EconomyCommentary
Oregon’s Proposed Rent Controls Would Shrink Supply of Housing
Oregon just took a big step this week toward becoming the first state in the nation to impose statewide rent controls—a step in the wrong… Read More
Economy Commentary
Maxine Waters Promises More Big Government in Her Financial Services Agenda
Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., recently outlined her agenda as the new chairwoman of the House Financial Services Committee. Unfortunately, a continued misdiagnosis of the most… Read More
EconomyNews
Florida Governor Sanctions Airbnb for West Bank Policy
Airbnb, which lists more 45,000 Florida properties on its vacation rentals website, has lobbied hard to remove its “home-sharing” offerings from hotel/motel regulations and unshackle… Read More
SocietyAnalysis
Ben Carson’s Prescription for a Better Life
Dr. Ben Carson is the 17th secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. After a successful career in medicine and his own… Read More
EconomyNews
What Ben Carson Expects From the House’s New Democratic Majority
Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson says he can work on key urban issues with some Democrats in the new House majority that takes… Read More
EconomyNews
Senate Democrats Cite Problems at HUD, but Block Trump’s Nominees for Key Posts
Senate Democrats have stalled nominees to fill key posts in the Department of Housing and Urban Development, even while complaining about the agency’s performance. An… Read More
EconomyCommentary
How California Became Exhibit A for a Self-Inflicted Housing Crisis
The California tech boom should have been the engine for widely shared prosperity and renewal. Instead, contrary to the state’s uber-progressive reputation, California has the… Read More
EconomyCommentary
How Liberal Housing Policies Made San Francisco Unaffordable for All but the Rich
The San Francisco Bay Area is a booming locale, and certainly one of the most naturally beautiful. It should be a fantastically desirable place to… Read More
LawCommentary
Federal Court Hands Trump a Win, Brings Rogue Agency Under Tighter Control
“You’re fired.” President Donald Trump will soon be able to use his famous catch phrase against the head of a troubled federal agency, the Federal… Read More
EconomyNews
After Collecting $16 Million in Grants From Housing Department in Obama Era, Liberal Group Sues Agency Now
A liberal advocacy group that has received more than $16 million in federal grants from the Department of Housing and Urban Development is now suing… Read More
SocietyFeature
Exclusive Interview: Ben Carson on Draining the Swamp, Fighting Poverty, and Kanye West
Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson spoke to The Daily Signal’s Genevieve Wood about his policy goals at HUD, what it’s like to serve… Read More
EconomyCommentary
Federal Mortgage Down Payment Assistance Puts Taxpayers at Greater Risk
In January 2017, the Obama administration decided to reduce the mortgage insurance premiums charged by the Federal Housing Administration. Fortunately, after taking office later that… Read More
EconomyNews
Exclusive: Ben Carson Says He’s Not ‘Going Anywhere’
Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson, who has faced intense scrutiny and even calls for his ouster over a furniture order, said in an… Read More
EconomyCommentary
This Failed Tax Subsidy Should Have Been Ditched. Instead, Congress Expanded It.
Hidden among the budget-busting provisions of the last omnibus spending bill is an example of the swamp at its worst. It’s a renewal of a… Read More
EconomyCommentary
Maryland Bill Seeks to Drive Out Airbnb, Other Hotel Competition
Over the last decade, short-term rental platforms like Airbnb, HomeAway, and VRBO have expanded and provided an economic boom to many communities. Yet several localities… Read More
EconomyCommentary
Airbnb May Not Be Good for Hotels, but It’s a Boon for Everyone Else
Cities, counties, and states waging a war against short-term rentals by imposing hefty fines and burdensome regulations on hosts and booking platforms, such as Airbnb… Read More
EconomyCommentary
This Man Wants to Build 2 Houses. California Regulations Have Stonewalled Him for 20 Years.
Thomas Mahon never thought it would take 20 years to build two houses in California. But that’s exactly how long it’s taken—and his legal fight… Read More
EconomyCommentary
Tariffs on Canadian Lumber Are Hurting American Homebuyers
The import of softwood lumber from Canada, such as pine, spruce, and fir, into the United States is an issue of contention dating back to… Read More
EconomyCommentary
The Atrocious Housing Rule Ben Carson Can End
One of the primary goals of the Obama administration was to use the full force of the federal government to force red state, suburban, and… Read More
EconomyCommentary
Private Capital, Not Crony Government Housing Trust Funds, Should Finance Housing Markets
Recently, the House Financial Services Committee marked up a bill that would prevent Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, under certain financial conditions, from funding two… Read More
EconomyCommentary
Undoing the Federal Government’s Reverse Mortgage Fiasco
Because of the largesse of federally financed subsidies in the Federal Housing Administration’s reverse-mortgage program, the federal government has gradually crowded out private insurers from… Read More
EconomyCommentary
Federal Housing Administration Should Not Terminate Mortgage Insurance Premiums
Only a few years after the Federal Housing Administration required $1.7 billion in special appropriations from Congress to cover losses in its single-family housing mortgage… Read More
EconomyCommentary
This Tax Deduction Forces Americans to Subsidize High-Tax States
Every year when Americans file for their tax returns, the federal government allows them to deduct their state and local taxes, including their property taxes…. Read More
EconomyCommentary
Property Tax Deduction Is a Huge Boon to Wealthy Taxpayers, Not Average Americans
Tax reform is supposed to be about lowering rates and getting rid of deductions and credits to help generate higher economic growth, and to let… Read More
EconomyCommentary
How Keeping the Property Tax Deduction Could Backfire on the Middle Class
On the eve of the release of their tax reform proposal, GOP leaders are considering keeping the property tax portion of the state and local… Read More
EconomyCommentary
Add Homebuilders to the List of Industries Hurt by Tariffs
New data show that protectionism is taking a toll on the confidence of homebuilders. Last month, homebuilder confidence hit its lowest reading since November 2016,… Read More
EconomyCommentary
This Senate Effort Could Lead to Another Housing Bubble
The Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs held a hearing last week to lay out guiding principles for housing finance reform legislation. While it is… Read More
EconomyCommentary
Fannie Mae Should Rethink Its Plans to Expand Role in Housing Finance Sector
According to recent reports, Fannie Mae, the government-sponsored enterprise backed by federal taxpayers, plans to expand its role in the housing finance system by further… Read More
EconomyCommentary
Seattle Ordinance Limiting Landlord Rights Undermines Economic Liberty and Should Be Rescinded
Should a landlord be required to rent an apartment to the first “qualified” person to appear on his or her doorstep? The city of Seattle… Read More
EconomyCommentary
It’s Time to Denationalize the US Reverse Mortgage Market
Since 1989, when the Department of Housing and Urban Development started to pilot home equity conversion mortgages to U.S. homeowners over the age of 62,… Read More
