Housing for All!
Housing Act of 1949 declares a need for establishing a national housing goal of “a decent home and suitable living environment for every American family.” (Note “environment” held a meaning tied to slum housing rather than clean air and free from contamination of today.) From this beginning we now have 14,000 units “affordable housing assistance” comprised of Section 8/Public Housing/Housing Choice Vouchers/etc.,one in five renters here in Vermont today--all pegged at 30% household income rent max rents (Reagan raised it from 25% to 30% and we need to go back to 25%).
Leahy has been able to get about 300 units yearly of affordable housing assistance in the Trump years and this should expand significantly in the Biden administration. The one in five renters enjoy 30% income max rents today--about half the need. VP Harris proposed bill last year (Rent Relief Act) would make 30% income rent max universal for low income through a monthly tax credit check like senior food benefit going directly into a checking account--homelessness erased overnight. Can switch COTS to an urban youth hostel!
Cost of this is cheap, now about $100 million a year for 14,000 of the low income units now, so another $100 million a year would do it--about equal to the homeownership subsidies which have little justification.
Still do coops, ADUs and other good things knowing all can avail themselves of such units--and avoid the ghastly specter we now see before us in City Place (current status), and the already built rich folks housing of Redstone, etc.
Compared to the $336 million yearly Vermonters are shouldering in defense this year versus the last Obama year, $100 million to meet the needs of low income for affordable rental homes is really a piece of cake. Military needs have significantly declined with withdrawals from Iraq and Afghanistan.
US MILITARY BUDGET AND VERMONTERS ANNUAL SHARE
OF THE INCREASE UNDER PRESIDENT TRUMP 2020
COMPARED TO THE LAST YEAR OF THE OBAMA
ADMINISTRATION IN
Federal Fiscal Year Total Spending
2016 767.6 (Last Obama budget)
2017 818.9
2018 890.8
2019 904.3
2020 935.8 Appropriation
2021 933.8 Budgeted
Increase during Trump 2016 to 2020: 168.2 billion/year higher in 2020 than in last Obama expenditure in 2016. VT per capita share of increase ($2 million/billion): $336 million/year additional per capita support versus 2016 last Obama budget. Cost of 14,000 HUD 30% household income max per month rental program (about 40% of need) ~$104 million
Source: The Balance https://www.thebalance.com/u-s-military-budget-components-challenges-growth-3306320
