LTP News Sharing:
Does it seem yet like it was all just a bad dream?
Two weeks ago, before President Trump was resoundingly chosen to once again lead the United States, our nation was still grappling with the reality of what we might be facing under a President Kamala Harris — likely a continuation of the ruinous policies of her predecessor.
In a commentary published November 4 by the Independent Women’s Forum (IWF), Donna Jackson — Project 21’s director of membership development — and Gabriella Hoffman — IWF’s director of the Center for Energy and Conservation — explained how “the Biden-Harris administration’s green housing policies are already having ruinous impacts on prospective homeowners.”
They wrote:
[T]here’s too little scrutiny of the wave of costly Biden-Harris administration environmental regulations’ impact on homeownership, a hallmark of the American Dream.
Read their commentary below to remember what could have been, and then breathe deeply and look forward to a new era that will likely include pro-deregulation Lee Zeldin as our EPA administrator.
Vice President Kamala Harris is luring first-time home buyers with one-time $25,000 down payments. Every government handout comes with strings attached: this policy will be inflationary and could worsen the housing crisis by encouraging more people to enter the market to take advantage of the credit, pushing prices even higher. Much has been said about the home affordability crisis, but there’s too little scrutiny of the wave of costly Biden-Harris administration environmental regulations’ impact on homeownership, a hallmark of the American Dream.
Donna Jackson
The Biden-Harris administration’s green housing policies are already having ruinous impacts on prospective homeowners. Most notably, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has adopted new green building code requirements under the guise of climate resiliency and energy efficiency retrofits for homes qualifying for government-backed home mortgages. According to the National Association of Home Builders, these new requirements could add up to $31,000 to the price of a new home. Similarly, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm has touted green energy codes aimed at reducing “energy burden for low-income households”—a policy that will only save these Americans a paltry $162 dollars annually on utility bills.
This practice is already failing in parts of the country where it’s being adopted. Climate policy often leads to pricing out lower-income residents, as seen in progressive strongholds like New York City. One report determined “energy efficiency retrofits”—or government subsidies aimed at “greening” buildings—in the Big Apple increased “the perceived value of the units.” Even green building advocates concede these retrofits increase housing costs.
Green New Deal-style measures also apply to existing homes. Among them are Department of Energy (DOE) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations making home appliances more expensive. Women, particularly suburbanites, are expected to feel the brunt of these extreme policies. Why? They are responsible for 85 percent of consumer purchases and are primary deciders for major purchases-including household appliances. The average American household is expected to pay an additional $9,000 under Biden-Harris green appliance mandates, particularly hitting women and minority communities most. Gas stoves aren’t the only appliances in the Biden-Harris administration’s crosshairs. There are also regulations targeting furnaces, air conditioners, dishwashers, water heaters, and clothes washers.
Gabriella Hoffman
Team Biden-Harris is also imposing severe land use restrictions that puts nature ahead of people by constraining the number of locations where new homes can be constructed. Private land deemed critical habitat for endangered or threatened species becomes off-limits under the administration’s warped interpretation of the Endangered Species Act. The same is true of wetland protections that can be extended to vast tracts if even the smallest puddle is found nearby. Michael and Chantell Sackett sued the EPA for blocking the construction of their new home, arguing the agency lacks jurisdiction over their property as it’s not a “navigable water.” After a 16-year legal battle, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Sacketts, deeming ditches and puddles aren’t “navigable waters” regulated by the Clean Water Act. And if that isn’t enough, the Biden-Harris administration’s America the Beautiful initiative, or 30-by-30, would impose additional federal overreach by restricting access to 30 percent of the nation’s lands and waters by 2030. 30-by-30 reduces available land for multiple uses—including home development. Land scarcity will displace communities and force people into urban settings–leading to increased housing demand and higher home prices.
VP Harris has touted plans to build three million homes, but where will she allow them to be built? Don’t expect help from most career community activists. In fact, many in the so-called environmental justice movement get government grants to promote these counterproductive green measures.
Biden-Harris regulations, particularly climate policies, have added $94,000—or a 25 percent increase—to new home costs. Thanks to the current administration’s green agenda, that amount is expected to rise. Overall energy costs are up 20 percent since the Biden-Harris administration took office in January 2021.
Owning a home is absolutely critical to breaking the cycle of poverty and creating intergenerational wealth for minority and low-income households. A recent National Association of Realtors study found homeowners have 40 times more net worth than renters.
This regulatory burden can and should be reduced in order to improve the lives of millions of aspiring homeowners. Buying a home is an already stressful process. Costly green mandates, coupled with climate alarmism, will add to unease and disillusionment about fulfilling the American Dream of homeownership.
Gabriella Hoffman is the director of the Center for Energy and Conservation at Independent Women’s Forum. Donna Jackson is the director of membership development for the National Center for Public Policy Research’s Project 21 black leadership network. This was originally published at Independent Women’s Forum.
Author: The National Center
