Housing
Houses are where people live, not speculative investments
It seems that this country’s investment class has seen fit to financialize everything, and that includes your house. For too long now, we have seen prices of homes vary wildly. As if the basic need for shelter is some how a get rich quick scheme. Back in 2008, we had the worst recession since the great depression. It is clear that no lessons were learned as the current housing market bubble is larger now, than back then. The Case Shiller Index is flashing red alert: Case Shiller Home Price Index. Then we wonder why young Americans can’t afford to buy a house and start to have a family. We here at the Anti-Corruption Party know that Americans deserve better.
This is what we want to do:
1. Eliminate large scale investors from being legally allowed to own single family houses.
2. Cap the number of apartments in a locality that an investor can own.
3. Crack down on landlord price fixing schemes.
4. Have the government directly produce homes and employ construction workers with great pay and benefits. This will save on middleman costs.
5. Create a program within the Department of Housing and Urban Development to have the government buy and construct large apartment buildings that become housing cooperatives.
6. Use eminent domain to build new apartment structures, to intelligently increase population density, where protectionist suburban sprawl selfishly fights against progress.
7. Negotiate with trade partners like Canada, so that raw materials costs decrease the overall cost of building housing.
8. Eliminate any residential Real Estate Investment Trusts.
9. Make a new Homestead act, one that still protects National Forests and Parks.
10. Generate other needed legislation that helps single family buyers vs. renting. This includes mandating mortgage lenders take into account current rent paid in loan calculations. If you can afford the rent, you can afford the mortgage in most cases.
11. Build simple housing for the homeless, where they can get the care they need and improve their lives. We should be measured by how we treat the least among us.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Real Estate Investment Trust?
Basically it is a way for investors to own property. Sometimes they are listed on Wall Street. We don’t think any house should be bought to maximize profitability. A house is a place to live.
How are you going to pay for it?
Taxes. The wealthy elite in this country have neglected to pay their fair share for far too long. We tax them and spend the money wisely.
Why help the homeless, they are just lazy?
Rarely is someone who is experiencing homelessness, just lazy. Usually there are other problems as well, like substance addiction or mental illness. We should not turn a blind eye to our fellow Americans that need the most help.
What’s a housing cooperative?
Basically, it is where a group of people co-own a large property. It encourages community decisions and fosters generational thinking.