Mitts Housing Policy Released Sept 21, 2012

Source: The Wall Street Journal

LAS VEGAS—Mitt Romney's campaign on Friday rolled out a pledge to streamline foreclosure alternatives and work through the glut of government-owned homes, a move that was largely overshadowed by the candidate releasing two decades of tax information.

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In a white paper the campaign released Friday, Mr. Romney's campaign laid out goals such as repealing the Dodd-Frank financial overhaul and replacing it with more-streamlined regulation and selling the thousands of vacant homes the government currently owns. The plan calls for easier alternatives to foreclosures, such as short sales, and overhauling government-controlled mortgage-backers Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The campaign's white paper didn't include specifics on how Mr. Romney would achieve any of the goals that were listed.

-snip-

Obama campaign spokesman Adam Fetcher said: "It's revealing that the Romney campaign tried to bury its so-called housing plan even deeper on a Friday afternoon than Mitt Romney's tax returns. That's because his 'plan' reveals nothing new and offers no specific proposals for how Romney would help responsible families refinance or stay in their homes."

Mr. Romney's plan is an evolution in rhetoric—if not policy—from his stance last year, when he told a Nevada newspaper that the government shouldn't intervene in the housing market and should let it "hit the bottom."


Read more: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444032404578010730044504690.html

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So my cliffs so far from what I have read:

- Another overly vague "policy"
- Some pundits claim it was specifically released on the same day Mitt released his tax returns (20 minutes after releasing his tax returns)hoping it would go under the radar
(see Business Insider - "Mitt Romney's Housing Plan Has Got To Be A Joke
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/mitt-romneys-housing-market-plan-2012-9#ixzz27LInTGdB)
- Another example of flip/flop, contradicting his earlier "hit the bottom" statement
- While a lot of what is said is vague, some of the solutions proposed have been tried or underway under the Obama administration (not much contrast - google "Romney’s Housing-Crisis Plan Offers Strategies Already Underway")
- Interesting to note Romney's plans to reduce regulations and plans to reform Fannie and Freddie.
- Talks of ending "Too big to fail" by reforming GSE's


Sorry if I have not posted links or information in the correct format. New to DU and thought this might be important. If I did anything wrong here please let me know