Our America’s Board of Advisors Member Donna Jackson is featured in the Daily Caller with a guest column about the nation’s housing affordability crisis, which she notes disproportionately hurts Black Americans.
As Scott Turner, President Donald Trump’s nominee to head the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), awaits Senate confirmation, America faces a critical housing affordability crisis. During his confirmation hearing, Turner explained, “We have a housing crisis in our country. We need millions of homes.”
But to solve the housing crisis, Turner must prioritize deregulation, streamline HUD’s budget and expand Opportunity Zones to stimulate private investment and address the housing shortage directly.
America’s housing shortage is staggering. Studies estimate that the country needs over 3.8 million additional homes to meet demand. Skyrocketing rents and housing prices have put immense pressure on working families, low-income households and first-time homebuyers.
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Because home ownership is the primary driver of household wealth and 73.8% of white Americans own homes compared to just 45.9% of black Americans, the lack of affordable housing emphasizes how this crisis disproportionately affects black families. This is not just a housing crisis, it’s a barrier to economic mobility that requires immediate and comprehensive action.
