Yesterday, President Trump signed an executive order to create a new administrative council that is expected to tackle the affordable housing crisis facing America by pushing local governments to undo construction barriers. The White House Council on Eliminating Barriers to Affordable Housing Development will be chaired by Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson and contain members from eight administrative agencies.
Jesse Van Tol, CEO of the National Community Reinvestment Coalition (www.ncrc.org), made the following statement:
“NCRC looks forward to working with the council on expanding the nation’s affordable housing inventory. We welcome serious dialogue about restrictive local zoning and land use rules that impede this construction. However, this effort can’t be a trojan horse to undermine critical federal funding, consumer protections and fair housing principles in local communities.
“We applaud localities around the country that are already reexamining their local land use rules in light of their affordable housing needs and taking decisive action. NCRC has co-convened an Affordable Homeownership Coalition with industry stakeholders to help accelerate changes in local zoning rules that can facilitate affordable homeownership for low- and moderate-income families.
“With homeownership at near record lows and the gap between white and black homeownership the largest it has ever been, it is imperative that our government take action. At the same time, we all need to be sure that this action has a positive, not negative, impact on low- and moderate-income communities.”
