AFPI Releases New Policy Recommendations to Make Housing Affordable Again

Washington, D.C.—The America First Policy Institute (AFPI) today released a new issue brief, “Rebuilding the American Dream: Homeownership for All Americans.” The brief details how excessive government regulation, fees, and permitting delays have fueled the nation’s housing affordability crisis and outlines a supply-focused policy agenda to restore affordability for American families.

The issue brief draws on analysis of a new AFPI poll, conducted January 2026, to show that rising housing costs are reshaping Americans’ lives, limiting job mobility, delaying family formation, and pushing homeownership out of reach for millions of Americans.

“America’s housing crisis is not accidental,” said Greg Sindelar, Interim President and CEO at the America First Policy Institute. “It is the predictable result of policy choices by the Biden administration that made it slower, riskier, and more expensive to build homes. AFPI’s housing agenda lays out a clear, achievable path to restore affordability by expanding supply, cutting red tape, and rewarding communities that incentivize these common-sense changes.”

Key Findings Highlighted in AFPI's January 2026 National Poll Include:

• A majority of voters say high housing costs have delayed at least one major life milestone, including moving for work, starting a family, or retiring.

• Young Americans are disproportionately affected, with nearly six in ten voters ages 18–34 saying housing affordability has affected their ability to move for a better job.

• Voters overwhelmingly identify government fees, mandates, and red tape as significant contributors to higher housing costs in their communities.

• State and local government bureaucrats are ranked as the top group responsible for making it difficult for young families to afford a home.

Policy Solutions Proposed by AFPI Include:

To address both affordability and access, AFPI’s housing agenda prioritizes practical, supply-focused reforms that directly reduce costs for families:

• Empowering families to build wealth by allowing 529 education savings accounts to be used toward first-time home purchases.

• Supporting modern construction methods, including factory-built housing to speed delivery and lower prices while maintaining safety and quality.

• Expanding skilled-trades training to address labor shortages and reduce construction costs.

• Using federal leverage to incentivize state and local governments to cut excessive fees, streamline permitting, and reduce construction delays.

• Prioritizing federal housing, infrastructure, and workforce funds for communities that remove barriers to homebuilding.

• Establishing a market-driven Working Families Housing Fund to finance workforce housing in jurisdictions that pursue reform.

Additional AFPI polling shows that 85% of Americans view housing as a pain point, and 39% say that the government needs to make housing more affordable.

“With the right policies, America can build again and restore the American Dream of homeownership, raising a family, and building a future," Sindelar added.

The full issue brief is available at www.americafirstpolicy.com.