The U.S. House of Representatives passed on December 16 the Jobs for Main Street Act, which includes over $150 billion in provisions intended to spur job creation and fund various infrastructure and relief programs with targeted investments for highways and transit, school renovation, hiring of teachers, police, and firefighters, and job training. In addition, the bill would redirect funds from the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) to finance other priorities including $1 billion for the National Housing Trust Fund to help build, preserve, and rehabilitate rental homes that are affordable for extremely and very low-income households; and $65 million for project-based vouchers to support units built by the Trust Fund. It would also provide $1 billion for the Public Housing Capital Fund for additional repairs and rehabilitation of public housing. Read More…