Affordable Homeownership

The national conversation about how to fix the housing supply crisis focuses on building new homes, faster. And rightfully so. For decades, we have not built enough housing to meet demand, and fixing this requires new construction. At the same time, far less attention is paid to the invisible half of the supply crisis: the financing systems that lock millions of families out of affordable homes that already exist. 

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Roughly one in four owner-occupied homes in the United States—22 million—are valued at less than $200,000. For first-time buyers, especially in communities of color, these small-dollar homes represent a critical pathway to affordable homeownership. And yet, families struggle to buy these homes due to financing and repair barriers that make small-dollar mortgages harder to access. Through research, convening, and local partnerships, New America tackles these barriers to unlock access to affordable homeownership for all.