The Property Ladder

America's buoyant economy faces a crossroads. Fiscal and monetary stimulus ignited the durable goods and housing markets in a frenzy of activity. It will not endure without further stimulus and result in slower growth in the next year as purchases brought forward are not replaced. This highwire act will require balanced policy responses as the next steps. None are as consequential as the housing market where eviction and foreclosure moratoriums reign. With 13 million people behind on their payments and four million facing immediate action, a market collapse is probable without further policy response. The challenge is that prior policy action lifted housing prices at an unfathomable rate. Policymakers must make the unpalatable policy choice of either people or capital. The choice for growth is easy.