In the News Presented by Prairie Title
July 28,
2016
Where’s the Housing?
By Frank Pellegrini, Prairie
Title CEO
We’re
in the midst of political convention season, that every-four-year dream world
where both parties write platforms that will never see the light of day past
their conventions and silly hats, banners, balloons and confetti rule the day.
What’s missing from both the major candidates for president, unfortunately, is truly substantive policy regarding housing. Compounding the issue is the media’s almost complete lack of interest in talking about housing as an important economic issue. To paraphrase a political campaign from long ago, I ask: “Where’s the Housing?”
Take this recent piece from the Wall Street Journal as an example. Titled, “Where Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump Stand on Economic Issues,” the article goes on in detail about jobs, trade, taxes, entitlements, debt, immigration, infrastructure, the Fed, college, wages.
These
are all important issues, without a doubt, but I ask again: Where’s the
Housing? Whether owning or renting, everyone has to live somewhere, and the
impact housing has on the American economy is enormous. There is some
bi-partisan movement in Congress for GSE reform, and the major party platforms
both have planks that urge a return to a real estate lending environment like
Glass-Steagall. (Republicans would like to go back to Glass-Steagall; Democrats
favor a modernized version of Glass-Steagall). Regardless, making our views
known to the respective parties is the key to pushing our representatives toward
developing housing policies that work.
Real
estate industry associations work every day to remind the media and politicians
alike of the importance of housing. Our job, it seems to me, is to back them up
by participating in industry political actions groups at the federal and state
levels. We also must be dedicated to promoting the industry in our local
communities through media relations and participation in community-based
business groups. Let’s make our voices be heard.
What’s your point of view? Keep the conversation
going by calling or emailing me, or write a comment here.
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