Real Estate Coalition Letter on Housing Affordability
September 9, 2025
On September 2, CREFC joined 22 other national real estate organizations in a letter to Congress urging action on a number of housing bills. Click here for the joint letter.
Why it matters: The coalition emphasized the need for increased housing supply and reduced regulatory burdens to stabilize housing markets and make homes more affordable.
- House and Senate committees have begun to take bipartisan action on housing bills, and the Trump Administration is expected to issue an executive order on housing this fall.
What they’re saying: The letter outlines broad policy actions for lawmakers to consider, including:
- Solutions that support increased supply at all price points.
- Short-term solutions to renter populations who need assistance. Increased subsidies and emergency housing support for those of modest means are critical to keeping struggling families afloat.
- Reducing burdens on housing providers to address the cost of building and maintaining housing through needless regulations and administrative burdens.
Go deeper: Specific legislation referenced in the letter includes:
- Build More Housing Near Transit Act — House: H.R. 4576; Senate: S. 2363
- Housing Supply Frameworks Act — House: H.R. 2840; Senate: S. 1299
- Accelerating Home Building Act of 2025 — Senate: S. 2361
- HOME Investment Partnerships Reauthorization and Improvement Act of 2025 — House: H.R. 2031; Senate: S. 948
- Housing Affordability Act — Senate: S. 1527
- Choice in Affordable Housing Act of 2025 — House: H.R. 1981; Senate: S. 890
- Rural Housing Service Reform Act — House: H.R. 4957; Senate: S. 1260
- Identifying Regulatory Barriers to Housing Supply Act — House: H.R. 4659; Senate: S. 2416
- Revitalizing Downtowns and Main Streets Act — House: H.R. 2410; Senate: S.4693 (118th Congress)
- Neighborhood Homes Investment Act — House: H.R. 2854; Senate: S. 1686
- Workforce Housing Tax Credit Act (118th Congress) — House: H.R. 6686 (118th); Senate: S. 3436
The bottom line: The focus from Congress and the White House on housing supply and targeted deregulation is a positive development; the federal government’s powers are limited.
- Much of the federal focus will be on providing funds (via tax credits or grants) or incentivizing state and local reforms (often through funding) to spur housing production.
- Reforming and boosting Housing and Urban Development (HUD) programs are potential federal avenues to impact housing.
- Notably, these efforts are separate from any potential action on Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac.