Our work is driven by four objectives:

1. Increase the Supply of Housing

Since the Great Recession, a growing housing shortage has dramatically driven up housing costs for renters and aspiring homebuyers alike. Restrictive zoning and land-use policies, rising development costs, and financing barriers have limited the construction of new homes. Climate-related events and an aging housing stock have worsened the problem, making it urgent to preserve the housing we do have. 

Our research provides evidence and analysis to address the affordable housing crisis and meet future housing needs at the federal, state, and local levels.

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2. Expand Access to Homeownership

Homeownership is the way most families in the US build wealth and pass it down to future generations. But today, homeownership is out of reach for many Americans.

Moreover, households of color, who historically have been excluded from homeownership opportunities, will make up the majority of new and aspiring homebuyers in the coming years. To expand access to homeownership, the housing finance system will need to adapt to changing demographic and economic trends.

Our analyses and policy solutions aim to improve homeownership access for all and create a more equitable housing finance system. 

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3. Help Families Sustain Homeownership

Families without access to safe, affordable financing solutions and resources to weather financial shocks can struggle to build wealth through homeownership.

Policies refined during the Great Recession and COVID-19 pandemic have helped more families sustain homeownership, but will they help families remain resilient in the face of climate-related events and other emerging challenges?

Our work equips policymakers and mortgage industry stakeholders with evidence-backed solutions that can help vulnerable homeowners—particularly families of color—weather financial hardships, ultimately creating a safer and more sustainable housing system for all.

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4. Respond Rapidly to Emerging Issues

For more than 10 years, we have worked with the Housing Finance Innovation Forum—our network of housing finance stakeholders—to provide timely analysis on the most pressing issues in housing finance, capital markets, supply, affordability, and sustainability.

We are committed to rapidly responding to future issues as they emerge, convening stakeholders, and identifying policy solutions that promote affordable and sustainable access to credit for all.

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