by Volf ben Yosev

Buried in Pres. Biden’s new 2.3 trillion dollar infrastructure spending bill is a provision to federalize local planning and zoning boards through centralized control from HUD.  When Trump hit the campaign trail, he warned, “The Democrats will destroy your suburbs!”

Planning and zoning boards are typically used to allow local residents a say in the process, to be able to choose their own neighbors.  In New York, real estate developers find ways around low income housing requirements, by portioning a token fraction of space or eating the fines on it.  The real issue is public housing.  With the current surge of illegal immigrants flooding the southern border, the Biden regime is reportedly running out of places to house them.  Federal employees are reportedly being offered four months paid leave to take in unaccompanied illegal minors, so you have white collar government workers doubling as babysitters.  Opponents of housing projects and homeless shelters being built in their communities complain of violent crime, drugs, prostitution, home disrepair, and falling property values.  Critics call those objections “racist.”

The haredi community will be uniquely impacted by any potential federalization of local zoning.  Rather than applying to local stakeholders for building permits to construct and expand schools, the decision would rest with Washington bureaucrats who are attempting to diversify neighborhoods demographically.  If they believe that your community lacks diversity, diversity can be imposed by issuing a moratorium on Jewish construction.