Nearly 3 in 4 Adults Feel Lack of Affordable Homes a ‘Significant’ U.S. Problem

Washington, DC – The J. Ronald Terwilliger Center for Housing Policy and the National Housing Conference commissioned Morning Consult to conduct a nationally representative survey to gauge public opinion on housing affordability and housing policy reforms. The findings reveal substantial concerns about housing costs, homelessness, and inflation, along with significant bipartisan consensus around the challenges facing the U.S. and support for initiatives to address the housing affordability crisis. Majorities across parties—Democrats, Independents, and Republicans—want presidential candidates to advance solutions to the housing crisis.

Key Takeaways

Housing Affordability Concerns

• There is widespread concern, across demographics and political affiliations, that the lack of affordable homes is a significant problem in the United States, with 83% of Democrats, 71% of Independents, and 68% of Republicans acknowledging the severity of the issue.
• 65% reported that home prices in their community have become less affordable over the past year, and 52% expect this trend to continue.

Financial Struggles and Housing Payments

• Nearly one in three adults (32%) earning under $50,000 annually report having trouble meeting expenses.
• In the past year, 24% of adults have fallen behind on utility bills, and 17% have missed rent or mortgage payments.
• Nearly half of renters (49%) have had difficulty paying their rent over the past 12 months.

Increase in Homelessness

• 52% of respondents reported an increase in homelessness in their community over the past year, a 6% increase from the Bipartisan Policy Center’s (BPC) May 2023 survey.

Homeownership Interest

• Less than half (47%) of renters expressed a strong interest in owning a home, down 10% from BPC’s September 2022 survey.

Bipartisan Support for Housing Solutions

• At least half of Democrats and Republicans support a broad range of proposed measures aimed at improving housing affordability and accessibility.
  • Expanded funding for homelessness services and eviction prevention programs topped the list.
  • Policies aimed at increasing the supply of affordable homes, such as expanding the federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit and providing incentives for converting vacant commercial properties into housing, also polled strongly across party lines.

“This is yet another data point demonstrating strong bipartisan concern about high housing costs and strong bipartisan support for Congress taking action to improve housing affordability,” said Dennis Shea, executive director of BPC’s J. Ronald Terwilliger Center for Housing Policy. “I was pleased to see that many of the initiatives advanced by the Terwilliger Center, including expanding the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program and creating a new tax credit to encourage greater private investment in the construction of starter homes, registered solidly across party lines. It is time for our nation’s political leadership to catch up to public sentiment and take meaningful action to help Americans who are struggling to afford a home.”

“According to NHC’s Paycheck to Paycheck database, the annual income needed to afford the same home in the United States has doubled over the past four years. This crisis is impacting nearly everyone everywhere in the country,” says David M. Dworkin, president and CEO of the National Housing Conference.” Partisan, one-sided approaches to the housing affordability crisis have failed, and this data shows that Americans across the political spectrum desire bipartisan support on this issue. Federal, state, and local policymakers must take action to provide much-needed relief. NHC continues to urge Congress to pass the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act and the Neighborhood Homes Investment Act, whose provisions respondents supported, to ensure Americans have access to safe, affordable homes.”

Find all the poll results here.

Survey Methodology
The poll was conducted between May 17-19, 2024, among a sample of 2,200 adults. The interviews were conducted online, and the data were weighted to approximate a target sample of adults based on age, gender, race, educational attainment, region, gender by age, and race by educational attainment. Results from the full survey have a margin of error of +/- two percentage points.

About the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC)
The Bipartisan Policy Center is a mission-focused organization that helps policymakers work across party lines to craft bipartisan solutions. By connecting lawmakers across the entire political spectrum, delivering data and context, negotiating policy details, and creating space for bipartisan collaboration, BPC ensures democracy can function on behalf of all Americans. To learn more about BPC, visit https://bipartisanpolicy.org/.

About the National Housing Conference (NHC)
Founded in 1931, the National Housing Conference (NHC) is the oldest and broadest housing coalition in America. NHC is a diverse continuum of affordable housing stakeholders who convene and collaborate through dialogue, advocacy, research, and education, to develop equitable solutions that serve our common interest—an America where everyone is able to live in a quality, affordable home in a thriving community. Politically diverse and nonpartisan, NHC is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. To learn more about NHC, visit https://nhc.org/.