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In a sign that support for housing policy is building on Capitol Hill, the bipartisan Congressional Real Estate Caucus, which is tasked with developing legislation to address home supply and affordability, relaunched Wednesday as part of the 119th Congress. The caucus formed last year with just four members and grew to more than 50 members.
Reps. Mark Alford (R-Mo.), J. Luis Correa (D-Calif.), Tracey Mann (R-Kan.) and Brittany Pettersen (D-Colo.) started the caucus in 2024 as low inventory and worsening affordability nearly ground home sales to a halt. The National Association of REALTORS®, along with the National Association of Home Builders, National Apartment Association and other industry trade groups, supports the caucus and says the issue of housing has no political party.
“Lawmakers from across the political spectrum are in overwhelming agreement that this nation is facing a housing affordability crisis,” NAR’s Chief Advocacy Officer Shannon McGahn says. “Homeownership is a bipartisan issue, and we applaud these members of Congress for forming a caucus to work across the aisle to make housing more accessible. We look forward to working closely with this group to further advance our advocacy efforts to increase the housing supply and help individuals from all backgrounds find a path to homeownership.”
The caucus is an opportunity for all members of Congress—regardless of committee assignments—to lean in on housing issues.
“We have long been working with policymakers who say, ‘Listen, I may not be on the committee that's handling this, but I want to know more. How can I be engaged?’” McGahn says. “That's what the Real Estate Caucus does ... if you have a background in real estate and you want to learn more, this is a way to communicate, to have meetings, and then we can provide great research that we get from Dr. Yun and his team.”
Mann and other caucus members say they recognize there are too many barriers in today’s market.
“The real estate industry should be empowered to provide housing options, generate jobs, and provide quality services for home and business owners,” Mann says. “Unfortunately, heavy-handed regulations from the federal government and rising costs have made the environment more challenging. As a former commercial real estate agent, I’m proud to co-chair the Congressional Real Estate Caucus to advocate to help make the American Dream attainable once again.”
“I’m looking forward to continuing serving as co-chair of this bipartisan caucus to help bring Republicans and Democrats together to increase our housing supply, make it easier to buy a home, and foster a market that is beneficial for all,” Pettersen adds.
NAR has several key legislative priorities this congressional term, including updating America’s tax law and increasing access to homeownership, ensuring equal access to professional representation, supporting fair housing and promoting NAR research products to help inform policymaking.
