How Should Washington Tackle the Housing Shortage?
The U.S. is short millions of affordable homes, and rents and prices have outpaced incomes. Congress passed the bipartisan ROAD to Housing Act in 2026 (now Public Law 119-101), which streamlines federal housing programs and permitting, but it did not include direct funding to build. Some say Washington should now invest directly in building more homes; others favor cutting more regulations or leaving it to states and localities. Where do you land?
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The case for
Supporters of federal action point to a shortage of roughly 7 million affordable rentals (NLIHC) and argue that incentives to build more homes, plus tenant protections, are needed to bring costs down at scale.
Source: National Association of Home Builders (favors more supply) →The case against
Others argue housing is mostly a local issue driven by zoning and permitting, and that the fastest fix is removing regulatory barriers to building — not new federal spending or mandates.
Source: Cato Institute (opposes federal overreach vs. local zoning) →My Democracy doesn’t take a side — you choose your position below, and your message carries it. Sources represent one organization on each side; they don’t reflect My Democracy’s position.
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What’s your position?
Both sides are laid out above. Your message will carry your position — My Democracy doesn’t take a side.