What Americans Say About Housing Affordability

More than four out of five Americans (82%) agree that housing affordability is a problem in the city or county where they live, according to a survey conducted by the polling firm Morning Consult on behalf of NAHB.

NAHB polled Americans to get their thoughts on how we can ease the housing shortage and help create more affordable housing.

Policies that Promote Affordability

Looking at potential policies to reduce housing costs, 69% of poll respondents said adopting reasonable and cost-effective building codes would be an effective way to make housing more affordable. Just 14% of those polled said this would not be an effective strategy.

The construction industry’s workforce development challenges also contribute to higher housing prices. So it’s worth noting that 68% of respondents said that promoting careers in the skilled construction trades would be an effective way to improve housing affordability.

Improving Affordability Through Tax Policy

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), which took effect for the tax year starting Jan. 1, 2018, will largely expire at the end of 2025. Unless Congress acts, the country will be faced with more than $4 trillion in tax hikes. Taxes will be a major legislative focus in 2025, and NAHB will be heavily engaged.

Americans recognize the role that effective tax policy can play in improving housing affordability. For example, 75% of respondents said it was important that the federal tax code include incentives for homeownership. Just 8% said they did not think this was not important.

Equally important, 71% said that passing federal tax legislation to expand the production of affordable and attainable housing would be an effective way to improve affordability.

Investing in Existing Housing Stock

With mortgage interest rates near 20-year highs, many households are making the calculation that it is not financially sound to buy a home at this time. Instead, they’re electing to improve the home they already have. It’s also worth noting that almost 50% of owner-occupied homes in the United States were built before 1980.

Asked about the nation’s housing stock, 66% of respondents said Congress should incentivize homeowners to update older homes to make them more energy efficient. Just 14% said Congress should not provide such incentives, while 20% of respondents had no opinion.

Who Should Develop Our Communities’ Building Codes?

Traditionally, model building codes have been developed by organizations like the International Code Council. Local governments can then adopt these codes with modifications to fit their specific circumstances. In recent years, some in Washington, D.C. have sought to federalize such codes, making them more one-size-fits-all and less tailored to each communities’ climate.

When asked who is best suited to make decisions about mandatory energy codes on new homes, 42% of respondents said local officials, experts and advisers in the area where they live, followed by 22% who said it should be officials, experts and advisers in their state. Just 10% said it should be federal officials, experts and advisers in Washington, D.C. Another 5% said it should be someone else, and 22% did not know or had no opinion.

The percentages above are from the national survey. For a more granular look at citizens’ take on these issues, see the survey results from each of the nation’s 435 congressional districts.

This national online survey of 20,028 adults was conducted Jan. 23-29, 2025, by Morning Consult. It has a margin of error of ± 1%.