Affordability Act — Compiled Bill Text

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Section 1 — Foundations of Ownership

Purpose

To establish fair and measurable standards for how all property and major assets are valued, bought, and sold in the United States.
This section prevents artificial inflation by basing value on factual elements: base construction cost, inflation, improvements, and depreciation.
It ensures ownership is transparent, enforceable, and immune to speculative abuse.

Core Valuation Formula

Base Value + Inflation + Condition Adjustments – Depreciation = Regulated Assessed Current Value (RACV)

• Base Value represents the documented cost of construction or prior purchase.
• Inflation applies only for the time since the last recorded sale or improvement, using the standardized Wage-Linked Inflation Index (WLII) to ensure affordability parity.
• Condition Adjustments apply for verified upgrades or restorations.
• Depreciation reflects wear, neglect, or regional decline.

The RACV represents the maximum allowable baseline for property listings, insurance assessments, or tax valuation, subject to the Permissible Variance (currently capped at 10%).

Auditing and Oversight

• Independent auditors from certified regional authorities must evaluate a randomized minimum of 5% of all assessments annually.
• Discrepancies exceeding 10% from verified market parity trigger mandatory reassessment and public notice.
• All audit results must be published in the public registry to ensure transparency and maintain trust.

Valuation Dispute Process

If a buyer or seller disputes an assessed value:

• The property enters a Temporary Review Hold before final closing.
• Both parties submit documentation to an independent review board.
• The final RACV may be adjusted within ±10% if material evidence of error exists.

Fairness and Fraud Protection

• Artificial overvaluation by assessors, brokers, or financial institutions constitutes valuation fraud.
• Individuals have the right to audit or appeal RACV assessments without penalty.
• Any proven manipulation or suppression of valuation data leads to immediate license suspension and restitution obligations.

Full Ownership Guarantee

• Ownership includes the right to occupy, transfer, and modify property—provided all modifications meet regional safety and environmental codes.
• Ownership does not exempt individuals from community standards, blight laws, or affordability restrictions under this Act.
• Property owners must maintain compliance with local and federal affordability standards to retain their ownership rights.

Section 2 — Housing, Land, and Ownership Protections

Purpose

This section preserves residential and land ownership fairness by ensuring that property, whether developed or vacant, is used productively and equitably.
It safeguards residents from speculative manipulation, abandonment, or forced displacement through unfair market practices.

Blight and Neglect Prevention

• Owners are required to maintain properties to basic habitability and safety standards.
• If a property becomes abandoned or uninhabitable, it enters Custodial Stewardship, where a certified public authority or local land trust temporarily assumes maintenance until ownership is reestablished.
• Failure to maintain a property within 18 months of official notice results in reassignment for redevelopment or rehabilitation.
• For HOA-controlled areas, maintenance responsibility remains with the HOA until individual ownership transfer is complete.

Homeowners Association (HOA) Protections

• Residents must be allowed to opt out of HOA jurisdiction when all debts and fees are cleared.
• HOAs lose regulatory power if fewer than 60% of lots or homes remain unsold, ensuring they cannot indefinitely control unoccupied areas.
• HOA boards must publicly post all budgets and expenditures.
• Any HOA or developer that withholds ownership titles, restricts resale, or imposes unfair restrictions is subject to forfeiture of management rights.

Rezoning and Land Reclassification

• When land use is rezoned (e.g., agricultural → commercial → residential), valuation adjustments must reflect the original zoning category for any buyback or compensation.
• If a property’s zoning upgrade was initiated for speculative resale, the increase in value is reversed during sale or tax evaluation.
• Local governments may retain a portion of rezoning profits for public housing development.

Vacant and Unused Land

• Vacant land held for over 24 months without active improvement or agricultural use is subject to review and potential reassignment to local development trusts.
• Owners must provide intent-to-develop documentation to avoid reassignment.
• Parcels intentionally kept idle to restrict housing supply are subject to land-value taxation at up to 200% of their baseline rate.

Resident Priority Access

• All for-sale properties must be listed on at least one public access registry available to local residents before being marketed to corporations or out-of-region buyers.
• Listings must remain publicly available for 30 days before out-of-area offers are accepted.
• Advertising only to corporations, private networks, or exclusive investment groups violates the Affordability Act’s equal access clause.

Section 3 — Fair Market Participation and Offer Integrity

Purpose

To ensure that every person has equal opportunity to participate in real estate and asset markets without unfair competition or artificial price escalation.

Certified Offer Registry (COR)

• All property, rental, or lease offers must be logged in the Certified Offer Registry, a publicly accessible database managed by the Office of Affordability Oversight.
• Each bid is timestamped and digitally verified to prevent falsified competition.
• Bidders may withdraw offers within 48 hours without penalty.
• Sellers must confirm final accepted bids through COR before closing.

Anti-Bot and Automation Controls

• Automated bidding, offer-sniping, and AI-based price manipulation tools are strictly prohibited.
• Companies using automated investment systems must register their software with the Office of Affordability Oversight.
• Violations result in suspension of brokerage or listing privileges for 12 months minimum.

Digital and Physical Scope

• The same affordability rules apply to both physical property and digital property (including domain names, digital land parcels, or online rental assets).
• Digital assets sold through blockchain or online platforms must follow the same registry, taxation, and verification protocols as physical assets.

Equal Advertising Reach

• Listings must appear on at least two public registries or one state-certified listing platform accessible by all residents.
• Marketing exclusively to corporate or investor entities violates equal access principles.
• Private sale exceptions (family transfers, inheritance) are exempt.

Fairness in Bidding and Negotiation

• Sellers may not claim “competing offers” unless documented in the COR.
• “Bidding wars” are capped at 10% above the listed RACV; anything higher must be reviewed for legitimacy.
• If multiple buyers meet the same offer threshold, priority follows the Resident Priority Ladder:
  1. Local full-time residents
  2. In-state residents
  3. Domestic buyers
  4. International or corporate entities

Section 4 — Transportation, Vehicles, and Ownership Equity

Purpose

To extend affordability protections into transportation and automotive markets by ensuring fairness in production, purchase, and maintenance costs.

Fair Vehicle Valuation

• Vehicle prices must reflect base manufacturer cost, inflation, and condition adjustments.
• Used vehicles cannot be priced higher than new equivalent models unless classified as rare or antique.
• “Collector” or “heritage” vehicles are exempt but must be transparently labeled as non-essential assets.

Dealer Practices

• All dealership fees must be itemized and disclosed at the point of sale.
• “Market adjustment” or “availability surcharge” fees are prohibited for any new production vehicle.
• Lease buyouts and used-car valuations must be based on RACV-equivalent calculations.

Right to Repair

• Manufacturers must provide diagnostic tools, replacement parts, and repair documentation at reasonable cost to licensed mechanics and owners.
• Proprietary software locks that restrict repairability are prohibited under this Act.
• Refusal to sell replacement parts constitutes unfair trade practice.

Tariff Exemptions

• Building materials and components for housing or vehicles may be exempt from tariffs when those tariffs directly raise end-user affordability costs.
• The Department of Commerce will maintain a list of Affordability-Critical Materials eligible for exemption.

Registration and Ownership Verification

• Temporary or paper license plates may not exceed 60 days of validity.
• Repeated registration evasion or use of fraudulent plates triggers license suspension and asset seizure.

Section 5 — Taxation, Labor, and Fiscal Safeguards

Purpose

To ensure all citizens can meet basic living needs through fair wages, healthcare continuity, and equitable taxation. This section eliminates the paradox where individuals can earn full-time wages yet still fall below the affordability threshold.

Livable Minimum Wage (LMW)

• Definition: The minimum wage must equal or exceed the local Livable Minimum Wage (LMW), defined as the income required to afford basic needs in that region.
• Formula: LMW = (Regional Basic Cost Index ÷ 160), based on a 40-hour week.
• Basic Costs Include:
  • Food and nutrition standards
  • Utilities, plumbing, and essential broadband
  • Transportation (vehicle or public transit)
  • Healthcare premiums or copays
  • Average local rent or mortgage
  • 10% emergency savings buffer
• If a jurisdiction adopts a shorter workweek (e.g., 32 hours), the LMW is recalculated to maintain the same monthly income target.

Wage Auditing and Enforcement

• The Federal Office of Affordability Oversight (FOAO) conducts biannual wage audits using regional income, cost-of-living, and inflation data.
• Employers paying below LMW rates face restitution equal to back pay plus 20% penalty.
• Tips and commissions cannot count toward minimum wage compliance.

Health Coverage Continuity

• Public and private healthcare programs must guarantee Continuous Eligibility: no lapse may occur between policy end and new coverage start.
• All enrollment systems must synchronize across Medicaid, Medicare, ACA, and employer coverage.
• Enrollment must be open quarterly rather than annually.
• A Universal Minimum Coverage Standard ensures that all residents have at least emergency and primary care access at no cost.

Welfare Realignment and Transition

• SNAP, EBT, and other benefit programs convert to Work-Integrated Assistance (WIA) once wage reforms take effect.
• Benefits taper gradually as income exceeds the LMW threshold, avoiding sudden drop-offs.
• Recipients must either work, actively job-seek, or provide medical exemption proof.
• Savings from reduced dependency fund local housing and job training programs.

Taxation and Marital Equity

• Tax brackets apply per individual, not per household filing unit.
• Dependents reduce taxable income equally for all filers, regardless of marital status.
• Joint filing remains optional but cannot result in a higher tax burden than single filing.

Fiscal Safeguards

• Any affordability-driven tax or wage reform cannot be offset by reducing public funding or raising unrelated taxes.
• A Fiscal Stability Board monitors government revenue changes to ensure the reforms do not cause downstream inflation.

Section 6 — Enforcement, Compliance, and Appeals

Purpose

To define enforcement mechanisms and ensure consistent compliance across all sectors affected by the Affordability Act.

Federal Office of Affordability Oversight (FOAO)

• The FOAO is a federally chartered agency responsible for:
  • Auditing affordability metrics, valuations, and wage compliance.
  • Managing the Certified Offer Registry (COR).
  • Conducting investigations and coordinating state-level enforcement.
• The FOAO must publish an annual Affordability Report detailing national progress, identified violations, and recommendations for amendment.

Penalties

• Civil penalties include fines up to 200% of the profit gained from violations.
• Repeat or deliberate offenses may escalate to criminal penalties including imprisonment or forfeiture of assets.
• Violators found guilty of manipulating valuations, suppressing listings, or wage evasion may be barred from property ownership or corporate leadership for up to 10 years.

Appeals Process

• Any individual or entity has the right to appeal enforcement actions within 60 days of notice.
• Appeals may be filed digitally or by mail through FOAO regional offices.
• An independent arbitration panel reviews all appeals, with final recourse through the federal judiciary.

Enforcement of Ownership and Maintenance

• FOAO and local governments have authority to enforce blight laws, ownership stewardship, and affordability compliance.
• Neglected or vacant properties under stewardship must be maintained until resold or reassigned.
• Owners must comply with upkeep standards or risk custodial transfer.

Transparency and Whistleblower Protection

• All FOAO investigations, outcomes, and appeals must be logged publicly except when privacy law prevents disclosure.
• Whistleblowers who report violations are legally protected against retaliation and entitled to up to 10% of recovered restitution.

Section 7 — Integrity, Accountability, and Global Fairness

Purpose

To preserve the integrity of national and international markets while ensuring affordability protections are applied equally and fairly across all jurisdictions.

Bankruptcy Transparency

• Entities filing bankruptcy must disclose all domestic and foreign assets.
• Transfer of ownership to family or shell corporations within 36 months before filing is automatically subject to review and potential clawback.
• Executives or board members found abusing bankruptcy protections lose eligibility for corporate registration for 10 years.

Offshore Accounts and Tax Evasion

• Any individual or corporation with U.S. assets must declare all offshore holdings annually.
• Undeclared assets are subject to immediate forfeiture under the Foreign Affordability Transparency Act (FATA).
• Financial institutions failing to report holdings face joint liability.

Market Stabilization: Affordability Equity Adjustment Mechanism (AEAM)

• When affordability reforms reduce corporate nominal asset valuations, affected companies may issue share adjustments (non-monetary compensation).
• Example: if valuation drops by 50%, the company may issue a 2-for-1 split, maintaining total shareholder value.
• AEAM transactions must be disclosed to the SEC and shareholders before execution.
• This ensures affordability progress without destabilizing retirement funds or public investment portfolios.

International Reciprocity

• Any foreign entity operating within U.S. property, vehicle, or insurance markets must comply with affordability and transparency standards.
• Reciprocal enforcement agreements shall be pursued with partner nations.

Penalty Structure

1. Tier 1 – Omission or Negligence: Civil fine up to 200% of hidden value.
2. Tier 2 – Willful Concealment: Criminal charges and up to 10 years imprisonment.
3. Tier 3 – Systemic Abuse or Repeat Offense: Asset forfeiture and permanent disqualification from market participation.

Global Cooperation

• The FOAO, Treasury, and State Department will coordinate global data sharing on property, asset ownership, and affordability indices.
• A biannual Global Affordability Report will measure international compliance and recommend global alignment standards.