In the lead-up to the 2025 election and launch of the 2026 midterms, perceptions of affordability of housing in the United States were highly negative. Nearly 3 in 4 Americans said they think housing affordability has worsened in their communities in recent years. Only 7% of respondents thought it had improved.
Survey respondents reported they were also concerned about their own ability to afford housing, as close to half of the respondents, 46.7%, reported being moderately or extremely concerned, 26.6% are slightly concerned and only 26.7% reported not being concerned about funding their own housing.
The survey of 1,400 Americans, conducted by YouGov and designed by the University of Florida Center for Public Interest Communications on behalf of the Housing Partnership Network, found a widespread perception of a lack of affordability in housing. This perception is a likely driver of the larger economic affordability crisis, influencing the 2025 elections in New Jersey, Virginia, and other local races across the country.
When asked about their perceptions of housing affordability compared to a few years earlier, an overwhelming majority, 71.4%, reported that affordability has worsened in their community, compared to the number of people who reported “about the same” at 21.6% and only 7% who said it improved.
Nearly half (44.4%) of respondents reported personally knowing someone who is having trouble finding affordable housing.
When participants were asked to rate the causes of the affordable housing shortage, most respondents attributed the shortage to rising building costs and economic uncertainty. Regardless of political leaning, these factors were rated as strong causes of the problem.
Participants reported significantly greater support for government investment and nonprofit investment than for private investment to address housing affordability. When asked whom they trust to provide affordable housing, nonprofit builders and housing organizations ranked the highest compared to private providers.
The survey mirrored the U.S. population in terms of education, geography, age, race/ethnicity, gender, and home ownership.
Other findings included the value of framing the economic effect of building more affordable housing as a local, community-wide benefit.