Habitat for Humanity calls on lawmakers to invest in new and existing tools to address affordable housing crisis

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Feb. 11, 2025) — The dwindling supply of affordable starter homes across America is a crisis that denies millions of families the foundation for stability and opportunity while straining communities and hindering economic growth. In response, Habitat for Humanity will mobilize advocates in Washington, D.C., this week to call on Congress to take needed action to address the affordable housing crisis in the United States, where nearly 1 in 7 households pay more than half of their income on housing.

More than 450 advocates from 44 states and Washington, D.C., will urge Congress to act and prioritize policies that will increase the number of affordable homes, especially for entry-level homeownership, including the following proposals: 

• Support a Homeownership Supply Accelerator, Habitat’s innovative federal policy concept designed to rapidly increase construction and rehabilitation of affordable starter homes.
• Finalize the fiscal year 2025 appropriations process and provide robust funding for housing and community development federal programs in the fiscal year 2026 budget, including:
  • Department of Housing and Urban Development (T-HUD Bill):
    • No less than $20 million for the Self-help Homeownership Opportunity Program.
    • No less than $1.5 billion for the HOME Investment Partnerships Program.
  • Department of Agriculture (Ag-Rural Development Bill):
    • No less than $1.25 billion for the USDA Section 502 Direct Loan Program.
• Ensure that Congress includes provisions that increase the supply of starter homes in any tax package.

It is critical to invest in existing programs proven to help combat the housing crisis. Delays or reductions in federal housing resources will set back the construction of new homes and prolong the wait for families who are ready to purchase them. In addition, we need new tools to create accessible homeownership opportunities. Habitat has led the development of one new concept, a Homeownership Supply Accelerator, which would be a federal resource designed to regrow the nation’s stock of starter homes in every community that needs them, at prices affordable for low- and moderate-income homebuyers.

Regrowing the nation’s stock of starter homes will: expand families’ economic security and stability; enable more businesses to attract and retain essential workers; strengthen economic growth; stabilize distressed neighborhoods; and help close our nation’s racial and economic wealth divides.

“We cannot simply continue with the status quo and expect the housing crisis to get better,” said Chris Vincent, vice president, government relations and advocacy at Habitat for Humanity International. “We know there are current programs that make a difference, and we must invest heavily in those tools. But we also know that a Homeownership Supply Accelerator can meaningfully add starter homes to the existing housing stock. Elected officials at every level of government have bipartisan legislative options and the American people are clearly asking for lawmakers to act.”

This mobilization comes on the heels of Habitat’s recently concluded five-year advocacy campaign, Cost of Home. Through this campaign, which ran from 2019-2024, local and state Habitat for Humanity organizations, partners, volunteers and community members across the United States worked together to influence more than 460 policy changes so that more than 9.5 million people could have access to an affordable home.
 
About Habitat for Humanity

Driven by the vision that everyone needs a decent place to live, Habitat for Humanity found its earliest inspirations as a grassroots movement on an interracial community farm in south Georgia. Since its founding in 1976, the Christian housing organization has since grown to become a leading global nonprofit working in local communities across all 50 U.S. states, Puerto Rico and more than 70 countries. Families and individuals in need of a hand up partner with Habitat for Humanity to build or improve a place they can call home. Habitat homeowners help build their own homes alongside volunteers and pay an affordable mortgage. Through financial support, volunteering or adding a voice to support affordable housing, everyone can help families achieve the strength, stability and self-reliance they need to build better lives for themselves. Through shelter, we empower. To learn more, visit habitat.org.