Democrats are set to slash Biden's $300 billion plan to build millions of homes - all in the middle

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

of a historic housing shortage

The Biden administration has a plan to counter the US's dire home shortage, but it's now on the chopping block.

The White House hoped to fight the housing crisis with its $3.5 trillion social-spending package, but opposition from Sens. Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema have forced Democrats to shrink the plan. The final proposal is expected to cost roughly $2 trillion, meaning it'll have to be slimmed down substantially from its current size.

And as party leaders prep a revised package, $300 billion set aside for housing aid is under siege. The Biden administration and congressional leaders are considering cuts to the housing funds, Politico reported Thursday. The $300 billion is among the larger programs in the overall package, and slashing it could allow other sections to go untouched.

The sum includes $100 billion in housing-based tax credits, $70 billion for repairing and upgrading public housing, and $45 billion for the construction of homes for low-income Americans. Overall, the funds could create more than 2 million new homes, according to estimates from the Department of Housing and Urban Development. That would join the 100,000 new homes already set to be created through Biden's recent regulatory changes.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/democrats-are-set-to-slash-biden-s-300-billion-plan-to-build-millions-of-homes-all-in-the-middle-of-a-historic-housing-shortage/ar-AAPo4x9

[GaYellowDawg]

1. I really loathe those two.

They're forcing Democrats into half measures and that's going to get us completely swamped in 2022.

[CurtEastPoint]

2. My VERY first thought. They are as vile, egoistic and selfish as any of those GDMF Repubes.

[lagomorph777]

4. Which is exactly the goal. They know we want to make them irrelevant by adding Dems.

What they don't seem to get is, they will be even more irrelevant if we lose Dems.

[Lancero]

17. Much like Republican voters, they'll be happy to suffer if it means 'owning the libs'.

[pandr32]

10. Those 'half measures' won't have the needed impact

Part of "those two('s)" plan (thanks to their donors), since they seem to be working in concert with Republicans. The watered down changes will give Republicans something to tar Democrats with--that Democrats couldn't deliver.

[napi21]

3. That's fine. Just pass the thing already! n/t

[empedocles]

7. Agreed. We need to pass legislation. Not all this Dem bickering and unrealistic expectations.

FDR did not pass Social Security, Public Works [infrastruce], Labor rights, union right, until 1935.

FDR had more of a mandate, more unified party and party discipline, which helped greater Congressional support, fewer Dem fiefdoms and special interests, etc.

https://www.thebalance.com/fdr-and-the-new-deal-programs-timeline-did-it-work-3305598

[Hoyt]

11. Yep. Get what we can get. Then, come back for more targeted proposals.

[empedocles]

14. Get what we can get now. Give Joe, Dems and November - a boost with some actual legislation,

delay the media attention and undercutting of Joe for awhile.

[calguy]

12. If you can't get a whole loaf, half a loaf is better than no loaf at all.

[Doremus]

5. Bet this plan was the designated sacrifice all along.

Low-income housing is a worthwhile project but there are so many other necessities that, frankly, come first. There has been very little buzz about any of it, which leads me to believe the PTB inserted it on purpose, specifically as the sacrificial lamb at the negotiation table.

Don't know if it's true but I'd bet it is.

In any event, I've been impressed with the way our side has handled this. We have much to thank the 95-member progressive caucus for, if nothing else bringing some much-needed brass to the table.

[Tomconroy]

6. I just read an article on this I think in Politico. Their is a dispute

About giving a tax benefit (or cash) to first generation homeowners as opposed to first time homebuyers. Benefitting the first group would be good policy. Benefitting the latter would be good politics.

[Etherealoc1]

8. Dems could revisit it at another time

fingers crossed with the house and
more Dems in the Senate.

[Greybnk48]

9. Two Democrats and 50 fucking sociopathic Republicans,

are forcing cuts to helping American citizens. Democrats are FORCED to do this by REPUBLICANS and would not do it other wise. The two mentioned-I'm not sure what they are.

[Nixie]

13. This sure is better than inflating it to $6 trillion and

then telling people they’re getting crumbs when it’s inevitably negotiated. Good faith means realism. Just pass it!

[Klaralven]

15. The current rate of homebuilding is a little over 1,300,000 per year

So an additional 2 million over 10 years would be an increase of around 15%.

https://www.census.gov/construction/nrc/pdf/newresconst.pdf

There are about 140 million homes in the US, so 2 million would be an overall increase in housing stock of 1.4%.

[Tomconroy]

16. The dispute really isn't about Manchin and Sinema. Other forces are at work.