DENVER — President Joe Biden says his $2 trillion Build Back Better plan consists of investments in different industries in order tackle climate change and boost the economy.
One of them is an ambitious goal of building 1.5 million sustainable homes and housing units across the country.
A professor at Colorado State University’s economics department, Stephan Weiler, says these new sustainable housing units could help the Colorado by creating more jobs, but it will only benefit families if the homes are affordable.
“I think what needs to be concentrated on is more apartments and smaller buildings that can accommodate people with lesser needs. The people who can afford these $500,000, $600,000 homes, these aren’t people we worry about. We worry about the people who are renting or cannot make the mortgage for those kinds of houses,” Weiler said.
Kyle Callahan has worked as an architect for decades specializing in sustainable housing. He says while they can be more expensive, the investment pays off over time.
“They tend to be more expensive to install at an initial time of construction, but over time, conceivably the cost is reduced by the fact that you are spending less on utility costs, you are spending less on transformations of the interior, of maintenance,” Callahan said.
Biden says his housing plan addresses the nation’s affordable housing crisis, increases energy efficiency and reduces the racial wealth gap. His goal is to also incentive planning that connects housing, transit and jobs.
“Economic sustainability is both environmental but it is also being able to sustain a way of life, having people afford their houses, having people not get rent evicted for instance and having people have secure jobs and decent pay,” Weiler said.
For the president, this pricey investment guarantees America’s future, but for many Americans, they hope its not too good to be true.
Biden will be in Colorado Tuesday to discuss his Build Back Better plan at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden.