REGIONAL SPOTLIGHT—With the Nov. 6 elections just one month out, local residents participated in a Rally for Homeownership in Milwaukee to tell the candidates that homeownership is important to America’s families, communities and economy and must remain a national priority.
“Some policymakers are proposing to slash the mortgage interest deduction, eliminate options for low-downpayment home loans and restrict credit to qualified home buyers and builders seeking to construct viable projects,” said Barry Rutenberg, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and a home builder from Gainesville, Fla. “Today, we are sending a message to Washington to stop this attack on homeownership. Americans believe that owning a home is an enduring core value and that a healthy housing market is critical to spur job and economic growth.”
Other speakers at the rally included:
• Tommy Thompson, former governor of Wisconsin
• Carla Cross, executive director of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce Business Council
• Geoffrey Cooper, director of single family housing, Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority
• Gary Ebert, president-elect, Rebuilding Together Greater Milwaukee
• Scott Thistle, president of the Metropolitan Builders Association of Greater Milwaukee
• Michael Murphy, Milwaukee city councilman, 10th district
• Scott Allen, board member of the Greater Milwaukee Association of Realtors
• Mike Huebsch, secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Administration
Radio personality Jonathan Greene served as master of ceremonies.
“When politicians try to curtail homeownership, they are attacking the American Dream,” said Huebsch.
The rally took place at O’Donnell Park and was sponsored by the Metropolitan Builders Association of Greater Milwaukee, the Wisconsin Builders Association and NAHB.
The home builder groups joined with consumer advocates, REALTORS®, local Chambers of Commerce, politicians, church groups and others to highlight the importance of homeownership.
“We need to continue to support home builders and home owners in this great country,” said councilman Murphy. “We can’t allow federal policies to remove the deduction that we have had for 100 years.”
Rally participants represented a broad range of interests including home owners, small business owners, church groups, home builders and real estate agents, consumers, business leaders, politicians, merchants and manufacturers, bankers, students and many others.
For more information, visit www.ProtectHomeownership.com/rally.
