Protecting the Present and Reaching for the Future

NAHRO family, 

America is going through a growing affordable housing crisis. As housers and community builders, we house millions of families nationwide. However, for each family we provide with a home, at least three more are eligible for aid but don’t receive it.  

NAHRO’s vision is thriving communities with affordable homes for all. We may seem a long way away from that, but every home makes a difference: a safe and stable place where someone can rest after a long day of work, tend to a sick loved one, study for a test, and cook a family meal. Last week, the administration released a “skinny budget” for FY 2026 that proposes a 43% cut to housing funding. Remember that the current funding only allows us to serve about one out of every four people who qualify for it.  

The good news is that this budget proposal is just that — a recommendation that marks the beginning of the appropriations process. The House and the Senate still need to write their proposed FY 2026 spending bills and reconcile them before they vote on a FY 2026 budget to send to the White House. We’ve got time, but we can’t wait — send your messages to your elected officials now. 

We must advocate to keep our current residents housed and find ways to help the other 75% who qualify for housing assistance but can’t get it. That’s why we need to speak up: use NAHRO’s Action Alert Center to send letters to your Senators and members of Congress. You can call them, too — NAHRO’s recent blog post has resources for finding their phone numbers. 

As we deal with current challenges and the need for quick action, we must continue to invest in the people and the communities we serve. I hope to see you all from July 17-18 at NAHRO’s Summer Symposium in New York, where we’ll do just that with national and global housing leaders, sessions that spotlight international and domestic best practices, and intimate roundtables where you can share challenges and solutions with fellow housers.  

Thank you for all you do — and all you’re going to do — for your residents and communities.