premiums and then keeping those loans on...
Federal Housing Authority poised to re-sink the economy
Whatever measure of truth there may have been in that cliche, the reality is that by refusing to accept the real estate correction as the healthful and decades-overdue solution it is, America's leaders have...
Incivility and its discontents
Recently, in a rare moment, the Pennsylvania state party chairs, Democrat Nancy Patton Mills and Republican Val DiGigiorgio, agreed to participate in a student-organized forum on civil discourse and polarization on the campus of...
Community opposition to multifamily
Overcoming community resistance to multifamily development
Community opposition to multifamily has become one of the top barriers to construction of accessible, sustainable housing in America. But there are strategies developers can use to build political...
The cost of inaction
Most of us share a common trait: We are “housers.” We understand the foundational importance of the home.
Our homes, of course, meet a basic need—shelter. But our homes can and should also provide stability...
What goes wrong when the government interferes with prices
Prices are a fact of life, and so is complaining about them. You probably prefer lower prices on just about everything, but especially when buying a house or paying for college, and you wish...
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...
Restoring America’s exceptionalism
Regulatory relief and reform
To restore incentive and encourage growth we must reduce the regulatory burden on our economy. There is a place for regulations that ensure safety and soundness and protect people from danger,...
Rent control raises housing costs
A new paper analyzes the effects of rent control expansion in the city and finds that it reduced rental housing supply, causing a city wide-rent increase.
People are understandably worried about the cost of living,...
How deregulating real estate markets can solve America’s shortage of affordable housing
The deregulation of real estate markets doesn’t just make economic sense. It is also a moral imperative.
In the early twentieth century, known as the “progressive era,” the United States embarked on a spree of...
Criminals vs. property owners
But adjudication processes by regulatory agencies are different, and sometimes result in property owners being treated worse than criminals.
In criminal law, due process works to ensure that innocent people are not convicted of crimes....
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...
Nation in lockdown
I live in California, whose governor, Gavin Newsom, in March issued Executive Order N-33-20. The order requires Californians to shelter at home unless they are involved in any of 16 different infrastructure sectors—or seeking...
