Making Housing More Affordable Starts with Building Credit

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by Michael Burkentine

As a member of America First Policy Institute’s Restoring the American Dream: Make Housing Great

Again initiative, I am encouraged by the growing momentum behind policies aimed at addressing America’s housing shortage. Efforts such as investing in Opportunity Zones, excluding building materials from tariffs, and reducing burdensome local regulations are essential to increasing the supply of affordable single-family homes.

But increasing supply is only half the affordability equation.

If we want the next generation of Americans to become homeowners, we must also help them build the credit needed to qualify for a mortgage. Too many renters today are “credit invisible”—lacking sufficient credit history to generate a score—because traditional credit reporting systems fail to account for on-time rent payments, even though rent is often a household’s largest monthly expense.

Our industry has an opportunity—and a responsibility—to lead on this issue.

As a builder of both single-family homes and rental communities, I see firsthand how credit access shapes the path to homeownership. That’s why we provide our rental residents with free access to our RentBoost+ program, which reports positive rent payment history to the credit bureaus. The results are real: participants can see average credit score increases of up to 60 points, often making the difference between remaining a renter and qualifying for their first home.

Homeownership remains the cornerstone of the American Dream and the most reliable way for families to build wealth and financial security. The median net worth of homeowners is nearly 40 times that of renters—$396,000 compared to $10,400. Beyond individual households, homeownership strengthens local communities by expanding tax bases, and fuels long-term economic growth.

I urge my colleagues across the rental and leasing industry: if you are not offering positive rent reporting to your residents, start now. Expanding access to credit by ‘making rent count’ is one of the most practical, immediate steps we can take to invest in the next generation of homeowners.