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On Tuesday, the bipartisan YIMBY Caucus, co-hosted with Up for Growth Action, held its first official event—marking a significant step toward addressing America’s housing supply crisis. The event brought together Co-Chairs Representatives Robert Garcia (D-CA 42) and Chuck Edwards (R-NC 11), along with national housing experts Dr. Jenny Schuetz (Arnold Ventures) and Dr. Adam Millsap (Stand Together), for a timely and urgent conversation on the state of housing in America.
Representative Garcia emphasized the shared recognition across party lines that more must be done to accelerate housing construction and reduce regulatory barriers. “I think we can all agree that we need to speed construction, we need to incentivize development, often times we need to look at overregulation of housing construction,” Garcia said. “This caucus, in a bipartisan way, can continue to draw attention to the housing crisis in this country and the ways that we all can work together to solve those challenges.”
Representative Edwards underscored how the shortage of affordable housing isn’t just a personal hardship—it’s an economic one. “This is an important topic that is really critical to not only folks enjoying life in America but our economic development,” he said. “The lack of affordable housing, however you want to define it, is in the way of employers increasing jobs in an area and folks being able to live up to their full potential.”
Up for Growth CEO Mike Kingsella echoed this sentiment, pointing to the opportunity for meaningful federal action: “This caucus represents more than just a discussion—it’s a pivotal moment for federal partnership to build upon local success and ensure housing policy contributes positively to our nation’s economic growth. Together, we have the opportunity to ensure housing policy becomes a driver for economic security, stronger communities, and empowering more Americans to achieve their own American dream.”
The panel highlighted key structural and economic challenges constraining housing production. Dr. Jenny Schuetz noted that “several economic factors have contributed to tight housing supply. Following the Great Financial Crisis (2008), the construction workforce declined substantially, and labor shortages continue to be a problem. Rising interest rates in the past several years have increased construction costs for homebuilders, reduced turnover among existing homeowners, and made it more difficult for first-time homebuyers to purchase a home.”
Dr. Adam Millsap added, “The median sales price for a new house in America was $414,500 in February 2025, up from $331,800 just before the pandemic… According to the U.S. Census, roughly 50% of renters are cost-burdened, meaning they spend more than 30% of their income on housing. Without changes, more and more families will be unable to secure a home in the country’s highest opportunity areas. This will deprive adults and children alike of the many social and economic benefits provided by a stable home.”
Up for Growth Action applauds the leadership and vision of the YIMBY Caucus for recognizing the housing shortage as both a humanitarian and economic issue. The solutions won’t be simple, but the bipartisan momentum on display at this event signals a strong commitment to turning the tide—and ensuring all Americans have access to stable, affordable homes.
You can watch the roundtable here.