National Campaign Launched to Address Housing Shortage Ahead of Elections
A coalition of real estate groups and housing advocates is pushing for zoning reforms to increase housing supply, citing a growing deficit.
A new national campaign, "Let America Build," has been launched by a coalition of real estate firms, developers, and housing advocates aiming to prioritize housing supply and affordability in the upcoming November elections. The campaign seeks to address the nation's housing shortage by advocating for the dismantling of local regulatory barriers that hinder new construction.
The initiative highlights a widening national housing supply gap, which industry leaders estimate has grown from a deficit of 2.5 million homes in 2023 to 3.8 million in 2024, and is projected to reach 4.03 million homes by 2025. The coalition comprises 14 organizations, including major listing portals like Realtor.com and Zillow, as well as brokerages such as eXp Realty, NextHome, and HomeServices of America.
"Building more homes to solve America’s housing undersupply is fundamental to fixing one of the biggest challenges facing this country," said Damian Eales, CEO of Realtor.com. The campaign builds on the legislative momentum of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, which recently passed with bipartisan support. This law introduced new financing mechanisms, established a $200 million innovation fund, and linked federal housing incentives to local zoning reforms.
Data from the National Association of Home Builders indicates that regulatory compliance, permitting delays, and restrictive land-use rules add approximately $132,000 to the cost of building a typical $500,000 home. Eales described "red and green tape" as the primary obstacle to increasing housing construction, emphasizing that local governments have significant power to reduce housing costs through zoning reform and streamlined permitting processes.
While rising interest rates have been a focal point of public discussion, campaign organizers stress that these are only one part of the affordability challenge. "Even when rates were lower, we still faced a severe housing supply gap," Eales noted. The campaign's objective is to make home construction faster, more predictable, and less costly by addressing specific local barriers, such as outdated zoning laws, slow permitting, or restrictions on building duplexes and accessory dwelling units.
The coalition also includes the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), real estate advisory firm T3 Sixty, construction technology company ICON, Habitat for Humanity, Veterans United Home Loans, and research group Land Use Labs.