Federal Housing Policy in Reagan Administration

Upon entering office, President Reagan proposed a fundamental shift in federal housing policy, the ultimate intent of which was to eliminate a federal role in the supply of housing (Congressional Quarterly, 1986). As a consequence, he refused to approve any legislation which created new federal housing programs, or increased funding for existing federal housing programs (Congressional Quarterly, 1988). In fact, in most instances, he refused to sign into law any housing legislation which did not either reduce federal housing funding, or, in some way, limit the scope of federal activity in the provision of housing. Although both houses of Congress were able to pass bills expanding federal funding for housing with large majorities (even in the Republican controlled Senate during the 19811982 time period), the Senate was never able to override a Reagan veto of a housing bill (even after the Republicans lost their majority position in that house).

It was not until 1987 that President Reagan finally agreed to sign a bill which included some modest funding increases for federal housing programs in the 1988 and 1989 fiscal years (Congressional Q

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ditional construction programs, Reagan proposed the issuance of vouchers to poor families, which these families could apply like cash toward paying the rent on housing they were able to find on the market (Congressional Quarterly, 1986). Under the existing subsidy programs, landlords, developers, or builders were provided a subsidy to encourage the construction of lowincome housing. In return for keeping rents low for qualified lowincome families, the suppliers received a subsidy equal to the difference between the market price of a rental unit and the amount that a lowincome family could afford to pay for that rental unit (Congressional Quarterly, 1986). The Administration also persuaded Congress to enact a program which provided an incentive for landlords, developers, and builders to rehabilitate existing decaying housing. These incentives were provided in the form of federal incometax exemptions, as opposed to actual federal disbursements in the forms of subsidies. The Reagan Administration claimed that the rehabilitation program would result in an increase in the 4usable housing stock of a magnitude that would enable lowincome families to be able to find housing which would be affordable with the support of fed
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Approximate Word count = 1325
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page)

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