Congress is moving forward with legislation that seeks to address the nation’s housing shortage and help more Americans find affordable places to live.
The House and Senate have each passed major bills and lawmakers say they represent some of the most significant efforts to address housing issues in decades.
Rep. Gabe Evans (R-CO) is among those who have been actively pressing for housing and regulatory reforms. He represents Colorado’s 8th District north of Denver and has more than 700,000 constituents.
When he meets with people in his district and asks: “What are the big challenges you’re facing? Housing affordability is always one of them.”
Evans pointed out that affordable housing affects everyone from young couples trying to buy their first home to seniors seeking a community to live in that won’t drain their personal savings.
“A lot of that boils down to the inventory of available homes that people can actually afford, whether that’s buying, whether that’s renting, and there’s some interesting interplay there,” he said during WTOP’s Balancing the Housing Equation 2026.
“But we’ve taken a lot of steps in Congress to try to make sure that we have that inventory of affordable homes for people that are getting started off in life and need the stability that housing provides for them,” he added.
Affordability — only part of the housing equation
Dejernette “Dee Dee” Beaty, senior vice president of housing for Volunteers of America National Services (VOANS), has extensive experience in bringing all the affordable housing facets together.
“We want to provide high-quality, affordable housing options, coupled with robust residence services,” she said. “This approach allows us to prioritize the wellness of the whole human being but also helps us to elevate the health and vibrancy of our communities.”
Construction of facilities is only part of the overall goal — a healthy community goes hand-in-hand with stable and quality housing, Beaty said. “I see housing as being a basic human right.”
Housing affects everyone, she pointed out.
“It could be individuals that are seniors or veterans or disabled — individuals living on a fixed income,” Beaty said. “It could also be working families where they’re making too much income and are not able to qualify for rental assistance of subsidized units.”
VOANS is dedicated to helping all of these people, whatever their situation.
She said failing to provide necessary assistance can lead to broader problems, involving poverty and chronic illness.
“So we have to get it right. I don’t think we can afford not to get it right,” Beaty said. “Too much is at stake.”
Housing is on the congressional radar
Evans and Beaty both expressed optimism that Congress finally seems to be making progress addressing critical housing issues.
Evans pointed out that his state, Colorado, has a shortage of at least 100,000 housing units — and it’s in the millions across the country.
But he believes the doubling of the tax credit for homebuilders, passed by Congress last year, will help them “go out and build affordable homes.”
“When we’re increasing that inventory … think starter homes, think condominiums, think townhouses, things like that,” Evans said. “You have more supply, the prices go down, and folks are going to be more able to take that first step to home ownership or at least being housed even if they’re renting.”
Evans said he believes it’s important for Congress to use a collaborative approach with state and local governments, so they can develop facilities that reflect their communities. He said that can be done by continuing to cut back on duplicative federal regulations and helping with infrastructure.
Beaty said she, too, likes the trends she’s seeing.
“What gives me hope about the future of affordable housing is just seeing that there is more discussion about the affordable housing crisis, but also there has been a commitment to find solutions at the local, state and federal levels,” she said.
VOANS is starting to see hospital systems, schools and universities and churches partner with it and others to help create affordable housing solutions.
“It’s just good to see that others are starting to understand the importance of health and housing, and they’re looking to be part of the solution,” Beaty said.
Discover more articles and videos on WTOP’s Balancing the Housing Equation 2026 event page
