How Does the New Proposed Stimulus Bill Help Real Estate?

The House-passed bill is now in the Senate, and NAR expects most major provisions to pass. The latest stimulus includes aid for state and local governments, new homeowners’ assistance funds, small-business grants, rental-assistance funding, expanded unemployment and more.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Senate will take up President Joe Biden’s American Rescue Plan this week, a $1.9 trillion bill that contains an array of coronavirus relief measures that the National Association of Realtors® (NAR) says it championed. The House passed the legislation Saturday.

NAR Chief Advocacy Officer Shannon McGahn says that she expects the Senate to adopt the bill with most of the major provisions intact.

“The White House is hoping for final passage by mid-March, when current unemployment benefits expire,” McGahn says.

The American Rescue Plan includes new aid for struggling state and local governments; the creation of a homeowners’ assistance fund and a small-business grant program; and a fresh round of funding for rental assistance, expanded unemployment, stimulus checks, vaccines and COVID-19 testing. Other provisions include:

• Stimulus checks: $1,400 stimulus checks to most Americans, phased out for higher earners

• Unemployment: An extension through Aug. 29, 2021, to the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program and an increase of Pandemic Unemployment Compensation from $300 to $400 weekly

• Rental assistance: $20.3 billion in new money for rental assistance (on top of the $25 billion allocated in December)

• Eviction/foreclosure moratorium: An extension of the eviction and foreclosure moratorium is extended through Sept. 30, 2021

• Forbearance: Forbearance for federally guaranteed mortgages – a program that allows current homeowners to skip monthly mortgage payments and make up the difference at the time the house is sold or through additional payments tacked onto the end of the loan – is also extended through Sept. 30, 2021

• Child care: A one-year increase from $2,000 to $3,000 in the child tax credit

• Sick leave: Expanded paid sick and family leave through Sept. 30, 2021

• Housing assistance: $10 billion for a Housing Assistance Fund that will allow state housing finance agencies to help homeowners with COVID-19 hardships

• Housing counseling: $100 million for housing counseling services

• Small business grants: $15 billion for a new small business grant program

• Aid packages: $350 billion in state and local aid

• Schools: $130 billion for schools

“Perhaps the biggest component of this bill is state and local aid, which was left out of previous legislation,” McGahn says. “Nearly nine in 10 cities expect a budget shortfall this year. No local government could really prepare for something like what we have lived through the past year, and this new assistance was needed to keep our economic recovery from suffering a relapse.”

NAR sent a letter to congressional leadership last week, making them aware of provisions in the bill that are important to Realtors: rental assistance, state and local aid, unemployment assistance, small-business relief, and an extension and expansion of credits for paid sick and family leave and employee retention.

“The 1.4 million members of the National Association of Realtors thank you for your focus on rebuilding our economy, businesses, and families during and after this worldwide pandemic,” NAR’s letter reads. “The American Rescue Plan … has several provisions that will be essential to ensure Americans are safe, small businesses survive, and the economy recovers.”

Source: National Association of Realtors® (NAR)

© 2021 Florida Realtors® Reprinted with permission.

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