Americans Across Party Lines Back Policies to Improve Housing Affordability: Redfin Survey

• Most Republicans and Democrats believe there should be federal policies to tackle the housing affordability crisis
• 85% of Democrats say there should be first-time buyer tax breaks, and so do 77% of Republicans
• These survey results align with broad bipartisan support behind the federal ROAD to Housing Act recently passed by Congress

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Most Americans support government policies that would help make housing more affordable. Roughly four in five (79%) U.S. residents believe there should be tax breaks for first-time homebuyers, and 77% believe there should be policies that make homes more affordable. This is according to a new survey fielded to 4,000 U.S. residents in May 2026 by Ipsos and commissioned by Redfin, the real estate brokerage powered by Rocket.

Three-quarters (76%) of U.S. residents say there should be caps on rent increases, 75% believe there should be initiatives for building homes for low-income families, and 74% think there should be programs for down payment assistance. Just over half (54%) say there should be policies that make it easier to build homes in their area—the lowest share among the policies Redfin asked about, but still majority support.

Support For Housing Policies Is Bipartisan

Democrats are generally more likely than Republicans to support programs that would make housing more affordable, but not by much. For instance, 83% of Democrats say there should be policies that make homes more affordable, as do 74% of Republicans. Eighty-five percent of Democrats say there should be first-time buyer tax breaks, as do 77% of Republicans.

These survey results align with the broad bipartisan support behind the federal ROAD to Housing Act that Congress signed on June 23 and is currently in political limbo as President Trump delays plans to sign it. The legislation is aimed at tackling the nationwide housing affordability crisis by increasing housing supply, streamlining building processes and expanding access to affordable homeownership opportunities.

“For over a decade, the prevailing view was that housing was a local issue best left to city councils and mayors—but housing affordability has become a national crisis,” said Daryl Fairweather, Redfin’s chief economist. “By passing this bill out of the Senate Banking Committee 24-0, Republicans and Democrats alike showed that affordability is a priority. The great accomplishment of the bill itself is that it uses solutions like zoning reform and streamlines building permitting to prove that government policies can make people better off without spending big.”

One example of a policy in the bill is an effort to expand access to manufactured housing—a lower-cost alternative to traditional homes—by streamlining federal regulations. Bipartisan backers argue that increasing the supply of lower-cost houses can improve affordability for both homebuyers and renters. That ties in with the survey results, which show that 85% of Democrats and 68% of Republicans believe there should be initiatives to build more homes for low-income families. Additionally, nearly three in five (57%) respondents from each party say there should be policies to make it easier to build homes in their area.

To view the full report, including charts and a methodology, please visit: https://www.redfin.com/news/survey-americans-support-housing-policy

About Redfin

Redfin is a technology-driven real estate company with the country's most-visited real estate brokerage website. As part of Rocket Companies (NYSE: RKT), Redfin is creating an integrated homeownership platform from search to close to make the dream of homeownership more affordable and accessible for everyone. Redfin’s clients can see homes first with on-demand tours, easily apply for a home loan with Rocket Mortgage, and save thousands in fees while working with a top local agent.

You can find more information about Redfin and get the latest housing market data and research at https://www.redfin.com/news. For more information about Rocket Companies, visit https://www.rocketcompanies.com.