Rep. Mark Alford, U.S. Representative for Missouri's 4th District | Official facebook
Rep. Mark Alford, U.S. Representative for Missouri's 4th District | Official facebook
Congressman Mark Alford of Missouri's 4th District, along with Co-Chairs of the Congressional Real Estate Caucus—Representatives Lou Correa (CA-46), Tracey Mann (KS-01), and Brittany Pettersen (CO-07)—has introduced the bipartisan Saving the American Dream Act. The legislation aims to address the ongoing housing affordability crisis by creating an interagency task force that will coordinate a government-wide approach.
Alford stated, “Homeownership is a vital part of achieving the American Dream. More families should be able to own a home so they can put down roots, build equity, and grow their wealth. Unfortunately, the historic affordability crisis is pushing this dream out of reach for too many. I’m proud to introduce this legislation with our Real Estate Caucus Co-Chairs to unlock a whole-of-government approach to solve the crisis and reignite this pillar of the American Dream.”
Congressman Correa added, “Owning a home is a key step to building equity and attaining the American Dream. Far too many people, especially young people, can no longer achieve the American Dream. That’s why we’re introducing the Saving the American Dream Act. This legislation will help Congress tackle the homeownership problem from all angles. We need an all hands-on deck approach. This bill begins to get the job done.”
“At the heart of the American dream is homeownership and the ability to provide a safe, stable home for your family,” said Congressman Mann. “Sadly today, nearly 75% of Americans feel that homeownership is out of reach for the average person. Our bill establishes an interagency task force to address some of the biggest barriers to homeownership and provide real, tangible solutions that lower costs, incentivize housing production, and restore the American dream for working and middle-class families.”
Congresswoman Pettersen commented, “Far too many families are being squeezed by rising costs, and I know that housing is the biggest pain point for many people in Colorado and across the country. We need innovative policy solutions to remove the barriers that make it impossible to unlock the opportunity of homeownership. I’m grateful to work with my colleagues on the Real Estate Caucus to introduce the Saving the American Dream Act to get to the heart of the housing crisis and ensure every family can buy a home and build long-term financial stability.”
The bill has received support from major stakeholders in housing:
Shannon McGahn from National Association of REALTORS said: “We are grateful to Representatives Alford, Correa, Mann, and Pettersen for introducing the Saving the American Dream Act, a vital step toward improving housing policy. By ensuring key federal agencies coordinate and share housing-related research and market data, this legislation promotes evidence-based policymaking. With housing affordability and accessibility as pressing concerns for millions of Americans, coordinated federal action is essential. This bill addresses critical challenges from construction costs and regulatory barriers to homeownership and insurance availability, laying the groundwork for more effective programs and better outcomes for families and communities."
Buddy Hughes from National Association of Home Builders stated: “NAHB commends Reps. Mark Alford (R-Mo.), Lou Correa (D-Calif.), Tracey Mann (R-Kan.) and Brittany Pettersen (D-Colo.), the co-chairs of the Real Estate Caucus, for introducing legislation to address housing affordability concerns and supply shortages. The Saving American Dream Act will help highlight policy proposals that address key headwinds facing our industry such as local regulatory barriers that impede housing production and red tape that adds to construction costs. NAHB looks forward to working with the Real Estate Caucus to support policies that will help unlock homeownership for more Americans.”
Bill Killmer from Mortgage Bankers Association commented: “MBA supports the ‘Saving the American Dream Act,’ a meaningful proposal that encourages interagency collaboration to better align federal housing programs and activities in an effort to reduce barriers to homeownership. We applaud the Real Estate Caucus’ leadership for introducing this bipartisan legislation and urge for its swift consideration in order to help more Americans achieve the dream of owning a home.”
Bob Pinnegar from National Apartment Association said: "The housing undersupply crisis continues to be a defining challenge of our time, and while there have been recent improvements, the supply-demand imbalance varies widely by market,"said National Apartment Association President and CEO Bob Pinnegar."That is why the data gathering and coordination in The Saving The American Dream Act will be critical information to help address housing supply needs in communities across our country. Thank you to The Real Estate Caucus co-Chairs Representatives Alford Correa Mann And Pettersen For Introducing Important Legislation NAA Looks Forward To Continuing Our Work With The Caucus On Housing Solutions."
Chris Morton from American Land Title Association added: “Tackling America’s housing supply shortage which is driving our affordability challenges will require action at all levels of government It Is Great To See Rep Mark Alford And Members Of The Bipartisan Congressional Real Estate Caucus Pushing For Federal Coordination The Title Industry Stands Ready To Work With Lawmakers To Enact Real Change To Safeguard The American Dream Of Homeownership And Increase Housing Opportunities”
Additional sponsors include Representatives Mike Lawler (NY-17), Josh Riley (NY-19), Ken Calvert (CA-41), Rob Wittman (VA-01), Brad Sherman (CA-32), Erin Houchin (IN-09), Angie Craig (MN-02), Sarah McBride (DE-AL), and Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10).
The proposed task force under this act would focus on mortgage costs; coordination among federal programs; construction costs; regulatory barriers; insurance issues; down payment assistance; transaction incentives; disaster resilience; as well as recovery efforts.
Mark Alford has represented Missouri’s 4th district in Congress since 2023 after replacing Vicky Hartzler.
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