Trump Administration, Policy Allies Target Housing Affordability Through Deregulation and Supply Growth

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WASHINGTON / January 26, 2026 — The Trump administration is advancing a housing affordability strategy centered on deregulation, operational efficiency and expanding access to homeownership, with officials and aligned policy groups tying recent actions to core affordability indicators such as housing supply, transaction volume and buyer access.

Federal Housing Administration Commissioner Frank Cassidy addressed the National Association of Realtors’ Advocacy Week in Washington, D.C., where he addressed reducing regulatory friction that affects mortgage availability and transaction costs. Cassidy oversees the FHA’s roughly $2 trillion mortgage insurance portfolio, a key channel for first-time and moderate-income homebuyers.

Cassidy said the administration is reviewing FHA loan programs with the goal of deregulation and streamlining them, a move intended to increase lender participation and reduce processing delays. Housing economists routinely cite transaction volume and credit accessibility as drivers of affordability, particularly in supply-constrained markets. Cassidy argued that incentivizing private-sector lending and expanding housing supply are necessary to improve long-term price stability.

HUD Secretary Scott Turner echoed those themes in testimony before the House Financial Services Committee on Jan. 21. Turner discussed the elimination of the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule, which the administration said imposed compliance costs on local governments without directly increasing housing starts. Turner said restoring local zoning authority is intended to remove barriers that limit new construction, a key affordability metric tracked through housing starts, permit issuance and inventory levels.

Turner also noted that FHA and Ginnie Mae programs supported housing affordability and homeownership pathways for more than one million Americans, underscoring the role federal credit programs play during periods of elevated interest rates and limited inventory. HUD has also launched an Efficiency Task Force aimed at reducing administrative costs and accelerating program delivery, factors that can influence lender participation and borrower access.

Beyond the administration, pro-Trump policy group America First Policy Institute has launched an initiative focused on affordability and first-time homeownership. Former HUD Secretary Dr. Ben Carson has been tapped by AFPI, alongside developer Michael Burkentine and conservative influencer Benny Johnson, to lead the effort known as Make Housing Great Again. Citing National Association of Realtors data showing the average homebuyer age is now 40, AFPI officials said the initiative aims to lower barriers to entry and expand ownership opportunities for younger Americans.

Together, the administration’s actions and allied policy efforts reflect a positive emphasis on supply-side reform, mortgage access and transaction efficiency as levers for addressing housing affordability.