WASHINGTON (Gray DC) – Lawmakers from both parties have identified affordability as their main legislative focus for 2026, with housing costs emerging as the first target for potential relief measures.
Democratic senators hosted a roundtable Wednesday with housing experts to discuss what they called a housing crisis and brainstorm solutions. The discussion focused on income, rent, building costs and credit practices.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) said addressing housing costs is crucial for American families.
“It is time to bring down costs for American families and to start that with cost of housing is powerfully important,” Warren said.
She outlined two key changes needed to address the crisis.
“We need more housing, it’s supply, and the other half is we’ve got to stop the corporate predators,” Warren said.
Peggy Bailey from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities criticized current policy approaches during the roundtable.
“We end up taking this wack-a-mole approach to housing policy when it needs to be more comprehensive,” Bailey said.
Housing represents the first point in Democrats’ “2026 Costs Initiative.” The bipartisan ROAD to Housing Bill, which would expand housing supply, passed the Senate last fall but remains stalled in the House.
The Trump administration is developing its own housing solutions. Federal Housing Director Bill Pulte called this week significant for housing policy.
“This is a huge week for housing in the country,” Pulte said.
President Trump posted on Truth Social that he is working on imposing an institutional home buying ban to stop investors from acquiring single-family housing.
“He’ll take executive action and then after that, we’ll look to codify it from Congress,” Pulte said.
The announcement came as mortgage rates fell below 6% for the first time in years after Trump directed the federal government to begin buying billions in mortgage bonds.
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