Hundreds join Habitat for Humanity in D.C. to call on lawmakers as housing momentum builds

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Feb. 10, 2026) — Bipartisan legislation more than a decade in the making is advancing in both chambers of Congress. Now, nearly 500 advocates from Habitat for Humanity organizations nationwide aim to build on that momentum. They will travel to Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., to inform Congress about the challenging housing affordability issues facing communities everywhere, to amplify the growing pressure on Congress to take action to expand the supply of affordable starter homes and to address the American housing crisis.

During Habitat on the Hill, a three-day D.C.-based event, advocates from 47 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico will meet with nearly 300 congressional leaders.

Affordability remains a top issue facing Americans, and rural, urban and suburban communities nationwide are experiencing this historic loss of affordable homeownership opportunities, which is driving the overall crisis. 

The shortage of starter homes impedes workers’ access to job markets with economic opportunities, holds back local economies, exacerbates the wealth gap and keeps millions of would-be homebuyers in the rental market. 

However, there is hope – for the first time in recent decades, there is growing momentum in Congress to tackle the issue.

Both the House and Senate have taken important steps in advancing bipartisan housing legislation – the Senate through the ROAD to Housing Act (S. 2651) and the House through the Housing for the 21st Century Act (H.R. 6644). Congress must keep this momentum going, work to combine these two packages and pass a bipartisan housing package as soon as possible that will take meaningful action to help address our nation’s housing crisis and increase supply. 

“The cost of housing is driving families to the edge,” said Habitat for Humanity International Chief Executive Officer Jonathan Reckford. “We’re encouraged by the House passing its Housing for the 21st Century Act earlier this week, and by the Senate’s own bill which prioritizes housing. But we know there is more to be done. As home prices skyrocket, American families are saddled with huge housing payments each month that make it impossible to afford other essentials. The silver lining is that the scale of this crisis has brought the issue to the forefront like never before.

We need bold policy actions and common-sense reforms that will make it easier to build starter homes and increase housing supply in the U.S. Elected officials can take significant action, and the Habitat network calls on them to meet this critical moment.”

In addition to the legislative priorities above, advocates will urge representatives to:

• Fund the Self-help Homeownership Opportunity Program, or SHOP, at no less than $20 million in the Transportation-HUD appropriations bill.
• Fund the Home Investment Partnerships Program, or HOME, at no less than $1.5 billion in the Transportation-HUD appropriations bill.
• Fund the USDA Section 502 Direct Loan Program at no less than $1.25 billion in the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration appropriations bill. 

This year, advocates will also call on elected officials to act and champion Habitat’s legislative priority, the Homeownership Supply Accelerator, a plan designed to rapidly increase construction of affordable homes in the United States. 

The Homeownership Supply Accelerator aims to create a source of flexible financial assistance that supports property acquisition, new home construction and rehabilitation, and other financial barriers faced by homeownership providers serving modest-income homebuyers.

This milestone year marks the 20th Habitat on the Hill, coinciding with Habitat for Humanity’s 50th anniversary. Over the last five decades, Habitat has helped more than 65 million people build or improve the place they call home.

About Habitat for Humanity International

Habitat for Humanity is a movement of people in your local area and around the world, working together to build more prosperous and vibrant communities by making sure everyone has a safe, affordable place to call home. Since our founding in 1976 as a Christian organization, together we have helped more than 65 million people globally build their futures on their own terms through access to decent housing. We’ve done that by working alongside people of all walks of life to build, repair and finance their homes, by innovating new ways of building and financing, and by advocating for policies that make constructing and accessing housing easier for everyone. Together, we build homes, communities and hope. To learn more, visit habitat.org.