Just to re-emphasize my point from yesterday, the president is planning to announce a spending freeze during a recession, which is bad policy when the housing market remains in the tank and unemployment is sky high.
This week’s podcast focuses on legislation that would ease the way for developers to take approved senior housing and change it into regular housing provided they offer affordable housing as part of the package.
Listen here.
The housing crisis affects nearly all of us, driving down resale prices, drying up credit, creating employment instability and leaving everyone vulnerable to foreclosure.
Jamesburg officials, who have little authority to address the issue, are doing what they can. The borough will host a Mortgage Crisis Forum on Saturday that will bring together a panel of experts to address homeowner concerns.
Brenda Deans, borough councilwoman and chairwoman of the Homeowner Relations Committee, the chief organizer, views the forum as a chance to make sure borough residents know what kind of help is available should they run into problems.
”There are people at their end, where they don’t know what to do,” she said. “The object is to get people out there, to see what’s out there for help.”
Information, she said, is key.
”You’ve got folks that are filing for bankruptcy, and maybe they have to and maybe they don’t,” Ms. Deans said. “I just want people to be educated. At least if they know, this will get them in the right direction.”
Makes sense to me.
The forum will take place March 28, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Borough Hall, 131 Perrineville Road.
This week’s Dispatches, on the mortgage industry bailout, is up.
Hank Kalet 