Write your Politicians!

As you begin to craft an economic stimulus plan, I am writing to urge you to include provisions to address the lack of demand for housing.
Foreclosure prevention plans are valuable but alone do not effectively address the root of our current economic crisis - housing. We need to spur demand for homes in order to increase home values and get our economy back on track.
Home prices and property values are on a steep decline across the country, causing a dramatic near stand-still in home purchases. Because housing is so central to our economy - accounting for nearly 13% of the U.S. GDP - several sectors of the economy have been severely affected by this downturn. Almost 85,000 jobs have been lost in the past two months in the construction industry alone, mostly in specialty trades related to home building. Many other jobs were lost indirectly as a result of the housing crisis.
Acting now is critical. Foreclosure prevention coupled with short-term, targeted incentives will encourage Americans to buy homes again. Congress should enhance the Home Buyer Tax Credit for residences purchased between April 2008 and December 2009 to up to 10% of the home price or $22,000, depending on geography. In addition, buyers should have access to discounted mortgage financing that would encourage eligible home buyers to enter the market.
History proves that tax credits for home buyers work to bolster the economy; in 1975, Congress passed a short-term tax credit for all new homes, coupled with subsidized mortgage rates. The stimulus jump-started the depressed economy and the effects continued long after the measure expired.
To stop the fall in home values, to spur job creation and to encourage people to buy NOW instead of later, I urge you to support this measure.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,

Michael Shanaberger
3609013908