Trump vows to increase homeownership for millions of Americans

Days after floating the possibility of taking emergency measures to address the housing crisis, President Donald Trump has promised to put homeownership back into reach for those priced out of the market.

“Under the Trump administration, we believe that affordable homeownership is a fundamental part of the American dream, and we’re working every day to make that dream a reality for millions and millions of Americans,” the president said in video remarks to a Department of Housing and Urban Development event on the National Mall on Monday.

“Together, we can put millions more American families in a home of their very own,” he added.

Trump’s comments come as housing affordability is at a multidecade low and the share of the population that is homeowners is shrinking.

In the second quarter of 2025, the U.S. homeownership rate declined to 65%, the lowest since 2019, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.

In the brief remarks, Trump touted his background as a real estate developer, saying, “I know what it is” to build things.

Although he offered few specifics on expanding opportunities for homeownership, Trump claimed progress on some of his key campaign promises on the subject, including a vow to ease costly regulations on homebuilders.

“We’re slashing permitting delays and eliminating a record number of costly regulations. We’re also defeating inflation,” he said. “We took over the worst inflation in the history of our country, and we’ve beat it, bringing down mortgage rates, reducing energy costs, and unleashing incredible economic growth like this country has never seen before.”

The comments come just a week after Trump confirmed that he is considering declaring a national housing emergency this fall to address the housing affordability crisis.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that administration officials are studying potential emergency measures to decrease closing costs and nationally standardize the local patchwork of building and zoning codes.

Talk of the emergency measures comes at a time when Americans face deep struggles to afford housing. Relative to income, home affordability is near a 40-year low, and nearly half of renter households are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of their income on rent.

However, any federal attempt to tackle the housing crisis will have to face the harsh reality that most of the key policies that influence housing supply are set at the state and local level.

Trump’s latest comments on Monday came during HUD’s Innovative Housing Showcase, an annual event to highlight cutting-edge homebuilding techniques that could boost housing production and lower costs for homebuyers.

The five-day showcase on the National Mall, which ends on Wednesday, features a variety of full-scale housing models, including manufactured, 3D-printed, and modular homes.

This year, as part of the semiquincentennial jubilee celebrating the 250th anniversary of American independence next year, the showcase features the theme of “The American Home Is the American Dream,” celebrating the evolution of homeownership over 250 years.

“Nothing proclaims independence and opportunity as much as owning your own home, whether it’s in 1776 or 2026—that’s next year,” said HUD Deputy Secretary Andrew Hughes in opening remarks at the showcase.

Hughes and HUD Secretary Scott Turner have used the showcase to emphasize the Trump administration’s focus on cutting regulations on homebuilders and empowering the private sector to build more homes.

“We know that the real, long-lasting answer to America’s housing issues lie with private-sector innovation, and that’s what we’re encouraging,” said Hughes. “That’s the purpose of this showcase to highlight how the skill, drive, and creativity of innovators working in the free market are the engine of our country’s success and the key to driving down home cost.”