Tag: Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC)

Momentum Builds for Housing Reform in Washington

Posted on by abigail_grenadier

The nation’s housing policy landscape is shifting rapidly as the Trump administration and Congress push forward on multiple fronts—spanning GSE reform, regulatory rollback, and bipartisan legislative efforts to expand affordable housing tools. The Real Estate Roundtable (RER) remains engaged on these developments, reinforcing its priorities through direct advocacy and coalition efforts.

GSE Reform

  • This week, President Trump said he’s “giving very serious consideration” to taking government sponsored enterprises (GSEs) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac public—reigniting debate over the future of the mortgage giants. (WSJ, May 21)
  • “I am giving very serious consideration to bringing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac public,” Trump posted Wednesday on Truth Social. Trump also said he would consult with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, as well as the GSEs’ chief regulator, Federal Housing Finance Agency head William Pulte. (Politico, May 21)
  • The GSEs have been in federal conservatorship since 2008, and Congressional action would likely be required to change their legal status.
  • While no active legislative proposals exist, some GOP lawmakers are discussing the sale of the government’s stakes in the GSEs as a potential offset for extending tax cuts. (Politico, May 21)
  • RER supports sensible GSE reform that balances taxpayer protection with ensuring financial stability and continued liquidity for ownership, rental housing, and underserved markets.

Roundtable Advocacy

  • This week, RER joined a coalition of 15 national real estate organizations urging the Department of Labor to repeal and revise its 2023 Davis-Bacon rule. (Letter, May 20)
  • In the letter sent to Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner and Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, the coalition applauded the administration’s focus on affordability and supply, and called for an end to outdated wage classifications that drive up project costs.
  • The current rule increases housing construction costs by up to 20% and deters developer participation in federally funded projects.
  • The letter recommends suspending enforcement and launching a formal rulemaking to streamline compliance and reduce regulatory risk.
  • In a separate letter, RER voiced strong support for the bipartisan Housing Affordability Act introduced (S.1527) by Senators Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and Dave McCormick (R-PA) to modernize the FHA multifamily insurance program. (Letter, May 13)
  • Outdated statutory limits, unchanged since 2003, are suppressing the number of insurable housing units and acting as a barrier to middle-income housing development.
  • Updating the limits would unlock private capital, free up federal resources, and bring the program in line with modern construction costs.

LIHTC Expansion Clears the House

  • The reconciliation bill that passed in the House this week includes major provisions from the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act (AHCIA), marking the most significant increase in Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) resources in 25 years. (Affordable Housing Finance, May 22)
  • Although the entire bill was not incorporated into the package, the elements that were included still amount to a significant expansion of the program.
  • The elements included in the bill—increase the 9% credit volume cap, lower the bond financing threshold to 25% for 4% housing credit projects, and authorize up to a 30% basis boost for rural and tribal developments.

Federal Land Sales to Expand Housing Supply

  • HUD Secretary Scott Turner and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum are advancing the administration’s plan to sell underutilized federal land for new housing construction. (Bloomberg, May 22)
  • Their coordinated effort aims to unleash more of the government’s 640 million acres for development—particularly affordable and workforce housing. (PoliticoPro, May 20)

RER will continue to advocate for smart, market-based solutions that expand housing supply, reduce regulatory barriers, and support investment across the full spectrum of the nation’s housing needs.

“One Big Beautiful Bill” Moves Through to the Senate as House Republicans Unite on Trump Tax Plan

Posted on by abigail_grenadier

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) met his self-imposed Memorial Day deadline as dissenting factions within the caucus reached an agreement on a series of last-minute changes, culminating in a razor-thin vote (215-214) on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act early Thursday morning. The budget reconciliation measure—which has wide implications for CRE—now goes to the Senate, where a similar tug of war could play out. (Ways & Means Press Release, May 22)

State of Play

  • The House Budget Committee voted late Sunday night to advance President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act after several GOP hard-liners on the Committee blocked the measure from moving forward last Friday. (ABC News, May 19)
  • President Trump traveled to Capitol Hill Tuesday morning to deliver a message to House Republicans impeding the massive bill, a critical part of his domestic agenda: stop fighting and get it done as soon as possible. (NBC News, May 20)
  • The chamber took action, clearing the sprawling package in an early-morning vote Thursday after days of marathon meetings, intense negotiations that spanned both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue, and a series of swift changes to the bill, which were crucial in coalescing Republicans around the measure. (The Hill, May 22)
  • House Ways and Means Chair Jason Smith (R-MO) said that he’s been working “hand in glove” with Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) and Senate Finance Committee Chair Mike Crapo (R-ID) on the tax package and had crafted it intentionally so it could survive the Senate’s rules. “I think 90 to 95 percent of the bill is going to be pretty much very similar,” he said previously. (Bloomberg, May 22)

Implications for CRE

  • The legislation includes an extension of the 2017 tax cuts, while maintaining the full deductibility of state and local business property tax deductions (also known as “Business SALT”) and preserving the current treatment of carried interest, two key priorities for The Roundtable in the current tax negotiations.
  • Additionally, the pass-through deduction under Section 199A would increase from 20 percent to 23 percent for qualifying income, including REIT dividends and the real estate operating income of partnerships and other pass-through entities. A late addition to the bill will allow REITs greater flexibility in their use of taxable REIT subsidiaries. (The Hill, May 21)
  • The bill extends the Opportunity Zone (OZ) tax incentives through 2033, with several updated eligibility criteria and new benefits for rural areas. This legislation also calls for a new round of OZ designations by state governors. (Mortgage Point, May 22)
  • Other positive developments include an expansion of the low-income housing tax credit and the reinstatement of 100 percent expensing for qualifying leasehold and nonresidential property improvements.
  • Now, the Senate will debate and craft its version of the bill, which it aims to pass by July 4. (The Hill, May 21; CNBC, May 22)

The Roundtable’s Position

  • RER expressed support for the House’s budget reconciliation measure. The extension of TCJA policies, preservation of property tax deductibility, continued capital gains treatment for carried interest, increased investment in affordable housing, and enhanced pass-through deduction are all positive developments. 
  • “Taken as a whole, the tax proposals in the Chairman’s amendment will spur needed investment in our nation’s housing supply, strengthen urban and rural communities, and grow the broader economy to the benefit of all Americans,” said RER President and CEO Jeff DeBoer in a recent statement following the House Ways and Means Committee’s bill markup last week.

What’s Next       

  • The action on the tax and fiscal legislation now shifts to the U.S Senate where Republicans are operating under similar tight margins.
  • Senate Republican leaders have not yet decided whether they will mark up the reconciliation bill in the various committees of jurisdiction. Finance Chairman Crapo could bring a substitute amendment straight to the Senate floor sometime in June.

RER will work to ensure that these hard-fought victories are protected in any final tax package.

New Bipartisan Legislation Aims to Unlock Housing Development and Affordability

Posted on by abigail_grenadier

Bipartisan lawmakers in both chambers are advancing legislative efforts to address the worsening national shortage of affordable housing, with a focus on updating financing tools and expanding tax incentives.

Senate Legislation

  • “To tackle the affordable housing crisis, we need to make building homes easier and cheaper. But outdated regulations are holding us back,” said Senator Gallego. “By updating a nearly two-decade old loan limit, the Housing Affordability Act will expand access to affordable loans for building multifamily housing and ultimately bring down housing costs.” (Sen. Gallego Press Release, April 30)
  • The bill updates the inflationary index used to set loan limits from the Consumer Price Index to a more accurate construction cost index to better reflect today’s building costs and boost housing production.
  • Without this fix, most areas are misclassified as “high-cost,” limiting HUD’s ability to support new multifamily developments and deepening the national housing crisis.
  • “Housing availability and affordability problems are directly tied to the significant shortage of housing units nationwide,” said Jeffrey D. DeBoer, President and CEO of The Real Estate Roundtable.
  • “By increasing the Federal Housing Administration’s multifamily loan limits to more accurately reflect individual market costs, the bill introduced today by Senators Gallego and McCormick would increase apartment construction, add supply, and help bring down housing costs.  In short, enactment of this bill would make housing more available and affordable for millions of American families.”
  • The Housing Affordability Act is also endorsed by: National Association of Home Builders; National Association of REALTORS®; National Multifamily Housing Council; National Housing Conference; National Apartment Association; Institute of Real Estate Management; National Affordable Housing Management Association; National Leased Housing Association Council for Affordable and Rural Housing; National Association of Housing Cooperatives; and Arizona Multihousing Association.

House Legislation

  • The Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act will support the financing of nearly two million new affordable homes by:
  • Increasing the number of credits allocated to each state by 50 percent for the next two years and making the temporary 12.5 percent increase permanent.
  • Increasing the number of affordable housing projects that can be built using private activity bonds— a provision that stabilizes financing for workforce housing projects built using private activity bonds by decreasing the amount of private activity needed to secure Housing Credit funding.
  • Improving the Housing Credit program to serve at-risk and underserved communities, including veterans, victims of domestic violence, and rural Americans.
  • “To address this growing crisis across the country, Congress must strengthen tools to drive investment into affordable workforce housing and expand housing options for hardworking families nationwide. I am proud to reintroduce the bipartisan Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act alongside Representatives DelBene, Tenney, Beyer, Feenstra, and Panetta to strengthen our communities and support economic development,” said Rep. LaHood (R-IL). (Rep. LaHood Press Release, April 8)
  • A Senate companion bill is expected to be introduced in the coming weeks.

Opportunity Zones

  • Major provisions from the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), including Opportunity Zones (OZs), risk expiration without congressional action, threatening economic revitalization projects nationwide.
  • According to a recent CoStar News analysis, apartment openings in OZs surged 151% to 143,219 units last year compared to 2017—far outpacing the national increase of 63% over the same period. (CoStar, April 16)
  • The analysis also found that Opportunity Zones spurred the development of approximately 68,000 more housing units than would have been built without the tax incentive, underscoring the effectiveness of OZ incentives in driving investment into underserved communities.

RER urges Congress to advance housing legislation that expands proven tools like Opportunity Zones, LIHTC, and FHA loan programs—catalysts for affordable housing, job creation, and long-term economic growth in underserved communities.

The Roundtable Shares 2025 Tax Legislative Agenda with Lawmakers

Posted on by Trey Jackson

Responding to a request for input from the chairs of the House Ways and Means Committee and Ways and Means Tax Policy Subcommittee, The Real Estate Roundtable submitted comments on the pending expiration of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 and ways in which tax policy can support long-term investment, economic stability, and the creation of affordable housing. (Letter, Oct. 2)

Roundtable Recommendations

The letter from Roundtable President and CEO Jeffrey DeBoer urges lawmakers to ensure that any major tax legislation in 2025 retain or include:

  • The reduced tax rate on long-term capital gains. The capital gains rate is critical for driving long-term real estate investment and fostering job creation. Raising capital gains rates, taxing unrealized gains, or double-taxing gains at death would deter entrepreneurship, increase costs, and reduce economic mobility.
  • Tax fairness for partnerships and pass-through entities. Half of the nation’s tax partnerships are real estate-related, making these provisions vital to the industry’s success.  Section 199A, which provides a 20% deduction on pass-through business income (including REIT dividend income), allows privately held businesses to compete on a level playing field with large corporations.
  • Like-kind exchanges. Section 1031 allows for the deferral of capital gains through real estate exchanges and helps gets languishing properties into the hands of new owners who will invest in, and improve, them.  Retaining section 1031 is vital to promoting reinvestment in communities, creating opportunities for minority and small business owners, and improving struggling properties.
  • Tax rules that encourage, rather than deter, foreign investment in U.S. real estate. Targeted changes to the outdated and discriminatory Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act (FIRPTA) could unlock capital for large-scale real estate and infrastructure projects that create jobs and spur economic development.
  • Incentives for affordable housing, energy efficiency, and community revitalization. The Roundtable supports expanding the low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC), improving the real estate-related clean energy tax provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act, and introducing new incentives for the conversion of obsolete commercial buildings into affordable housing. The letter also calls for a long-term extension of Opportunity Zone (OZ) tax incentives and preserving carried interest tax rules that recognize and reward sweat equity with capital gains treatment.

The Roundtable is committed to working with lawmakers to ensure the U.S. maintains a competitive tax code that encourages capital formation, rewards entrepreneurial risk-taking, and supports critical policy objectives, including accessible and affordable housing and safe and healthy communities.

Impact of Rate Cuts on CRE and Housing Markets

Posted on by Trey Jackson

The Federal Reserve’s recent decision to cut rates renewed optimism in the commercial real estate market, following a prolonged period of high interest rates and economic headwinds. This monetary easing is seen as critical to the CRE sector’s path to recovery—reducing financing costs and helping stabilize property valuations.

Industry Insights

  • These predicted rate cuts, alongside lower bond yields, are expected to boost commercial real estate investment activity and asset values. (CBRE, Sept. 18)
  • Roundtable member Willy Walker (CEO, Walker & Dunlop) appeared on CNBC’s Squawk Box, to discuss the importance of removing barriers such as zoning restrictions to increase housing supply. “It’s going to be a very healthy market for commercial real estate as rates start to come down.” (Watch)
  • Roundtable member David O’Reilly (CEO, Howard Hughes Holdings) discussed the resurgence of new construction in the housing market on Fox Business, anticipating that home prices will stabilize in response to interest rates cuts, influencing both demand and affordability. He also highlighted the effects of prolonged high rates on pricing and market trends. “As long as those rates continue to trend lower… demand picks up, more sales occur, prices will remain steady as home builders continue to deliver more supply to meet that demand.” (Watch)

Housing Affordability at the Forefront

  • The Senate Budget Committee, chaired by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), held a hearing this Wednesday, Sept. 25, on housing unaffordability. The hearing focused on the need for significant policy reform to boost housing supply, remove regulatory barriers to new construction, and deregulate land use and zoning. (Watch Hearing)
  • Chair Whitehouse introduced the Affordable Housing Construction Act, which aims to tackle the housing crisis by expanding the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program, loosening financing requirements, and ensuring affordability for 50 years— an increase from the previous 30-year mark. (Sen. Whitehouse News Release)
  • The bill also pushes for more sustainable, energy-efficient, and accessible housing.

Rate cuts from the Fed are providing relief for both CRE and housing markets, but sustained recovery and resolution of the affordability crisis will require continued policy reform, increased housing supply, and greater collaboration between public and private sectors.

Bipartisan Tax Bill Stalls in Senate

Posted on by Trey Jackson

Yesterday, the Senate failed to pass a bipartisan $79 billion tax package, the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024 (H.R. 7024). The House-passed legislation seeks to extend various expiring tax provisions from the 2017 and pandemic-related tax bills. (WSJ, Aug. 1 | The Hill, Aug. 1)

Key Points

  • Bipartisan Effort: Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden (D-OR) and House Ways and Means Committee Chair Jason Smith (R-MO) crafted the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024 (H.R. 7024). The bill passed the House on Jan. 31 by an overwhelming 357-70 vote.
  • Senate Opposition: Despite bipartisan support, the bill faced significant opposition in the Senate, where critics argued it failed to adequately address long-term fiscal concerns and prioritized short-term fixes.
  • Roundtable Support: The bill included Roundtable-supported measures on business interest deductibility, bonus depreciation, and the low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC).
  • Other provisions in the agreement: Reforms to the child tax credit, the expensing of R&D costs, disaster tax relief, a double-taxation tax agreement with Taiwan, and a large pay-for that creates significant new penalties for abuse of the employee retention tax credit (ERTC) rules and accelerates the expiration of the ERTC. (RW, Jan. 19)

Roundtable Advocacy

  • In February, The Roundtable and a large coalition of housing and other real estate groups sent letters to Congress in support of the tax bill. (RW, Feb. 16)
  • The Roundtable and the Housing Affordability Coalition’s letter emphasized the importance of advancing provisions in the bill that strengthen the low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC)—along with various real estate investment measures that would benefit families, workers, and the national economy.
  • The coalition noted how the bill would increase the housing supply as a positive response to the nation’s housing affordability crisis. It would also suspend certain tax increases on business investment that took effect in 2022 and 2023. 

Congress will return to Washington on September 9, with several critical legislative priorities on the agenda, including decisions on key housing policies and potential new regulations impacting the commercial real estate industry.

Roundtable and Industry Coalition Urge Congress to Enact Affordable Housing Policies and Incentives

Posted on by Trey Jackson
Housing Coalition April 29, 2024 joint letter to Congress

This week, The Real Estate Roundtable and a broad real estate industry coalition encouraged lawmakers to pursue bipartisan solutions that would increase the supply of affordable and market-rate housing through specific policies and programs to help communities meet their housing challenges. (Coalition letter, April 29)

Legislation and Programs

  • The coalition letter to Congress and the Biden administration detailed policy solutions to help develop and preserve housing at all price points by enacting industry-supported bills in the House and Senate, encouraging incentive-based programs, streamlining regulatory burdens, and supporting public-private partnerships.
  • The specific proposals detailed in the letter will work best when paired with state and local government policies to meet the demand for rental homes.
  • Specific policies outlined in the letter would streamline and fast-track the entitlement and approval process; provide density bonuses and other incentives for developers to include workforce units in their properties; and enable “by-right” zoning and create more fully entitled parcels.
  • Other programs and bills defer taxes and other fees for a set period of time; lower construction costs by contributing underutilized buildings and raw land; create incentives to encourage higher density development near job and transportation hubs; and expand and strengthen the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program. Legislation would also encourage Yes In My Backyard (YIMBY) policies to remove discriminatory land use policies and other barriers that depress housing production.
  • Among the key bills strongly supported by the coalition are the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act (S.1557 & H.R.3238), Workforce Housing Tax Credit Act (S.3425 & H.R.6686), and Revitalizing Downtowns Act (S. 2511 & H.R.419). 
  • The coalition expects the Opportunity Zones program to spur the production of new multifamily housing, but to maximize its effectiveness, the industry groups recommend Congress revitalize and enhance Opportunity Zones to incentivize rehabilitation of housing units.

Biden Administration Proposals

The White House
  • The coalition described the Biden Administration’s Housing Supply Action Plan as a thoughtful proposal that rightly acknowledges that there is no single solution to the housing shortage. The letter also expressed support for several proposals included in the President’s FY25 federal budget proposal, including proposals to expand and enhance the LIHTC, the Neighborhood Homes Credit, and increased funding for the HOME Investment Partnerships Program.
  • However, the coalition also urged Congress to reject certain tax proposals included in the administration’s FY25 budget, such as increases in the capital gains rate. These policies would directly impact the operations of housing providers, as most are structured as “flow-through” entities where earnings are passed through to owners who pay taxes at the individual level. The tax increases under consideration would reduce real estate investment and inhibit the capital flows that are so critical to the development and preservation of critically needed housing. 

It is unlikely that new housing or tax-related legislation will be enacted before the November presidential election. Proposals now under consideration may have better opportunities for advancement in a post-election lame-duck session or during a new Congress in 2025.

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White House Recommends Policies to Increase Affordable Housing

Posted on by Trey Jackson
2024 Economic Report of the President & Council of Economic Advisers

The White House Council of Economic Advisers released a report yesterday on policies to boost the supply of affordable rental and ownership units—proposals that could form the foundation of a housing push during a second Biden term. (2024 Economic Report of the President and New York Times, March 21)

Zoning Reform, LIHTC

  • The report explains that the federal government could reduce exclusionary zoning via grants and other spending, and directly subsidize affordable unit construction through programs like the low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC). The report adds, “Ultimately, meaningful change will require State and local governments to reevaluate the land-use regulations that reduce the housing supply.”

Addressing Equity

  • The Council’s report addresses how increasing the housing supply could increase access and equity for groups with few financial resources, increase overall wealth, and reduce disparities across groups. (Page 163 of the Annual Report of the Council of Economic Advisers)
  • The report notes that exclusionary zoning policies, such as prohibitions on multifamily homes, are a “subset of local land-use regulations that can constrain the housing supply and thus decrease affordability.”

This week, President Biden also spoke in Las Vegas about his plans to “establish an innovative program to help communities build and renovate housing or convert housing from empty office spaces into housing, empty hotels into housing.” (White House remarks, March 19 and Roundtable Weekly, March 15)

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White House Focuses on Affordable Housing Policy Proposals

Posted on by Trey Jackson

This week President Biden and his top economic advisor previewed a new Housing Innovation Fund and forthcoming proposals to encourage additional housing development. The White House’s focus on affordable housing confirmed it will be a top administration priority as the presidential election season picks up momentum. (Politico, March 14)

Administration’s Housing Remarks

  • Following his March 6 State of the Union address, which addressed new tax incentives for homebuyers and an expansion of the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC), President Biden spoke this week about other aspects of his housing plan. (Roundtable Weekly, March 8 | White House Fact Sheets: Budget, March 11 and Housing, March 7)
  • Biden stated during comments at the National League of Cities, “The federal budget that I’m releasing today has a plan for 2 million more affordable homes, including housing — a housing innovation fund to help communities like yours build housing, renovate housing, and convert empty office space and hotels into housing. The bottom line is we have to build, build, build. That’s how we bring housing costs down for good.” (White House transcript and C-Span video, March 11)

New Initiatives

White House National Economic Advisor Lael Brainard
  • White House National Economic Advisor Lael Brainard, above, also addressed the president’s housing proposals this week. “While tax credits are a proven way to boost supply, it is also vital to support the efforts of governors, county executives, and mayors who are pioneering new approaches that can be scaled. That’s why the president is proposing a new $20 billion Innovation Fund for Housing Expansion to help communities expand their housing supply,” Brainard remarked. (White House transcript, March 12)
  • Brainard also previewed forthcoming administration housing policies. “In the months ahead, we will take further action– from supporting communities in identifying and removing barriers to housing production to promoting the use of federal resources for conversions from office to residential,” Brainard said. (Urban Institute video of speech and interview, March 12)
  • She confirmed that “the centerpiece of the president’s Plan is an expansion of the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) that would produce or preserve 1.2 million affordable units over the next decade.” (HousingWire, March 12)

During a Senate Banking hearing on March 12 on Housing Affordability, Availability, and Other Community Needs, bipartisan support was also expressed for expanding the LIHTC—a policy strongly supported by The Roundtable. (Roundtable Weekly, March 1 and Feb. 16)

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President Biden Proposes New Housing Incentives, Increased Taxes on Wealthy Individuals and Public Corporations

Posted on by Trey Jackson

President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address last night included proposals to levy a 25 percent minimum tax on wealthy individuals, increase the corporate tax rate from 21 to 28 percent, and raise the alternative minimum tax on large corporations from 15 to 21 percent. He also called on Congress to pass legislation to support the construction or rehabilitation of more than 2 million homes and rolled out new tax incentives for homebuyers. (Biden’s Remarks | White House Fact Sheets on Taxes and Housing, March 7)

Proposed Tax Increases

  • Biden proposed to levy a 25 percent minimum tax on those with wealth of more than $100 million. He committed to not raising taxes on those making $400,000 or less while heavily criticizing the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) as a $2 trillion giveaway to high-income households and corporations. (Tax Policy Center | Forbes, March 8)
  • Most of the Biden tax agenda is carried over from his prior budgets and includes provisions that he was unable to pass when Democrats controlled both chambers of Congress. While not detailed in his speech, the White House’s upcoming 2025 budget could include past proposals to raise taxes on real estate like-kind exchanges and carried interest income. (Roundtable Weekly, March 10, 2023)
  • Many provisions from the 2017 tax bill will expire at the end of 2025, including the 20 percent deduction for pass-through business income, the cap on the deductibility of state and local taxes, and the reduction in the top individual tax rate from 39.6 to 37 percent. The approaching expiration of the individual provisions creates a tax “cliff” that is likely to drive tax negotiations next year.

Housing Plan

Real Estate coalition response to President Biden's SOTU housing proposals.
Real estate coalition response to President Biden’s SOTU housing proposals.
  • The White House’s Fact Sheet on housing describes the administration’s plans to establish new tax credits for first-time homebuyers and individuals who sell their starter homes. The tax credit for home sellers seeks to address the “lock-in” effect associated with current high interest rates.The president would also increase spending on affordable housing by Federal Home Loan Banks. (PoliticoPro and White House Fact Sheet on Housing, March 7)
  • The White House Fact Sheet also includes an expansion of the low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) to support an additional 1.2 million affordable rental units and a new Neighborhood Homes Tax Credit to encourage the construction or preservation of over 400,000 affordable, owner-occupied homes. Bipartisan legislation to expand LIHTC passed the House in January and is pending in the Senate.
  • The National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) and nine industry groups responded to the negative aspects of Biden’s housing plan. A coalition letter explained how proposals to limit fee for service arrangements would hurt renters by undermining the administration’s objectives of lowering housing costs, driving new housing development, and creating more affordable rental housing. President Biden has also supported Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission investigations into rental rate fixing—investigations that many in the industry believe are highly questionable. (NMHC statement and real estate coalition letter, March 7)

Funding Watch

  • After the House passed a spending package this week to fund several federal agencies through September, the Senate has until midnight tonight to pass the bill and avoid a partial government shutdown.
  • Approval from all 100 senators is necessary to fast track the process. The consideration of multiple amendments could delay a final vote until Saturday, necessitating a temporary funding extension to avoid disruption and get the final bill to President Biden for his signature. (The Hill, March 8)

The next government funding deadline is March 22, which requires a new spending package to fund the Pentagon, Health and Human Services, Labor, and other agencies. Policymakers agreed on this two-tiered stopgap funding plan (March 8 and 22) to buy time to negotiate a full-year appropriations bill. (Roundtable Weekly, March 1)

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