Jill Homan
March 17, 2026
In this interview, Jill Homan talks with Congressman Zach Nunn about one of the biggest economic challenges for working families and rural America: housing. Nunn explains that rising home prices, higher rents, and a shortage of available homes have made it much harder for people to buy a house, especially in small towns where even one new home can make a big difference. He says Congress is now working on a bipartisan housing package that aims to fix national shortages and address the unique needs of rural communities with practical, growth-focused reforms.
They discuss how the new legislation plans to update housing policy using tools like microloans, modular and manufactured homes, rehab financing, and more USDA lending. Nunn stresses that rural America should not be overlooked in federal housing policy. He points out that small towns need flexible options so teachers, doctors, young families, and farm kids can stay in their hometowns. Instead of only using big-city development models, he supports a more customized approach that makes use of existing homes, repairs older houses, and creates new chances for people to own homes.
Homan and Nunn also talk about how the housing crisis is connected to the workforce. They say that making homes more affordable means investing in skilled trades and fixing the worker shortages that make building more expensive. Nunn explains that the plan ties housing policy to workforce training, tax breaks, energy costs, and local economic growth. The interview shows how these ideas work together to help families by raising take-home pay, making it easier to buy a home, and keeping more money in local communities.
During the discussion, Nunn talks about the need to cut red tape and update old federal rules that have made rural lending harder and pushed up building costs for years. He points to changes in USDA processes, new ideas like accessory dwelling units, and getting rid of extra modular housing rules that add thousands to home prices without real benefits. He believes these steps will make it easier and more practical to build more homes and help millions of Americans become homeowners.
This interview combines policy details, local viewpoints, and a focus on working together across party lines. It shows how housing reform, tax relief, and workforce investment can help bring back the American Dream. At its heart, the conversation is about more than just laws. It is about giving families in Iowa and around the country a real chance to build wealth, stay in their hometowns, and find lasting financial security.