There was a last minute provision inserted in the Senate Health Bill that could hurt the fragile housing and construction industry, but specifically the smaller family type businesses.
All small businesses are exempt from having to buy health insurance for their employees as long as they have less than 50 employees, except for the construction industry which will have to provide health insurance if they employ more than five people. In the case of the construction industry these are the same standards that big businesses are going to be held to.
Although there are many big home builder and construction companies that already provide health insurance there are also some very small businesses especially new companies that have few employees and are on a shoestring budget. The health reform bill would likely put many of the smaller employers out of business.
Think of the small companies such as painters, electricians, plumbers, roofers, siding companies, framers, gutter installers and more. Of course we all know the big home builder names; but there are many builders with just a few employees who build one home at a time. Many of these reach the five employee threshold as they try to grow their company and more business rolls in. Many of these companies may have a choice between going bankrupt or choosing to never grow beyond four employees. Or it could cause the unintended consequence of small construction companies using more illegal's instead of American workers.
We have first-time and existing home owner tax credits the government is using to artificially spike home sales in Tampa and throughout the country, which of course helps the housing industry. With the government however, it seems one hand giveth, while the other taketh away.
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