A looming housing cost crisis is making life increasingly unaffordable for most Americans, and the White House is scrambling for solutions. Trump administration officials have repeatedly suggested the Federal Reserve can solve the problem by lowering interest rates. But there is no silver bullet for housing affordability. Regardless of the direction of monetary policy, it is time for President Trump to take actions within his authority to make housing more affordable.
Nearly 3 in 4 Americans say housing affordability has worsened in their communities, and nearly half are moderately or extremely concerned about their ability to pay for housing, according to a recent national survey from the Housing Partnership Network and the University of Florida’s Center for Public Interest Communications.
That anxiety crosses party lines, regions, and income levels—a rare point of national consensus. We saw voters’ anger about housing affordability influence local elections in 2025, and it will likely shape 2026 races as well.
In recent months, the administration floated housing policy ideas that seemed more focused on grabbing headlines than on lowering costs. A proposal for a 50-year mortgage briefly generated buzz but was quickly shelved when it became clear it would raise, not lower, the cost of buying a home. The White House also released an executive order aimed at preventing Wall Street investors from buying single-family homes. But any meaningful action would require Congress, and, even if approved, it would have a minimal impact on the nation’s housing supply problem.
Meanwhile, several administration actions are worsening the crisis. Efforts to undermine the Federal Reserve, cuts to staff operating federal housing programs, reductions in the immigrant labor force, and freezing Congressionally approved housing funds all make it harder to finance and build housing.
I lead a national network of nonprofit housing developers and mission-driven lenders, and I see firsthand how these policies undermine our ability to finance, build, and preserve homes. Here is what the president can do to move housing policy in the right direction:
Immediately release all Congressionally approved funding frozen in 2025. For example, the White House froze resources at the Treasury Department’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund, preventing the release of more than $700 million in grants used to seed community investments like housing development. Housing lenders typically leverage these resources 8 to 1 with non-federal capital, turning hundreds of millions into billions of dollars in investment.
Follow through on cutting red tape. Early in 2025, the administration signaled interest in reducing regulations that increase housing costs and slow production timelines. The Network I lead, along with other housing experts, provided detailed recommendations, but we have seen no meaningful action.
Strengthen HUD. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is often criticized—sometimes politically, sometimes with valid concern about agency effectiveness. The White House should work to strengthen and modernize HUD, beginning with adequate staffing so public funding meant to seed private investment can flow efficiently.
Put the weight of the White House behind bipartisan housing policies in Congress. In 2025, Congress considered dozens of housing proposals, and both chambers passed bipartisan legislation—an extraordinary signal in the current partisan climate. This year, the House and Senate have not yet agreed on a compromise. In situations like this, presidential leadership matters.
Pressure state and local governments to reduce barriers to housing production. President Trump has demonstrated the power of the bully pulpit but has been notably quiet about state and local barriers, including zoning rules and lengthy permitting processes. Streamlining local land-use rules would significantly increase housing supply and stabilize costs.
Call on Congress to establish a new federal housing fund. The scale of the housing crisis requires net new investment. Congress took an important step by expanding the low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) in last year’s tax legislation. The LIHTC is the largest federal support for affordable rental housing, and the expansion will get us most of the way to building 1.2 million new affordable units. But most housing built with LIHTCs also requires additional support from federal grant programs—the same programs the administration has proposed cutting. Having already approved the bulk of new spending, the president should call on Congress to finish the job by expanding programs like HUD’s HOME and U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development.
Without constructive action, we will continue to see teachers unable to live near their students and nurses turning down jobs where they are needed because housing is unaffordable. The stakes are high for hardworking Americans. In November, the stakes will also be high for politicians facing voters motivated by housing affordability.
Robin Hughes is president and CEO of the Housing Partnership Network, a national collaborative of the nation’s top mission-driven, nonprofit housing developers, community lenders, and advocates.