Citations Needed

It's hard to know exactly what Joe Biden's suburban housing plan for "every zip code" (Biden's words) in the country, will be, and how it will be implemented. The media refuses to discuss it and focuses almost solely on the coronavirus.

As I understand it, Biden believes single family suburban housing is too expensive and, as a result, has led to de facto segregation, which, in my view, would make it more about economics than about ethnicity. In addition, single family homes take up too much buildable land which is becoming more expensive as it becomes scarcer.

Therefore, the people with the greatest need — the homeless and the very poor and especially minorities within those groups — will be given federal vouchers and tax credits to help them pay for their housing. Local governments must eliminate "local and state regulations that perpetuate discrimination and sprawl," Biden's words.

These homes must be "safe, healthy, affordable, stable, located near good schools and accessible to people with disabilities," again, Biden's words. It isn't clear whether single family homes will be allowed at all, or whether they will be limited to small lot sizes.

To reach these objectives, Biden — in a huge government overreach — proposes to force his housing plan on the suburbs by threatening townships with loss of federal funding if they don't comply.

Urbanizing the suburbs, in my view, is just a step away from annexing the suburbs to the city and, since many cities are broke, tapping into the suburban dollar. It's not clear whether this housing proposal pertains to new development only or to multi-family "infill" housing, where possible, in developed suburban areas made possible by reducing lot sizes.

Lastly, politicians need to live with the laws they create for the rest of us. After all it was the Obama/Biden administration which added a provision to the Fair Housing Act of 1968 known as the "AFFH" or Affirmatively Furthering the Fair Housing Rule. The AFFH makes it easier to implement a plan like Biden's. It was removed by the Trump administration but can be reinstated by a Biden administration.

Politicians need to densify their own neighborhood or township first, for us to see how well the plan works in reality. Perhaps Obama, whose $11.75 million dollar beach home, which sits on 29 acres in Martha's Vineyard, should be first in line to volunteer his land for this experiment. Perhaps mid-rise apartment buildings for hundreds of people can be built there, with retail shops on the first floor, and shuttle and bus lines planned for those with no cars.

As for Biden, he needs to get out in public to explain his plans and take hardball questions about them. It's not fair to the public that his appearances are limited and controlled, usually with no questions taken.

Elaine Hughes is a resident of Horsham.