The following information was released by the National Association of Home Builders:
Bob Jones, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and a home builder from Bloomfield Hills, Mich., issued the following statement in response to the final plan unveiled today by the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform.
"While we commend the hard work of the President's deficit commission to improve the nations fiscal situation, this is simply the wrong approach to the problem. It would put a huge tax increase on millions of middle-class home owners by eliminating or devaluing the mortgage interest deduction. The consequences would be devastating for housing and the economy. This would further depress home prices, putting countless more home owners underwater and triggering a new wave of foreclosures.
"Eliminating or scaling back this vital housing deduction will shrink the local tax base of many communities, causing already cash-strapped state and local governments to further cut jobs and essential services. Given the extreme fragility of the housing market, with 21 percent of construction workers currently idled, tampering with the mortgage interest deduction is just not sound public policy.
Turn to The Washington Post article "Highlights of the deficit commission's proposal" (Associated Press) for a synopsis of the various elements of the proposal.
