November 10, 2026 | Press ReleaseFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, November 10, 2026
PRESS CONTACT:
natalie@thekitchentableproject.org
NEW REPORT & POLL: Kitchen Table Project Unveils Plan to Deliver Housing Relief While We Build
New polling finds housing is the top financial pressure for young renters
Plan would help millions more qualify for a mortgage on a starter home via a $1,000 down program, deliver $1,000 building bonuses to renters and homeowners, boost housing supply, and lower insurance costs
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Kitchen Table Project today released a new report and polling on America's housing affordability crisis, including four concrete proposals to deliver financial relief to renters, first-time homebuyers, and homeowners while also accelerating much-needed new home construction.
The polling results confirm what the Kitchen Table Project has been hearing in listening sessions around the country: housing ranked as the number one source of financial pressure for young renters, and second only to groceries among Americans overall.
“Young Americans told us the biggest barrier to owning a home is the down payment. Our First Time Homebuyer $1,000 Down Payment program will help millions become homeowners years earlier–with no cost to taxpayers,” said Kitchen Table Project Chair Lael Brainard. “Americans told us they need relief while we build. Community Building Bonuses will reward communities that meet ambitious permitting goals, delivering help today while building the homes we need to bring costs down tomorrow.”
The new report, “Relief While We Build,” identifies four moves to bring down housing costs for families now while addressing the underlying shortage of homes:
Enable Millions to Buy with a First-Time Homebuyers $1,000 Down Payment option: Create a new FHA mortgage option that would allow qualified first-time buyers, that meet strict underwriting criteria, to purchase a home with as little as $1,000 down. The $1,000 down option would enable a renter with a household income of $79,000 to buy their first home six years earlier than a renter who first saves for a downpayment of 10 percent. The proposal would expand the pool of mortgage-ready young renters (ages 25-39) by 2.2 million households.
Give Renters and Homeowners a $1,000 Community Building Bonus: Reward households in communities that meet ambitious housing permitting goals with a $1,000 payment per household. The bonus would deliver immediate relief while giving communities a stronger incentive to build more housing. An estimated 1.8 million to 3.6 million households could initially qualify.
Get 100,000 More Homes Under Construction with a Shovel-Ready Housing Fund: Create an $8 billion revolving loan fund to help move already-permitted housing projects into construction. By providing low-interest loans to fill financing gaps and leveraging private investment, the fund could help get 100,000 additional homes under construction. That would be enough to reduce the backlog of units that have been permitted but not constructed back down to its historic average.
Lower Homeowners Insurance Costs by Nearly $200 a Year: Create a federal reinsurance backstop to help stabilize insurance markets and lower the cost of protecting homes against catastrophic disasters. The proposal could save homeowners approximately $189 annually on insurance premiums.
The report also comes as the Kitchen Table Project and Global Strategy Group release new polling that shows strong bipartisan support for these solutions.
77 percent of Americans surveyed support zero-down mortgages for qualified first-time homebuyers, including 84 percent of renters and 67 percent of Republicans.
More than 60 percent support rewarding communities that achieve ambitious housing permitting goals with bonuses for residents, including a majority of Republicans.
81 percent support a federal insurance backstop to help lower homeowners’ insurance costs.
"Renters and homeowners experience housing cost pressures differently. Our comprehensive approach tackles affordability issues that both groups are feeling and at very little cost to the federal government,” said housing expert Aaron Shroyer, who led the development of the proposal for the Kitchen Table Project.
In addition to the four major proposals, the Kitchen Table Project recommends several additional steps to lower housing costs, including expanding rental assistance including through direct cash payments, strengthening tenant protections, making it easier to comparison shop for mortgages, streamlining refinancing when interest rates fall, and helping an estimated two million homeowners eliminate unnecessary mortgage insurance premiums, potentially saving them nearly $1,000 a year.
The housing report is the latest in a series of Kitchen Table Project proposals aimed at delivering meaningful relief from the rising cost of living. Previous reports have focused on capping monthly out-of-pocket healthcare costs and lowering grocery bills by more than $1,000 annually for a typical family of four.
“A faster path to homeownership. Money back in families’ pockets. Relief for communities building the housing we need. And no added fiscal burden,” said Brainard. “Our plan pulls every lever to lower housing costs and deliver savings that make a real difference in people’s lives.”
The full housing report and the new polling from Global Strategy Group can be found here. To request an interview or for additional questions, please email natalie@thekitchentableproject.org.
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The Kitchen Table Project develops research-driven policy ideas that address the everyday economic concerns facing American families. Through polling, listening sessions, and policy development, the organization focuses on solutions that provide meaningful relief, resonate with the public, minimize fiscal burden, and address the underlying drivers of rising costs.