Housing, transpo costs too high, HUD chief says

52% of income

Jon Boyd, Oct 03, 10.

Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan noted that the average household spends 52% of its income on housing and transportation, information he conveyed in a Blueprint America interview with John Larson. Donovan also said the mortgage industry is driving sprawl and the cost of transportation through “the drive to qualify myth.” Some families, he said, only discover the true cost of their dream home after they have moved to these remote areas: the extra costs of driving greater distances for work, for trips to the grocery store, and picking the children up at school.

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Donovan stressed the importance of creating greater transparency in transportation costs associated with home-location, mentioning the fuel-efficiency ratings posted on new automobiles at the dealership.
Yet Donovan does not want to regulate where people live, he said, “this is about putting information in the hands of consumers, so they can make smart decisions,”

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Video: Partnering to Support Sustainable Communities: A Special Address by U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan